Empowering students with field experiences in Puebla, Mexico.
Field Experiences
Each year at the Advanced Learning Academy, we empower our 10th grade students with field experiences in Puebla, Mexico. Puebla is situated about 65 miles east of Mexico City, at the foot of the Popocatepetl volcano. Puebla sits 7,000 feet above sea level, a third higher than Denver, Colorado.
Puebla has preserved its great religious structures such as its 16th-century cathedral and the old archbishop's palace, as well as many houses covered in azulejos, or tiles.
Students explore Mexican culture and immerse themselves in the country’s history.
Students visit the campus of the Universidad de las Américas Puebla, known as UDLAP, in Puebla, Mexico, and learn about opportunities for further study.
Our Hosts at UDLAP
The Universidad de las Américas Puebla, known as UDLAP, is a private Mexican university located in San Andrés Cholula, near Puebla.
ALA first traveled to UDLAP in December 2022 with fifty 10th-grade students. The next field experience, our third one, will be in December 2024. Most UDLAP students will be on winter break when we arrive.
There will be some purposeful meetings with university students who will remain for cross-cultural sharing.
Travel Overview
ALA students, teachers, and adult chaperones will fly from San Antonio to Mexico City on Sunday, December 8, 2024. We will return to San Antonio on Friday, December 13, 2023, a week before the start of our winter break.
We will travel by private charter bus to Puebla. After our two-hour journey, we will arrive at UDLAP. The UDLAP campus will be our home for the duration of our field experience.
UDLAP will be our hosts, providing ALA students, teachers, and adult chaperones with room and board as well as offering morning classes. UDLAP is located in Puebla, whose historic downtown area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UDLAP will also be our starting point for various cultural activities:
Great Pyramid of Cholula and Archaeological Museum
Puebla Cathedral, Zocolo, and Museums
Tonantzintla and Franciscan Monastery
And much more…
Travel Costs, Safety, Passports, and Documents
Our travel to Puebla, Mexico is an international field experience. Adults who are interested in participating as an adult chaperone must complete a school district volunteer application. Students and adults who wish to participate will need to have a U.S. passport and to plan for travel costs.
Paperwork and information will be shared with students in class. If additional copies are needed, documents and forms will be made available at this site and may be printed and completed.