The past
Investigate layers of history, including the legacies of slavery. Ask whose stories have been told, and whose perspectives need more attention.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · SUMMER C 2027
UF in Brazil - Cross-Cultural Engineering and Immersive Technologies for Industry 5.0
A place full of stories.
A team to bring
them to life.
In Pelourinho, Salvador, create museum-style immersive experiences about the area’s past, present, and future with Brazilian collaborators at SENAI CIMATEC Digital e Criativo.
Artists, designers, engineers, programmers, storytellers—and students from every other major. Bring what you know. Build something together.
No prior VR experience is required.
YOUR SUMMER, AT A GLANCE
- Term
- Summer C 2027
- Dates
- June 6–August 1
- Academics
- Six UF credits
- Places
- Salvador & Praia do Forte
- Apply by
- February 1, 2027
01 / THE PROJECT
Rooted in place. Created together.
What if buildings
could talk?
What if we could travel through time using projections, virtual worlds, and immersive experiences?
In Pelourinho, we’ll explore how a place can share stories of its past, illuminate its present, and invite people to imagine its future. With Brazilian collaborators at SENAI CIMATEC Digital e Criativo, students will research, interpret, and prototype physical and digital experiences that bring museum-style storytelling to life.
Choose the stories, questions, and creative tools that matter most to you. Artists, designers, engineers, programmers, storytellers, and students from every major can contribute—from researching a story to shaping a space or building an interaction. No prior VR experience is needed.
The present
Learn from Black cultural life, religious traditions, music, capoeira, and the everyday life of Pelourinho today.
The future
Imagine how immersive experiences could support new conversations about memory, belonging, and the future of the area.
WHAT MIGHT YOU MAKE?
A 3D-printed model could become a surface for projection; a digital twin could invite visitors into a virtual version of a place. AI and virtual humans could help teams explore new ways to tell a story. These are creative options, not a checklist of technologies everyone must use. Historical interpretations, themes, and formats will be grounded in research and collaboration with Brazilian partners. The possibilities will take shape together, not as predetermined exhibits or guaranteed outcomes.
02 / YOUR ROLE
Different skills. One shared experience.
This team
needs your perspective.
An immersive experience takes more than code.
It needs thoughtful research, a compelling story, a sense of space, and care for its visitors. Every major has something to contribute. You do not have to code to play an essential role.
Artists & designers
Shape the visual language, imagine spaces, sketch scenes, and consider how an experience feels.
Engineers & programmers
Explore technical possibilities, build interactions, connect tools, and help prototypes work.
Storytellers & historians
Research context, interpret sources, develop narratives, and ask whose voices are represented.
And you, from any major
Bring your questions. Help understand visitors, communicate ideas, organize a team, or discover a new skill.
Start where you are. Learn immersive tools from the ground up, share your strengths, and grow with your team. No prior VR experience is required.
03 / LIFE IN BAHIA
The place is part of the learning.
Live by the coast.
Learn from the city.
Make Praia do Forte your home base. Let Salvador’s streets, people, and cultural life give your work its context.
Praia do Forte
Stay in a hostel in shared double rooms—two students per room. Coastal life and the village become part of your eight-week summer. Nearby Projeto TAMAR offers a window into sea turtle conservation.
Salvador
Explore the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre, including Pelourinho. Learn about Bahian food, music, religious traditions, and capoeira as living practices that help you understand the place you are designing with.
Beyond the classroom
Possible excursions include Pelourinho’s cultural sites, Balé Folclórico da Bahia, capoeira and drumming workshops, Projeto TAMAR, Ilha dos Frades, and SENAI CIMATEC’s research and technology facilities.
Activities depend on the official program schedule.A little Bahia before you go
Watch & explore
- Explore Salvador on video ↗
- A visitor’s perspective · 01 ↗
- A visitor’s perspective · 02 ↗
- A look at Ilha dos Frades ↗
Independent videos offer personal perspectives; they are not UF program activities.
Start in Gainesville
Explore Brazilian food at SAMBA Brazilian Kitchen and Brazilian rhythms with Bloco GNV.
04 / ACADEMICS & COLLABORATION
Two courses. Six UF credits.
Learn the tools.
Ask better questions.
UF faculty guide a beginner-friendly path from understanding a place to making and reflecting on an immersive experience.
3 UF CREDITS · CEN 4930 / CIS 6930
Culturally Aware Design
Explore how culture, identity, and context shape design. Practice listening, researching, and developing ideas with people whose perspectives may differ from your own.
3 UF CREDITS · CIS 4930 / CIS 6930
Virtual Reality for the Social Good
Learn immersive technology from the ground up. Explore how VR can communicate stories and social questions, and contribute your skills to a collaborative prototype.
- 01Understand the place
- 02Learn & experiment
- 03Create together
- 04Reflect & refine
OUR BRAZILIAN COLLABORATORSENAI
CIMATEC
CIMATEC
Digital e Criativo
Learning with Brazilian collaborators
SENAI CIMATEC Digital e Criativo brings the collaboration into Salvador’s Historic Centre. Its work spans digital and creative technologies, including virtual and augmented reality. Students will develop ideas alongside Brazilian collaborators, connecting technical exploration with cultural understanding.
SENAI CIMATEC hosted SVR 2025, the Brazilian Symposium on Virtual and Augmented Reality, as part of its role in Brazil’s immersive technology community.
Meet SENAI CIMATEC on videoMore from SENAI CIMATEC
Watch the institutional overview ↗
A short introduction in Portuguese.
Explore CIMATEC Park ↗
A view of the wider research ecosystem, not a confirmed
itinerary.
05 / PLAN & APPLY
Make room for a meaningful summer.Your next
chapter.
June 6–August 1, 2027
Applications due
February 1, 2027
The official UF Abroad brochure maintains application requirements and current program terms.
Who can apply?
UF undergraduate and graduate students from all majors, with a 2.5 GPA and good standing. The program is not open to non-UF students. No prior VR experience is required.
Read the application instructions ↗
2027 UNDERGRADUATE FEE$9,487
2027 GRADUATE FEE$9,597
$395 nonrefundable deposit toward the total fee is due when applying. Remaining fees are due no later than 45 days before departure. Financial aid deferment depends on the amount of eligible aid.
Housing & what’s included
Housing: A hostel in Praia do Forte, with shared double rooms (two students per room).
The published fee includes: Tuition for six credits, welcome and farewell dinners, all breakfasts, accommodations as part of scheduled program excursions, program-related transportation, international health insurance, and emergency medical assistance.
What to budget for separately
Round-trip airfare, applicable visa documents, personal travel and expenses, and optional trip cancellation or interruption insurance. Plan for meals beyond the breakfasts and welcome/farewell dinners listed as included.
Financial aid & scholarships
Eligible financial aid may apply. Contact UF Student Financial Aid and Scholarships to determine your individual eligibility.
Questions? Talk with us
Alexandre Gomes de Siqueira
Program
director
[email protected]
Heather Harris
Study abroad advisor
Contact your advisor ↗
YOUR PERSPECTIVE BELONGS HERE
Come with us.
Make something meaningful.
Bring your curiosity to Bahia. Help a place’s stories find new ways to be experienced.
View program & apply SUMMER C 2027 · ALL MAJORS WELCOME