to promote & enhance your well-being
Coming to live in a new country and caring for children can be exciting, busy and stressful — all at the same time! Taking time for yourself to find ways to promote your physical health and mental well-being has never been more important. In this class, we will explore how you can use travel, mindfulness, and photography to promote and enhance your overall well-being.
Where will you visit during this course?
- Miami, Florida
- Nassau, The Bahamas
- Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas
How will this unique course work?
1. Complete the self-paced online portion, which will take a minimum of 12 hours to complete.
2. Participate in a “Know Before You Go” Zoom session with your teacher and fellow classmates on Sunday, January 4th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time.
3. Meet your teacher and classmates in Miami for “out and about” class sessions.
4. Depart Miami on a 3-night cruise aboard the MSC Seaside.
“A great opportunity to have time to myself, learn and meet new friends”
What’s the schedule for the course?
November 2025
- Online self-paced sessions open
Sunday, January 4, 2026
- 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — “Know Before You Go” Zoom session
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
- 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. — This evening’s session begins at the Generator Miami hotel (3120 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) and ends on Ocean Drive, located in the heart of South Beach.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
- 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Today’s session features a trip to Everglades National Park for an air boat ride and nature walk.
Friday, January 23, 2026
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Today’s out and about session includes a visit to the Wynwood neighborhood and the Wynwood Walls.
- Our ship, the MSC Seaside, departs the Port of Miami early this evening.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
- 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Our ship will be docked in Nassau, The Bahamas.
Sunday, January 25, 2026
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Our ship will be docked Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas.
After completing all required land-based learning sessions, fully immerse yourself in a Wellness Travel experience by joining your teacher on a 3-day cruise. This voyage offers a unique opportunity to practice and reflect on the concepts learned in class.
Students will eat the evening meal together aboard ship, making plans for the evening and day ahead, all while building friendships to last a lifetime!
Monday, January 26, 2026
- 7 a.m. — Our ship arrives back at the Port of Miami. Enjoy breakfast, then it’s time to say farewell to the friends you’ve made!
- Cruise guests begin disembarking the ship. As this process usually takes a few hours, MSC strongly suggests you do not book air/train travel that is scheduled to depart before 1:30 p.m.
Please note:
- All class sessions listed above are mandatory
- All times reflect Eastern Time
- Please keep in mind that plans are subject to change in light of factors such as the weather, time constraints, road closures and events taking place in the city during the time of your visit.
Important: The online (Zoom) class takes place live with your participation — and your camera on — as well as that of your teacher and fellow students.
Students will gain access to their course work in November. The course work includes a post-assignment.
Please also note that as the start of the course draws near, we will send each student a link to a WhatsApp group that will allow us to communicate with students and students to communicate with one another about their plans in regard to travel arrangements.
How much is tuition and what does it include?
The tuition price will be announced shortly. You may also take advantage of the accommodations we’ve arranged at Generator Miami (3120 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) for the nights of Wednesday, January 21st, and Thursday, January 22nd, for an additional $?? on a space available basis. Please click here for Generator Miami hotel pricing information.
Each student staying at Generator Miami will have their own bed in a shared room. The room’s occupants may be of mixed gender, with both female and male au pairs.
If you prefer to pay your tuition in two payments, you can choose to pay a deposit of $500 when you sign up for this course. The balance of your tuition would be due by Monday, November 3rd.
Tuition includes the following:
— 3 nights accommodation aboard the MSC Seaside, including all taxes and mandatory ship gratuities
— all meals aboard ship
— full day to enjoy Nassau, The Bahamas
— full day to enjoy Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas
— a welcome dinner in Miami on Wednesday, January 21st
— $20 cash contribution toward food in Miami
— Half-day trip Everglades National Park for an air boat ride and nature walk
— admission to Wynwood Walls
— all transportation, as needed, while you're with your teacher
— all costs associated with the class (there are no additional material or activity fees!)
Tuition does not include the following:
- airfare to/from Miami
- accommodations on the nights of Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22 (available at Generator Miami for an additional $?? on a space available basis)
- transportation from the airport and/or from the ship at the end of the cruise
The following items are optional:
- internet aboard ship (but you can text others aboard ship for free using the MSC for Me app)
- excursions that MSC offers in The Bahamas
- alcoholic beverages (for those 21 and over)
- cruise insurance (please contact Learning Across America if you’re interested)
To make sure the course you’ve chosen is not already full, first sign up for the course and receive the enrollment confirmation we’ll email you. Once that’s done, you may then book your travel arrangements.
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It is the sole responsibility of each cruise passenger to identify and obtain all required travel documents for the entire cruise vacation and have them available when necessary. Guests without proper traveling documentation will be denied boarding. No refunds will be given to individuals who fail to bring proper documentation.
Here is a list of the countries whose citizens require a visa to enter The Bahamas. -
While typically au pairs in their second year aren't permitted to travel internationally, there's a provision in federal regulations known as 'automatic revalidation' that allows for exceptions. Under this provision, second-year au pairs in their extension term may travel to certain destinations such as Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands like The Bahamas, provided the trip doesn't exceed 30 days and the au pair hasn't applied for another visa. While the Department of State permits such travel, final admission into the United States with an expired visa rests with the immigration office at the port of entry.
To determine if you're eligible for automatic revalidation, please contact your au pair agency. -
MSC Cruises currently requires that each guest be 21 or older.
We will do our best to honor any roommate requests. -
Since each Learning Across America course consists of a limited number of class sessions, Towson University requires you to attend – and actively participate in – each class and tour day from its start time to its end time. If you fail to do so, you will not be eligible to receive a certificate of completion. Towson University carefully monitors class attendance.
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Once you successfully complete this course, you’ll earn 72 hours of credit.
If you have additional questions regarding credit hours, please contact your au pair organization.
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Students will have 3 weeks to complete their post-assignment and turn it into their teacher. Once you submit your post-assignment, you will receive your certificate of completion directly from Towson University within 10 days, assuming you have satisfactorily completed all course work. Feel free to turn your assignment in as soon as you complete it, as this will allow us to get your certificate to you sooner.
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If you wish to cancel this course…
- if you cancel on or before Monday, November 3rd, you will receive a full refund;
- if you cancel between Tuesday, November 4th, and Tuesday, December 23rd, you’ll forfeit $405;
- if you cancel after Tuesday, December 23rd, there will be no refund or credit.In order to cancel your course you must send an email to Learning Across America. Your cancellation is not effective until you receive written confirmation from Learning Across America.
If you wish to cancel your Generator Miami reservation…
If you choose to stay at Generator Miami on Wednesday and Thursday nights, January 21st and January 22nd, and now wish to cancel your stay, you must cancel on or before Monday, November 3rd, to receive a refund of your room payment. To cancel you must send an email to Learning Across America. There will be no refunds in connection with Generator Miami after Monday, November 3rd.
