35th Annual Conference

The conference theme of AAPLAC 2024 is Contextualizing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) within Study Abroad in Latin America. We are especially interested in proposals that align with this theme as it relates to AAPLAC’s long-standing mission of facilitating and strengthening study abroad, intercultural exchange and global learning among Latin American, Caribbean, and US institutions.

Even as the number of US students studying abroad continues to increase, the field of international education confronts increasingly disconcerting questions about its relationship to systemic inequities and structural racism. Programs administered without critical reflection may perpetuate, albeit unintentionally, the unequal distribution of resources and power, particularly when US students and institutions are involved. Meanwhile, the experience of cultural and linguistic immersion can challenge sociocultural identities, values, and learning objectives. In this environment, exchange programs in Latin America present an opportunity for us to rethink our approaches to international education and center Latin American voices in our pedagogy and program management. They provide a framework to consider both the contrasts and paradoxes of contemporary Latin American society and how the goals and structure of our programs reflect, reproduce, or respond to these social realities. How do we work against the replication of imperialist and colonial patterns that are the historical legacy of US-Latin American relationships within our field? How do we increase justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion on predominately white study-abroad programs? What lessons can we learn from the innovations and dynamism of local communities as they respond to oppressive systems of power from the Global North?

Cali provides an ideal setting to explore these questions. Located in southwest Colombia not far from the Pacific coast, the city is home to the second-largest African-descendent population in South America. Though it is known for its celebration of diversity, it continues to wrestle with the colonial legacy of inequality and discrimination. Our host organization, CET Academic Programs, has partnered with local universities to guide study-abroad students through an exploration of race, identity, and ethnicity since 2017. We look forward to drawing upon their local knowledge and experience as we engage with these topics on a hemispheric scale.

This conference invites participants to consider decolonial approaches to education abroad to address oppressive systems and promote justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field. We invite papers, panels, and workshops that challenge conventional understandings of global education, deconstruct curriculums and classrooms, create partnerships with local Latin American experts, redistribute wealth models, prioritize the health and safety of local communities, and revamp current administrative, pre-departure, and onboarding processes to remove barriers of access for diverse students.

We welcome presentations from any professional engaged in fomenting educational and cultural exchange in Latin America and the Caribbean:

• Faculty and professors
• Study Abroad Administrators
• Latin America and Caribbean Non
• Governmental Organizations
• Graduate/Undergraduate Students
• Independent Field Practitioners
• Community Partners

Future Conferences

The Executive Board of AAPLAC seeks site proposals to host the 2025 Annual Conference. The conference will preferably take place in Latin America or the Caribbean, though proposals for alternate locations may be considered. Please contact AAPLAC President Annie Gibson with any questions or to obtain a site location application.