camel ride rabat study abroad
Mohammedia, Morocco

Leadership & Service in Youth Development

Enrollment Closed

Leadership

Dates

-

3 weeks

Costs

$4,950

Highlights

Daily activities and excursions

Immersion with a host family

Leadership skills

Service-learning (50 hrs)

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Request Information

Dates

-

3 weeks

Costs

$4,950

Highlights

Daily activities and excursions

Immersion with a host family

Leadership skills

Service-learning (50 hrs)

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Request Information

Overview
Discover a kaleidoscope of cultures while living, serving, and mentoring in this friendly Moroccan community.

This program is based out of the American Language Center (ALC), a non-profit with over 30 years of experience working with local NGOs on cross-cultural exchange. Through the ALC鈥檚 myriad outreach programs, work with local youth, collaborate with Moroccan peers, and learn to look at complex issues from multiple perspectives.

You鈥檒l pack a lot into these three weeks, and options abound. You might mentor underprivileged youth at a local community center, help lead hands-on learning workshops, tutor English in after-school programs, or help plan and run environmental projects at local schools. Hot topics make for interesting discussions: immigration, indigenous communities, women鈥檚 rights, the perception of Islam in America, and more. With students from local high schools, engage in conversations designed to make you think. You鈥檒l also work in teams to tackle social issues in creative ways.

Living with a homestay family, you鈥檒l get a warm welcome and a rare glimpse of Moroccan traditions. Together you鈥檒l shop, prepare meals, and gather around the family table. In your free time, you can dabble in Moroccan pottery and play soccer, ping pong, or volleyball at the city beach. Added bonus: You鈥檒l also have access to all the ALC鈥檚 clubs and offerings鈥攆rom sports, music and movies to public speaking, and debate.

A Summer for Fun, Friends, and Your Future

Explore

Have fun discovering one of Africa's most vibrant coastal cities.

Network

Meet new friends and NGO leaders. Build your own community.

Get Inspired

Launch your future today! Gain hands-on leadership skills through community outreach. Come home ready to take action.

Destination
  • city shot
  • scenic shot
  • city shot

The Destination

Welcome to Mohammedia, a quiet seaside city where you can relax with a glass of mint tea at a caf茅 or stroll through the historic Kasbah鈥檚 winding streets.

Mohammedia is a small port city on the Mediterranean coast between Casablanca and Rabat. Known for its working fishing port and laid-back vibe, it offers a more authentic glimpse of local life than its busier neighbors. The city鈥檚 eastern beaches are popular for swimming, while others are more rugged and rocky, perfect for a peaceful escape.

With roots tracing back to the Almoravid dynasty and a history of European trade, Mohammedia blends centuries of cultural influences. This mix shines through in its food: a mix of North African Amazigh, Arab, and Mediterranean traditions, fused with European and West influences.

Local souks (markets) burst with seasonal fruits like grapes, figs, melons, peaches, dates, and the prickly pear. Bread plays a big role in daily life, with fresh loaves served with butter, olive oil, or jam found in bakeries across town. For a quick bite, street food favorites include kebabs, spicy merguez sausages, roasted chickpeas and peanuts, and sfenj鈥擬oroccan doughnut fritters.

Cultural Awareness

日博体育 wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. No matter where you choose to study abroad with 日博体育, our staff will be on hand throughout your program to provide advice, resources, and support.

 

Social feed above may feature posts from all 日博体育 Study Abroad programs, including college programs.

Itinerary

Sample Itinerary

Objective

Bismillah! You will meet local youth and learn about their needs and priorities. You will learn about ethical volunteering and about the public vs. 
private education systems'鈥 effect on Morocco's youth development. Meanwhile, you will understand your unique leadership, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills and it will allow you to contribute to your group and the service project tasks. Get ready to transition into Moroccan culture, grow your leadership skills, and prepare for the service-learning 
experience of a lifetime!

Highlights*

  • Mint tea workshop
  • Service site visit and assessment to learn more about what the community hopes to see from your service
  • Connection with local youth over a game of basketball or a shared pot of mint tea
  • Surfing/kayaking at Mirimar beach

*Based on prior year itinerary and subject to change.

Objective

In addition to continuing your service work from week one, you will learn about Morocco鈥檚 enviornmental issues and youth solutions to tackle environmental problems given Mohammedia鈥榮 location as a coastal city. You will learn about Morocco鈥檚 beach culture and how it plays a role in the economy.

Highlights*

  • Environmental service with a local NGO working to protect the environment in Mohammedia
  • Rabat day trip
  • Dance workshop at a local NGO supporting West African Immigrants
  • Bargaining session in the local souk, using basic Darija (Moroccan Arabic)
  • Overnight excursion to Chefchaouen (the blue pearl of Morocco) or Marrakech (the red city).

*Based on prior year itinerary and subject to change.

Objective

You will close out your service-learning through work in public school renovations. You will strengthen your understanding of youth development in Morocco, and deepen your insights into how lasting solutions originate from community members within the local community. You will finalize your final project presentations and reflect on the meaningful relationships that you鈥檝e built with your homestay families, fellow Global Navigators, and local youth.

Highlights*

  • Traditional Moroccan games with local youth
  • Henna workshop
  • Moroccan Hamam experience

*Based on prior year itinerary and subject to change.

惭辞苍诲补测鈥揊谤颈诲补测

Each day offers a balance between interactive instruction, service-learning, and cultural activities with time on your own, too.

  1. Breakfast at the homestay 
  2. Hands-on learning with local instructors 
  3. Lunch in the community with your fellow Global Navigators鈥 
  4. Out and about for a cultural activity鈥 
  5. Time for writing individual reflections on your service and for holding group debriefs 
  6. Dinner at the homestay鈥

奥别别办别苍诲蝉鈥赌&苍产蝉辫;

  1. Overnight or day excursions to top sites鈥 
  2. Quality time with friends鈥痑nd everyone at your homestay

Check out the鈥blog posts鈥痶o discover more about daily life and excursions on program.鈥

Housing 

Carefully Screened Homestay

Activities

Top Rated Activities

Moroccan breakfast food

Overnight Trip to Marrakech

The medina of Marrakech hums with life as you weave through narrow alleyways, passing vibrant market stalls and colorful street performers. You share a traditional Moroccan meal with your friends on a terrace overlooking Jemaa El Fna, where snake charmers, storytellers, and musicians bring the square to life under the setting sun. The energy of this UNESCO World Heritage site is unforgettable鈥攁 feast for the senses.

The next morning, you hike through the breathtaking Atlas Mountains, where red peaks give way to lush valleys and winding rivers. Arriving in an Amazigh village that is untouched by tourism, you volunteer alongside local youth, engaging in games with children and learning from the community鈥檚 deep-rooted traditions. This experience emphasizes ethical volunteering and the process of decentering Western values in order to approach service with humility, respect, and a focus on the needs of the local community.

The adventure concludes with a camel ride in the Agafay Desert, where the vast landscape stretches endlessly before you. Sharing these experiences with your peers creates deep bonds and lasting memories. You return to Rabat with a broader perspective on culture, service, and your role in fostering meaningful global connections.

High school students sitting on steps of mosque in Morocco

Service with a Local Community Development NGO

Navigating a new culture begins with listening. On your first day volunteering at a local elementary school, you and your fellow Global Navigators sit down with teachers and parents to hear about their needs and hopes for their community. Inspired by their voices, you begin your week of service, fostering deep connections with both your peers and the local students.

You鈥檙e not just there to teach鈥攚hether it鈥檚 English or STEM through scavenger hunts and LEGO building challenges鈥攂ut also to learn: how to tend the plants in the school garden, play traditional games, and speak Darija (Moroccan Arabic). The days are filled with collaboration, laughter, and meaningful work. Together, you paint classrooms, plant gardens, and share meals, deepening friendships with each passing moment. Evening service seminars help you reflect on ethical volunteering, decentering Western perspectives, and the privilege of learning from a vibrant community.

This experience stays with you long after your time in Morocco. It may inspire volunteer work in your own community, become the centerpiece of a standout college admission essay, and even ignite a lifelong passion for international service.

Testimonials
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Eligibility

Eligibility

  • Participants must be 14 years old and above.
  • No previous language experience required.
  • Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
  • For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.

For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Dates & Fees

Dates & Fees

Application Fee

$25

Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. More details about tuition inclusions can be found here.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Costs

Program Summer Session I 2025 3 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $4,950
Program Summer Session II 2025 3 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $4,950

Ready to change your life?

Staff

Our Staff

Madiha Chafiq

Center Director

Madiha received her master鈥檚 degree in international education and development from George Washington University and her bachelor鈥檚 degree in international relations from Boston University.

Program Leaders guide and support our High School Summer Abroad participants through every step of their program.

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