The Novogratz Bridge Year Program in India is based in Udaipur, a medium-sized city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Once the embattled capital of the kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur was home to one of India’s most famous kings who, along with his descendants, built the beautiful palaces and stone walls that remain part of the cityscape to this day. Udaipur is a diverse city, with large Muslim and Jain minorities, as well as a significant population of Adivasis, the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Udaipur also boasts a thriving civil society with various non-governmental organizations and passionate young people dedicated to issues of social justice. In their community organization placements, Bridge Year participants work alongside community members at organizations that aim to address a wide array of social concerns, including migrant worker rights, natural resource preservation, educational access, and gender equality. Through daily life in Udaipur and various excursions and enrichment activities, students are able to explore India’s diverse cultural and religious traditions along with its most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.

In India, Princeton University partners with Where There Be Dragons. For over 30 years, Dragons has specialized in culturally immersive, meaningful, and educational travel opportunities for students in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Through their international programming, Dragons focuses on sustainable community engagement, empowerment of students and local partners, professional skill building, and expert mentorship. Dragons has worked in partnership with Princeton University and the Novogratz Bridge Year Program since 2009.

Program itineraries are subject to change based on conditions that impact local travel logistics, public health, and participant safety.

Arrival and Orientation

Upon arrival in India, Bridge Year participants travel by train to Udaipur for orientation. During this first week in India, the group engages in orientation activities held on a beautiful farm with comfortable facilities surrounded by Aravalli hills - the oldest mountain range in the world. During orientation, students discuss their goals for the program, begin introductory Hindi language classes, and participate in a variety of workshops related to Indian culture and society. Students spend the remainder of their time getting to know their peers and program staff.

Fall Enrichment Program

From orientation, Bridge Year participants travel to the lower Indian Himalayas. Through homestays, interaction with community partners, and a variety of talks led by local experts, students begin to learn about the realities of life in rural India. Students also continue their intensive Hindi language instruction and join Bridge Year staff in discussions on ethical and collaborative community-based global learning.

The group spends some time staying at the Center for the Contemplation of Nature in Ranikhet. They attend daily workshops, where they learn about farming, community forest management, as well as daily yoga, meditation, and discussions related to the geography of India, gender equality, forest ecology, and local cultural and religious practices.

Participants will move to a nearby village and take part in a daily routine that includes cooking with homestay mothers, harvesting crops, and collecting firewood with host siblings. Depending on weather conditions, groups may take a short trek with amazing Himalayan views. 

Participants will travel by overnight train down out of the Himalayas into the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan. On the way to Rajasthan, the group will stop in Agra for a few days to see the world-famous Taj Mahal.

Arrival in Udaipur

Bridge Year participants arrive in Rajasthan in late September and immediately begin a weeklong orientation to the region that will be their home base for the next seven months. Students learn about the history of Udaipur and gain a more nuanced understanding of its complex social dynamics. During orientation, students receive a thorough introduction to community placement opportunities. Participants visit community partner organizations to gain a better understanding of the work, mission, and culture of each organization. Students and organizations are then matched based on the needs of the organization and the general interests of the students.

Throughout the Udaipur orientation, participants develop practical skills that help them navigate the city by cycle and public transportation, integrate into local culture, and collaborate effectively within their community placements.

Homestay

Program participants live with families in Udaipur, providing them with an opportunity to practice language skills, establish relationships, and integrate more fully into local society. Participants can expect comfortable but modest accommodations that include a private bedroom furnished with a twin bed, a desk, a chair, and a place for clothing. While some homes may have showers, participants should be prepared for bucket baths (usually cold) for bathing. Most meals are prepared by and enjoyed with the homestay family. These meals are typically vegetarian, as is customary in India.

Language Instruction

Hindi language training begins during orientation and continues through early April. For the first four months of the program, Bridge Year participants engage in five to eight hours of formal Hindi language instruction each week. Starting in January, language training continues as needed based on student interest and desire, with the possibility of reducing language study to allow more time for other activities. One-on-one tutoring is available throughout the program for those in need of extra practice. While the first few months can be challenging for students, conversational competence in Hindi can be attained relatively quickly.

Placements with Community Organizations

Participants spend 20-25 hours per week, collaborating with local community organizations. Travel time to and from the placement depends on the assignment but can range from a 15-minute walk to a 25-minute bicycle ride. Staff help orient students to their respective assignments and provide continuous support throughout the program. Below is a list of community partner organizations in Udaipur. This list is not comprehensive but provides examples of the types of assignments in which students might be placed.

• Seva Mandir, one of India’s leading development nonprofit organizations, seeks to “transform lives through participatory development.” They currently work with 360,000 people across 700 villages of southern Rajasthan, where more than 90% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture and most people live on less than 35 cents a day. Their programs focus on governance, health, education, sustainable use of natural resources, female empowerment, youth development, childcare, and social enterprise. Community-engaged learning opportunities may include teaching, supporting research projects, assisting with community outreach, coordinating health education programs, and administrative tasks.
• Jandaksha Trust is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of female migrant laborers in Udaipur. The number of women in the migrant workforce has increased rapidly in the last decade and Jandaksha Trust works to provide women laborers with legal assistance, career training, and better access to health care and education. Through its center and various activities, more than eleven thousand women have received Jandaksha’s support. Community-engaged learning opportunities may include teaching, assisting with health education activities, documenting stories of labor violations, supporting research projects, and providing administrative assistance.
• Sadhna was established to promote the financial independence and security of women living in rural communities. The organization focuses on teaching artisanal skills to produce crafts that are then sold on the fair-trade market. Sadhna also helps women build support networks and cooperatives that encourage self-empowerment. In addition to their handicraft initiative, Sadhna offers educational workshops on leadership and financial literacy. Community-engaged learning opportunities may include supporting longitudinal studies, educational campaigns, and marketing initiatives, as well as research into fair trade.
• Vikalp Sansthan seeks alternatives to existing social structures marked by discrimination, violence, and unequal opportunities for women and girls. The organization addresses issues related to gender-based violence, unequal access to education, and child marriage and works with survivors to rebuild their lives. Since 2004, the organization has influenced over 200,000 “change-makers” through classes and outreach efforts. Vikalp operates out of its main office in Udaipur and works with over 400 volunteers in 9 districts and 231 villages throughout Rajasthan. Community-engaged learning opportunities may include teaching sports, supporting community outreach programs, and providing creative media and technological assistance.
• Jatan Sansthan supports women and children in rural communities. Their services and workshops focus on maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, childhood education, migrant support services, female empowerment, and democratic participation. Community-engaged learning opportunities may include assisting in research projects, supporting awareness campaigns, organizing community outreach activities with youth groups, facilitating health education programs, and working on civic participation activities.
• Aajeevika Bureau works to provide lasting solutions to the economic, social, and legal challenges of migrant workers. Combining advocacy, research, and logistical support, Aajeevika assists migrant workers, while setting new standards for government and industry. Their interventions have included skills training, job placement, legal aid, health care counseling, and the provisioning of photo identification. Community-engaged learning opportunities may include providing administrative support, assisting with research projects, supporting health interventions, coordinating financial literacy programs, and editing publications.
• Shikshantar Andolan was created in 1998 to help individuals to reclaim control over their own learning processes and rebuild “learning webs” within their communities. In the Gandhian spirit of satyagraha (“non-violence”), the organization promotes alternatives to existing formal educational institutions and advocates for “unschooling” opportunities, including workshops on topics ranging from homeschooling to permaculture, computer repair, and filmmaking. The program and its participants have generated several sustainable and environmental initiatives, including a thriving guesthouse, an organic restaurant, a shop featuring “up cycled” goods, and two heritage walking tour organizations. Community-engaged learning opportunities include providing administrative support, assisting with event planning and outreach, and serving as a peer-to-peer co-learner for community members of all ages and backgrounds.
• Vidya Bhawan Society is a large NGO with an emphasis on education. It has numerous projects ranging from a boarding school for rural students, a teacher’s college, an agricultural institute, an engineering college, as well as a number of environmental and community-focused initiatives. Past participants at Vidya Bhawan have primarily worked in the Vidya Bhawan Wellness Program, an innovative program spanning many of Vidya Bhawan Society’s schools. Community engaged learning opportunities may include helping to plan outreach and awareness activities (like fairs or runs), facilitating classes and experiential activities to raise awareness about mental health, abusive relationships, menstrual health, etc.

Cultural Enrichment Activities

Over the course of the program, local experts and other guest lecturers are invited to discuss diverse topics including Indian history, politics, the caste system, gender equality, urbanization, the arts, and the environment.

Bridge Year participants also partake in at least two program-sponsored excursions outside of the city of Udaipur. Excursion destinations depend on many factors including weather, time constraints, student interest, and relevance to the overall program, but a number of different options are available. Possibilities include a rural village stay in a tribal community close to Udaipur; a long weekend in Jodhpur, Jaipur, or elsewhere in Rajasthan; a visit to the remote deserts of Jaisalmer, or an excursion to the neighboring state of Gujarat. To the greatest extent possible, participants are given ownership over the research, planning, and logistics for these group expeditions.

Finally, Bridge Year participants have the opportunity to engage in independent projects or mentorships in topics like stone carving, miniature painting, tailoring, Ayurveda, Indian cooking, traditional or Bollywood dance, sitar, and yoga. The activity may directly enrich the participant’s community placement assignment or serve to enhance an understanding and appreciation of India and Indian culture.

Spring Enrichment Program

Students depart Udaipur in mid-April, traveling by train and plane to the region of Ladakh on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau in the northernmost part of India.

The excursion introduces students to a unique culture and environment, altogether different from the months spent in Rajasthan. In recent years, Bridge Year groups have worked in collaboration with the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, SECMOL. (http://www.secmol.org). Founded in 1988 by a group of young Ladakhis, SECOMOL seeks to reform the educational system of Ladakh. Its activities include supporting village education committees and facilitating teacher trainings, as well as running an alternative school that provides courses in sustainable farming, renewable energy, and ecotourism. In addition to their time at SECMOL, the group spends a week in a Ladakhi village homestay and engages in a multi-day trek in the surrounding Himalayan mountain ranges.

Program Wrap-up

The final week of the Novogratz Bridge Year Program in India takes place in the Ladakh and Delhi. In Ladakh, participants engage in a “Transference Workshop” to examine lessons learned from their Bridge Year experience and reflect on their return home, their goals for the future, and the ways in which they can best integrate their experience into daily life at Princeton. The group spends their final days exploring Delhi before flying home.

• Program Location: Udaipur, India
• Country Name: Republic of India (English); भारत गणराज्य (Hindi)
• Population: 1,389,637,446 (India); 662,922 (Udaipur)
• National Symbol: the Lion Capital of Ashoka (official), Bengal tiger, lotus flower
• Languages: The Constitution of India recognizes 22 official languages. Hindi, written in Devanagari script, is the most prominent. English is also widely spoken.
• Religions: Hinduism 79.8%, Islam 14.2%, Christianity 2.3%, Sikhism 1.7%, Buddhism 0.7%
• Currency: Indian rupee
• Fast Fact: India has the largest postal system in the world. With more than 150,000 post offices, it is three times the size of China's postal system.