2026-27: Three local-global opportunities - fully funded!

EnCompass is for students who are less likely to study abroad!

Each EnCompass program will be led by two UR faculty or staff and include a small cohort of UR students. Course meetings begin in the spring semester and feature learning about the travel destination as well as engaging with the subject matter in Richmond. This course is to prepare you to make the most of your time abroad and to get to know the other participants. As part of the fully funded experience, students will receive a passport (if needed and covered up to the basic passport fee of $165), roundtrip airfare, meals, accommodations, travel expenses and coverage under the International Travel, Accident, and Sickness Insurance. Each group will converge at a regional US airport prior and travel together to their program destination.

Priority will be given to first and second year students representing those statistically least likely to study abroad, and those with limited or no international experience. However, all University of Richmond students are eligible to apply. Note: students graduating in May 2027 are not eligible for Maymester programs.

The 2026-27 EnCompass offerings include:

  • Three Maymester Programs following the spring semester

Submit just one application for all EnCompass experiences and select your first-choice program. All programs will include a 0.5-unit course during the spring semester.

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  • Maymester - Japan
    May 10 - 22, 2027
    Jory Brinkerhoff and Olivier Delers

    “Shifting Landscapes: People, Place and Sustainability in Japan”

    Explore Japan beyond the guidebook. From the bustling streets of Tokyo to quiet, depopulating rural towns, this course examines how people interact with their environment — historically and today. Through exploration of land use, agriculture, and coastal systems, students will investigate the challenges of population change, sustainability, and resource management. Reflective journaling and visual assignments help students connect biology, history, art, and culture to unlock new insights and inspire thought and learning. This course is designed for students from all backgrounds who want to experience Japan in a collaborative, immersive, inter-disciplinary, and thought-provoking way.

    This course emphasizes immersive, place-based learning. Led by experienced faculty, students should expect an active travel experience that includes daily walking and public transportation in urban and rural environments. Food is an important part of the cultural experience in this course, and students will have opportunities to sample a variety of dishes, some of which may be unfamiliar. Meals will take place in a variety of settings, and students should be aware that ingredient information and dietary accommodations may not always be available or fully verifiable.

  • Maymester - Mexico
    May 1 - 8, 2027
    Miguel Diaz-Barriga and Margaret Dorsey

    “Food and Culture: Oaxaca, Mexico”

    This course focuses on transformations in food, farming, and culinary traditions as restauranteurs and activists advocate for food biodiversity and expanded farm to table foodways. Our case study is Oaxaca, Mexico which has become an international destination for “foodies” as well as a site for indigenous food production and activism. The 1994 signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), wiped out small-scale farming in Mexico in favor of food imports from the United States and the expansion of agrobusiness in Mexico. In the last twenty years, Mexican restauranters have sought to rejuvenate small-scale indigenous farming as well as advocate for food biodiversity. Indigenous communities, such as the Zapotecs and Mixtecs, have organized around the importance of small-scale farming for economically maintaining their villages, keeping people healthy and expressing their cultural identities. Through a half-credit course students will learn about these food movements in Mexico as well as Mexican cuisine. This class will prepare students for a one week visit to Oaxaca (through the Encompass program) that will allow students to learn firsthand about farm to table restaurants, indigenous people’s organizing around food, and the possibilities for maintaining small-scale farming. The program includes day trips to indigenous villages, guided tours of markets, and restaurant experiences.

  • Maymester - New Zealand
    May 9 - 23, 2027
    Kristine Grayson and Jon Dattelbaum

    “Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand”

    This experiential course will examine the conservation of biodiversity, restoration of wildlife and the environment, and the role of culture and community in Richmond, VA and New Zealand (Aotearoa in the Māori language). In Richmond, students will explore environmental management practices on our campus (the eco-corridor) and the James River. In New Zealand, students will travel across the North and South Islands to experience the linkages between biodiversity, culture, and restoration.