What began 30 years ago as a commitment to academic mobility and was formalized 18 years ago through an agreement has now become a platform for global leadership that allows young people from Cauca to project themselves as agents of social and cultural change. This synergy responds to the purpose of the University of Cauca to open pathways toward a dignified future, strengthening the growth of its community through strategic partnerships with organizations of global impact. By collaborating with the YMCA, present in more than 120 countries, the institution not only breaks down geographical barriers, but also fosters comprehensive human development in which knowledge transcends the classroom and connects with international realities.

The main vehicle of this transformation is the “ICCP Summer Work and Travel” program, an initiative that takes volunteers to summer camps to develop technical and human skills in intercultural environments. Regarding the impact of this experience, Albeiro Valencia, director of the YMCA in Colombia, highlights: “These young people will have a life experience, a transformative experience that empowers them, takes them out of their comfort zone, inspires them, raises their self-esteem, because when they achieve an experience like this, they feel they can achieve anything, they build resilience and learn that the world goes beyond the classroom, and that participating in programs like these broadens their perspective and turns them into global citizens.”