THE UVM GO TRAVEL LOTTERY WILL BE OPEN
MONDAY, APRIL 6 - MONDAY, MAY 4
Check back here for the link!
UVM GO International offers incoming students the opportunity to participate in five-day and six-day travel programs led by a UVM faculty member with extensive experience in the city and program theme. With the guidance of Program Leaders, participants will explore new places, expand their intercultural knowledge, and begin to build their UVM community.
Students wishing to participate in UVM GO International must have a valid U.S. passport and must be at least 18 years old at the start of their program. This age requirement does not apply to students participating in UVM GO programs offered in Canada.
Each program is capped at 20 students, and all UVM GO participants are selected through our lottery system. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the designated meetup location. Programs that include a group flight to the destination will meet at the departure airport and travel together.
Summer 2026 UVM GO International Programs
UVM GO: Costa Rica
Art and Ecology in Monteverde
Sunday, July 26 – Friday, July 31, 2026
Led by:
Pamela Fraser, MFA, Professor of Art and Art History (CAS)
Lara de Macedo Monteiro, PhD Candidate in Natural Resources (RSENR)
Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate in this program. Participants will travel with Program Leaders on a group flight from Miami, FL to San Jose, Costa Rica, and are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Miami International Airport for the group flight.
Art and environmental studies converge in the tropical cloud forest of Monteverde. Students will create artwork inspired by the remarkable beauty and biodiversity of this lush natural environment. Professor Pamela Fraser and Lara Monteiro will guide students through various forms of expression, while experts from the Monteverde Institute will lead discussions on the local ecosystem and environmental sustainability. Through the lens of art and observation, students will explore how the local ecology, communities, and history of Costa Rica intersect with vital global concerns.
Sample activities: Drawing, painting, and photographing the rich foliage and wildlife; hiking in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Preserve and the Bajo del Tigre Forest; taking outdoor yoga classes; collaborating on a local community art project; visiting the city shops of Monteverde.
UVM GO: Iceland
Island to Mainland: Culture, History and Environment
Monday, July 27 – Saturday, August 1, 2026
Led by:
Dr. Joaquin Nunez, Assistant Professor of Biology (CAS)
Ilaria Coero Borga, PhD Candidate and Gund Graduate Fellow (CAS)
Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate in this program. Participants will travel with Program Leaders on a group flight from Boston, MA to Keflavík International Airport, and are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Logan International Airport in Boston for the group flight.
Located on a rift between tectonic plates and being one of the geologically youngest lands on the planet, Iceland sits at the crossroads of Europe and North America as well as between the Arctic and temperate realms. While these characteristics have given rise to many economic challenges, it has also provided fertile ground for the emergence of Iceland’s unique culture and people. Join Dr. Joaquin Nunez and PhD candidate Ilaria Coero Borga from UVM’s Department of Biology, and local expert Dr. Áki Jarl Láruson to tour the island and explore how Icelanders have built a unique relationship with their ecosystem, balancing the need for sustenance with sustainability.
Learn more about the UVM GO Iceland program
Sample activities: Exploring the natural vistas near Sandgerði and the Krýsuvík Geothermal Area; visiting museums in Reykjavík; meeting students from the University of Iceland; seeing Iceland’s unique wildlife; visiting the historic Hólar Cathedral; touring the aquaculture facility near Grindavík; exploring hiking paths at Mt. Gvendarskál.
UVM GO: London
Local Histories, Global Connections
Sunday, July 12 – Saturday, July 18, 2026
Led by:
Dr. Paul Deslandes, Associate Dean for Student Success and Professor of History (CAS)
Dr. Jennifer Dickinson, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Student Success and Associate Professor of Anthropology (CAS)
Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate in this program. Participants will travel with Program Leaders on a group flight from Boston, MA to Heathrow International Airport, and are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Logan International Airport in Boston for the group flight.
Incorporating museum visits, guided walking tours, and structured exploration exercises, this UVM GO program invites participants to engage with London’s long history, experience its many cultures, and grasp its important global connections. Dr. Deslandes and Dr. Dickinson will guide you as you walk among ruins, visit world-renowned landmarks, and explore modern architectural marvels. We will also ride atop the iconic double-decker tour bus, tour Kensington Palace, enjoy live theater and cultural performances, and sample the many different cuisines that help to define London as a global city.
Sample activities: Visiting the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and London’s Roman Amphitheater; taking a cruise on the River Thames; taking walking tours of the East End and Southwark districts; touring Kensington Palace.
UVM GO: Montreal
Exploring a Multicultural Metropolis
Friday, August 21 – Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Led by:
Dr. Jeanne Shea, Associate Professor of Anthropology (CAS)
Rhonda Lynn, MA, Office of the President
This is an early move-in program, beginning and ending at UVM. Students will check into their permanent dorm room on Friday morning, before the program begins. The program concludes on Tuesday with a closing dinner, and New Student Orientation begins on Wednesday.
Montreal is a cosmopolitan city known for its mosaic of people and cultures from all around the world. After students drop their belongings into their permanent dorm rooms, the group will board a charter bus to Montreal and spend the next few days learning about the distinct languages, cultures, and foods of this vibrant city. Dr. Jeanne Shea from the Department of Anthropology and Rhonda Lynn from the Office of the President will show you a variety of neighborhoods, museums, churches, and eateries in Montreal. Your group will return to UVM on Monday and continue exploring French-Canadian influences visible around campus and in the community. This program concludes on Tuesday evening, leaving plenty of time to recharge before New Student Orientation!
See UVM GO Montreal 2024 in action!
Sample activities:
Montreal: Meander the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal; nosh along Saint Laurent Boulevard; discover local specialties at the Jean Talon food market; visit Notre Dame Basilica; take in the Indigenous Voices exhibit at McGill’s McCord Stewart Social History Museum; see the remains of the city’s early beginnings at Pointe-à-Callière Archeology Museum.
Burlington: Discover the rich influence of Quebec’s heritage in Vermont through an immersive cultural experience in Burlington. Enjoy hands on activities, engaging stories, and a taste of French-Canadian traditions.
UVM GO: Vancouver
Sustainability and the City
Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31, 2026
Led by:
Dr. Pablo Bose, Associate Dean and Professor of Geography and Global Studies (CAS)
Dr. John Sama, Division of Academic Affairs and Student Success
Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to/from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where this program begins and ends.
Vancouver, a city renowned for its natural beauty as much as its built environments, has also gained a reputation as a global city. Dr. Pablo Bose Professor of Geography and Global Studies, and Dr. John Sama, from the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Success, will introduce students to a vibrant, multicultural metropolis, with a focus on the different communities that have called it home. The group will explore the evolution of the city, with a particular focus on the challenges of sustainability and the right to the city, immigration, and urban development, while walking, hiking, boating, and biking around some of the city’s spectacular landscapes.
Check out this slideshow from UVM GO Vancouver!
Sample activities: Navigating the forest canopy on the Greenheart Treewalk; biking around Stanley Park; taking walking tours of different neighborhoods; visiting the Granville Island Public Market, the Museum of Vancouver, and the Museum of Anthropology; touring the First Nations Longhouse and Reconciliation Pole; taking a ferry tour of Coal Harbour.