U.Va. Grounds: Close to 90 runners and walkers gathered at Newcomb Hall on Grounds Sunday to participate in Semester at Sea's first-annual 5k race. All proceeds benefitted Habitat for Humanity and Nothing But Nets charities. See the final race results.

Home stays with local families are one of the many cross-cultural engagements provided by Semester at Sea. In this slideshow with audio, be part of the learning experience as Semester at Sea faculty, families, and students get a sense for daily life, culture, and people in Penang, Malaysia.

Semester at Sea participants on the current voyage experience the "Art of Living" program in Chennai, India in this audio slideshow. The three-day academic fieldtrip included an exploration of the 1,200-year-old Mamallapuram temple and the opportunity to discuss Indian society, culture, history, and religion with host nationals. A Semester at Sea professor remarks on his experiences.

Watch Semester at Sea fall participants volunteer with Habitat for Humanity as part of a service project in South Africa. This audio slideshow captures images from Khayelitsha, a large township outside of Cape Town, where many new schools and homes are being built. Listen to participants remark on the opportunity to participate in service projects and cross-cultural engagements on Semester at Sea.

Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu paid an unexpected visit to the Fall 2008 voyage on Wednesday while the ship was docked in Cape Town, South Africa. The 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient addressed the community on topics including global climate change, war, and U.S. politics. The Archbishop has been a friend of the Semester at Sea program since 1992, sailing on the entire Spring 2007 voyage as Distinguished Lecturer in Residence.

Celebrate the first-annual SAS Founder's Day on Wednesday, October 22, 2008. The event will mark the 45th anniversary of the first voyage of Semester at Sea (then called the University of the Seven Seas) sailing out of New York City in 1963.

This audio slideshow depicts Semester at Sea's historic first visit to the nation of Namibia. Students participated in a natural history trip to Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert. Located in Namib Naukluft Park, a center for wilderness and environmental conservation, Sossusvlei is home to the highest sand dunes on the planet. Watch as participants hike, camp, and interact with local guides in a fascinating landscape.

Thinking of spending a term abroad with Semeter at Sea? You may want to check out www.studentsabroad.state.gov, a new website launched by the U.S. State Department as a "one-stop" reference for international travel. The site provides information on countries, tips for safe travel, and other important information about traveling overseas.

Enjoy an audio slideshow about Salvador—a city of 2.5 million on the coast of Brazil. Watch as participants experience the local culture through service visits to the Arte Consciente project and the Beu Machado kindergarten. Service work in the countries that Semester at Sea visits range from homebuilding to volunteering at orphanges to assisting with humanitarian efforts.