Thirteen UW students will begin an immersive health and cultural learning experience in Brazil this week, as two additional study abroad opportunities open for spring 2027.
Lessons about health can be more deeply understood by experiencing the communities, cultures, and systems that shape it.
On Sept. 5, 13 University of Washington students will travel to Brazil for three weeks of immersive academic and cultural learning in Londrina and São Paulo. Through Nursing Brazil: Health Promotion and Community Engagement, students will explore health promotion, physical activity, community health and Brazil’s public health system while learning alongside faculty, researchers and students at two Brazilian universities.
The program is led by UW School of Nursing Research Assistant Professor Vitor Oliveira, PhD, with co-directors Suha Ballout, PhD, RN, FADLN, FAAN, associate dean for the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and Jan Flowers, MS, faculty director of the Digital Initiatives Group.
At the State University of Londrina (UEL), students will engage with faculty and research across health sciences, physical education and sports science. Their learning will include exposure to community and clinical research programs, including strength training for older women and exercise interventions for breast cancer survivors. The experience will then continue at the University of São Paulo (USP) School of Nursing, where students will learn alongside faculty working in areas including public health, primary care, chronic disease, health promotion and clinical care.
Together, these experiences invite students to consider health beyond individual clinical encounters — exploring how culture, policy, research, community, and the built environment influence health and well-being.
For Oliveira, who was born in Brazil and spent a decade living in Londrina, the program is also an opportunity to introduce students to people and institutions that helped shape his work as an educator and health researcher.
“Brazil offers an extraordinary setting for students to understand health beyond the classroom,” Oliveira said. He hopes students return with a broader understanding of global health, stronger intercultural skills and a deeper appreciation for how communities and health systems respond to their own contexts.
That spirit of curiosity is central to the program. Flowers encourages students to “practice the discipline of understanding first” — approaching a different health system by first asking how it works and why it developed as it did, rather than immediately measuring it against what they already know.
As this year’s cohort prepares for Brazil, the School of Nursing is also inviting students across the University of Washington to consider two new opportunities to study there in spring 2027.
Study in Brazil in spring 2027
Spring Break: Digital Health, Data Systems, and Health Equity
March 20–27, 2027 | Rio de Janeiro
This spring break program offers an immersive introduction to health informatics and public health data systems. Students will explore how health information, digital technologies and data-driven decision-making can be used to improve population health, respond to public health threats and advance health equity.
Hosted in collaboration with the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the program will connect students with faculty, researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of health and technology.
Students must enroll in NMETH 210: Science, Evidence and Health: Mastering Health Information and Personal Health Technologies during the winter quarter. No Portuguese language experience is required, and activities in Brazil will be conducted in English.
Application deadline: Nov. 1, 2026
Information sessions: Oct. 14, noon–1 p.m. and Oct. 26, 5–6 p.m.
Learn more and apply for the spring break program
Spring Quarter: Global Health, Physical Activity, and Community Engagement
March 28–June 6, 2027 | Londrina and São Paulo
This 10-week program blends global health education, physical activity and aging research with cultural engagement. Students will explore how health, movement, equity and Brazil’s public health system intersect in community and clinical settings while studying in Londrina and São Paulo.
The 18-credit curriculum combines nursing and Portuguese language coursework through NURS 413, PORT 110 and PORT 299. No prerequisites or prior Portuguese language experience are required.
Application deadline: Nov. 15, 2026
Information sessions: Oct. 30, noon–1 p.m. and Nov. 9, 5–6 p.m.
Learn more and apply for the spring quarter program
We wish this year’s cohort and our partners at UEL and USP a meaningful journey of learning, discovery and connection. Faculty, staff, advisers, alumni and community partners are encouraged to share the 2027 opportunities with students interested in global health, health equity, digital health, physical activity, community engagement and cross-cultural learning.