Activism and Social Movements in Brazil

Learn about Brazil's history, culture, and contemporary issues and how communities are addressing inequality, sustainability, and justice.

Highlights

• Meet with Brazilian activists, community leaders, and organizations working to create positive social change.
• Experience Brazilian culture through samba and bossa nova music, and visits to iconic landmarks including Christ the Redeemer, Ipanema Beach, and Copacabana Beach.
• Visit innovative cultural and educational sites, including the Museum of Tomorrow, and engage with local experts on Brazil's most pressing social issues.

Brazil's rich history of activism and social change comes to life through a spring semester course at RIT, where you'll explore the country's history, culture, and the social movements that continue to shape Brazilian society. The course provides the historical and cultural context needed to understand complex issues before traveling to Brazil in May, where you'll experience these topics firsthand through immersive learning and meaningful engagement with local communities.

During your time in Brazil, you'll bring what you learned in the classroom to life by meeting local experts, visiting community organizations, and exploring the places where social change is happening. You'll learn how Brazilians are addressing challenges like environmental sustainability, inequality, restorative justice, and community development, while gaining a deeper understanding of the people and ideas shaping modern Brazil.

In Brazil, you'll meet with local leaders and activists at: 

• Brasil No Clima - a leading "think-and-do" tank dedicated to environmental sustainability efforts in Brazil.
• Observatório de Favelas - a non-profit organization that offers a critical and grounded perspective on the favela wars.
• Fundição Progresso - a cultural hub that supports grassroots efforts toward social change.

Course Term: Spring course at RIT, travel to Brazil in early Summer
Travel Dates: May 10-19, 2027
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• HNRS 299: Civic Engagement & Resistance in Brazil (3 credits)

Students will be enrolled in a spring course at RIT and will travel to Brazil in early summer. Class meeting time in Spring 2027 will be Tuesdays, 3:30-4:20 pm.

Note: you do not need to be in the RIT Honors program to participate (however, Honors students will receive priority in acceptance decisions)

No pre-requisites. Open to all undergraduate majors, all year levels, 2.5 GPA or higher

Application Deadline: Sunday, October 18th, 2026

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: A student budget worksheet outlining all program costs will be available here soon.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you check scholarship eligibility requirements and note scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

1) Start an application in the Compass (RIT's study abroad application system)
Once you login to the Compass you will need to complete some profile/registration questions, then use the “Search Programs” tab to search for “Activism Brazil” to complete an application.

2) Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Joel Gallegos Greenwich
Professor of Practice
Academic Affairs
jgggla@rit.edu