Bagamoyo, Tanzania, is not where most students plan to spend their summer.

However, for Amber Bruer, sophomore in history and an Iowa State ROTC cadet, it is just the place she has dreamed of going. Bruer has been selected to be a part of the 2012 Culture and Language Deployment. CULP gives ROTC students the opportunity to travel and help other cultures.

“It’s a pretty big honor to go on these kinds of trips; there were over 1500 applications for this summer,” Bruer said.

ROTC students are selected during a competitive application process and can choose an area from three zones: Asia, Europe and Africa. There are two types of CULP Trips: humanitarian and military to military. During humanitarian trips, students help locals in several ways such as building homes and schools, and teaching English.

During his humanitarian trip, Philip Jacobs, junior in interdisciplinary studies, worked in a youth shelter with teens. Jacobs was selected for the program last summer and spent his time in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.

“I taught English and geography in a youth shelter, but while I taught them English, I picked up Swahili,” Jacobs said.

The program has immense importance in helping the students continue their education.

“They can comprehend English pretty well and they want to learn,” Jacobs said. “It really helps them because their education system is so different from ours.”

The experience is eye opening for many who go on the trip. When Jacobs first arrived in Bagamayo, he was surprised.

“There was trash all over the streets and sidewalk,” he said. “There wasn’t a clear area to walk, you had to go around it where you could.”

Although he had been to Europe before, Jacobs became more culturally aware during his time in Tanzania.

“It’s a great way to learn about the United States and other countries, especially for those who have not been out of the country or even away from Iowa,” Jacobs said.

The trip will be Bruer’s first trip abroad. Before she departs, she will go through different army training courses and also learn Swahili though the Headstart program.

ROTC members throughout the country participate in the CULP program.

“It was cool getting to see other cadets from other programs, especially those from West Point,” Jacobs said.

The military to military program is more focused on learning about another country’s armed forces and how it differs from the United States. The cadets train for a month with the host country’s military. In either program, the experience is unforgettable.

“The process has been stressful, but I know it will be totally worth it and the experience of a lifetime,” Bruer said.