LiveDifferent Academy: Three beautiful countries. One incredible opportunity to discover yourself. 

Join us in September 2023 for a 3 month, cross-cultural experience in Mexico,
the Dominican Republic, and Haiti that will change your life.

Register now

Explore the world and how you can make a difference.

Have you ever wanted to explore a different part of the world while volunteering in local communities? The Academy takes students to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti to volunteer, explore, and learn more about themselves in the process. Are you in? Here’s what you can expect:

Volunteer

Spend time volunteering on various local projects and learn about the work of other organizations serving the communities in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Study Spanish

Being fully immersed in the culture, you’ll study Spanish and spend time with a local host family once a week.

Explore

During this experience, you’ll explore dormant volcanoes, beaches, local cultural attractions and historical sites.

Projects

On top of volunteering, you will complete local projects alongside community members.

Week in the Life

Gain perspective and a deeper understanding as you experience what life can be like when all you have access to is a low-paying job. By the end of the week, you’ll be more aware of the tough decisions that people around the world face daily—from housing to food and everything in-between.

Learn

You’ll learn about social justice issues and work on developing yourself through a mixture of class time, experiences, and mentoring.

Be one of the first students to experience the Academy in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

Register now

A peek at the 2023 Schedule

  • Sept. 8th – Fly to San Diego, CA
  • Sept. 10th – Drive to Guest House in Vicente Guerrero, Baja California, Mexico
  • Week 1-2 (Mexico) – Orientation, Spanish classes and meet host families
  • Weeks 3-5 (Mexico) – Volunteering and coursework
  • Week 6-7 (Mexico) – Build Project and a Week-in-the-Life Experience
  • Week 8 (Mexico) – Volunteering, coursework and travel to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  • Week 9 (DR) – Volunteering and coursework
  • Week 10-11 (Haiti) – Volunteering and coursework
  • Week 12 (DR) – Travel Back to the Dominican Republic, wrap up and Academy graduation
  • Dec. 5th – Fly home from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

“These three months are an experience I am really happy that I pushed myself to participate in. I have explored many new aspects of my personality I hadn’t discovered before [and] I feel I have introduced myself to an aspect of work I really want to pursue in my life”

– Phyllis (Academy Alumni)

Tuition for three months is $9,100 CAD
—with in-country accommodations, food, visas and flights (thanks to WestJet) all-included*

Since it’s a unique program that blends personal growth with the opportunity to give back and make a difference, the cost can be broken down into two parts—one to cover your stay and the other to help others during your time in Academy.

Program Costs

$3,600

This portion covers everything that benefits you directly, like the curriculum, food and accommodations.**

Charitable Project Costs

$5,500

This part is used to help others and goes towards project costs. As a result, we’re able to issue tax receipts for funds raised***.

*LiveDifferent will provide all Academy Students with return flights with WestJet. Certain restrictions apply, so contact us for more details.

**LiveDifferent does not issue tax receipts for contributions made towards the Program Costs, as they are not directly related to the charitable component of the program.

***There are certain restrictions when issuing tax receipts. Full details are available upon request.

Have questions about Academy 2023? Fill out the form and one of us will get in touch!

Rose

Tyler