The study abroad office is planning a new summer program that will allow students to experience everything from a different culture and interacting with locals to documentary filmmaking.

The program is going to Rwanda, Africa from June 13 to July 10.

“The students will be doing volunteer work at orphanages, which may entail teaching English, web and video techniques and even remodel buildings,” said Curtis Bieber, film production professor at City College and director of the program.

The students will receive six units for participating and they will also have the opportunity to go on a brief safari.

Bieber is in charge of the documentary filmmaking part of the program, and this is his second time directing a study abroad program for City College.

Since last year, the City College communication department has been involved in fund-raising projects for Rwanda, which is one of the reasons they are going there. The participants will be studying intercultural communication, documentary filmmaking and volunteer services.

“This is definitely a different group of students,” he said. “They are more of an adventurous spirit, more politically sensitive.”

Rwanda has experienced turbulent conflict between two ethnic groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis, witch resulted in the 1994 mass killing known as the Rwandan Genocide. Approximately 20 percent of the country’s 7 million people were wiped out as about 10,000 people were killed each day.

“With the program we would like the students to become more aware of the genocide, as well as create a greater appreciation of what they have here,” Bieber said.

Two study abroad programs have already been canceled this semester. A trip to the Middle East was canceled because of safety concerns made by the State Department and a program to London was cancelled because of low enrollment.

“Parents have concerns about safety, but this country is very well organized,” senior director of international programs, Carola Smith, said. Her only concern, she says, is that the program could be canceled if not enough students attend.

“Before winter break we had so many students interested, we didn’t know what to do,” Carrie Cropley, program director and communication instructor, said in an e-mail to The Channels. “However as the economic situation gets increasingly worse we are losing student interest, which we attribute to financial issues.”

Seventeen students are enrolled, but 20 are needed to prevent the program from being cancelled. The deadline passed on March 27, but students can enroll for the next few weeks to fill the final few spots. Students who missed the deadline, but still choose to enroll, must arrange their owns flight.

For more information, visit City College’s Study Abroad website.