Universidad Alberto Hurtado (UAH) and Texas State University (Texas State) created a new credit-bearing, study abroad course for English as a Second Language (ESL) undergraduate students. The program engaged students in cross-cultural exploration, learning, and projects related to issues of migration, inclusion, and diversity in K-12 schools and local communities in Texas and Chile.

During the program, nine (9) Chilean students from UAH traveled to the Texas, where they collaborated with Texas State students in coursework and field-based experiences at local schools and community-based organizations that support immigrant communities in central Texas and deepened their knowledge and understanding of education and immigration in the United States. The program also enabled the Chilean students to learn firsthand about the contexts of migratory families and meaningful teaching practices for linguistic and cultural diversity, while allowing participating U.S. students to learn about similar contexts in Chile from the their counterparts through a facilitated learning experience.

Furthermore, students and professors worked together to integrate strategies from both countries on how to provide quality education for migratory and diverse communities. Both institutions intend to continue implementing collaborative work by supporting the creation of a bidirectional study abroad program as part of their teaching training program.