Sign up for Spring Semester trips below
Click on the date to sign up today.
We cross the US/Mexico border, just half an hour south of campus, and spend the day learning from communities that have welcomed USD students for over 20 years. During this day-long experience in Tijuana we build relationships, break down barriers that divide us, and serve wherever the need is the greatest for that day. The day is an opportunity to reimagine what justice looks like to refine our questions of privilege, and to work towards building mutual relationships. Sign up to build meaningful relationships and learn more about the realities of the border region.
If you are coming to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
While the exact itinerary of each trip may differ depending on the availability of community partners, here is an example of what a trip might look like:
- Meet at 8 a.m. in the Ministry Center for a brief introduction to the day before departing for Tijuana (transportation is provided)
- Orientation with the youth group of Parroquia Maria Inmaculada
- Visit with people of La Morita, including at Las Memorias, a residential facility for people living with HIV/AIDS
- Have lunch at Playas de Tijuana (bring a sack lunch)
- Spend time along the border fence on the Mexican side, and learn about the history and impact of the border
- Share dinner with migrants at Casa del Migrante (provided)
- Time to reflect and share as a group on the experience
- Due to unpredictability with border wait times, it is difficult to know exactly when we will be able to return to USD, but previous groups have usually returned between 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
A more precise agenda will be shared with you the week of your TJ Day Trip.
In order to participate, we ask for a $15 donation that will go directly to our community partners in Tijuana. Financial assistance is available upon request. To request financial assistance, please email Alec at ajhartman@sandiego.edu. If you would like to bring any donations of clothing items, you may bring them with you on the trip and they will be donated to a migrant shelter.
People communicate in many different ways other than using just the language of their country. That being said, we will translate what is necessary. Even if you don't know any Spanish, you can still have meaningful encounters with the people in Tijuana. Trust us, you will know more Spanish by the time the day is over!
A heart willing to serve, humility, flexibility, a sense of humor and:
- Comfortable clothing
- Bag Lunch
- A reusable water bottle
- Sunscreen/ sunglasses/ a hat
- A sweatshirt for the evening
- A small amount of cash for the border line
- A valid passport, Sentri card, green card, I-20 Visa, and/or enhanced driver license (if from MI, MN, NY, VT, or WA)
Absolutely! Every experience is unique and each trip is an opportunity for continued growth and understanding. Our only request is that those who have previously participated in a Tijuana Day Trip wait to sign up until a couple of weeks before the next trip, so that others have the opportunity to participate.
University Ministry offers an extended experience over Spring Break called Tijuana Spring Breakthrough. Check out all the Romero Immersion Programs.
Because USD is located close to the US/Mexico border, there are many different ways to continue learning about the themes, questions and ideas that are part of UM day trips.
- The Trans-Border Institute is dedicated to promoting border-related scholarship.
- Through reciprocal community-based learning, The Mulvaney Center provides students with opportunities to engage in service with our local communities.
- USD's Immigration Dialogue website has resources for those members of our USD community who are directly affected by changes to immigration policy and enforcement, and to contribute to the ongoing national dialogue on immigration and its' impact on USD and other higher education institutions.