High School Abroad

  Spain

• Santiago: 
Santiago

Durations of Program: 3-6 months and 7-12 months

Description: Spain is the most geographically diverse country in Europe, from its semidesert climate and sandy beaches in the south to its lush green hills and craggy mountain peaks in the north with sun-baked plains, wild coasts and several mountain ranges in between. Each region has its own regional language, cuisine, folklore, music and dance. Moorish influence predominates in the southern Andalusian region in Flamenco, architecture and bullfights. Celtic bagpipes can still be heard in Asturias and Galicia and legends abound of gnome-like creatures inhabiting the misty northern mountains.

The Pyrenees Mountains formed a natural barrier, dividing Spain from the rest of Europe, until the Shrine of St. James at Santiago de Compostela became a destination for pious pilgrims from every region of Catholic Europe. Pilgrims and tourists still walk the Camino de Santiago to this day and bring cultural influences from all over the world to Spain. Until 1492, Spain was made up of small kingdoms, each with its own language and culture, and none swearing allegiance to any other. When Ferdinand and Isabella unified Spain under one language, one religion and one monarchy, Castilian Spanish became the language of the land, Catholicism became the only accepted religion, and the kings and queens of Castile ruled the entire land.

Highlights: The High School Abroad Program is the best way for a high school student to become a global citizen and to achieve fluency in Spanish. With an office in Madrid, Juventud y Cultura is the organization responsible for the placement and support of students while in Spain. Delegados or Coordinadores are local coordinators who recruit and screen families in their own towns and arrange for the students' placement in a local public high school or instituto. Host families are volunteers who have expressed their desire to share their culture and daily life with our students. Students may attend Colegios privados (private schools) by assuming the tuition costs in addition to the program fees. The delegados will be in regular contact with students, and will report back to CIEE and the natural parents.

Academic Program
Classes are conducted in Castilian Spanish. High School Abroad participants are expected to follow the Spanish school curriculum and to fully participate in the academic program. Typically, public institutos run from 8am to 2:30pm, with a half hour break at 11am. Private colegios often run from 9am to 1pm, then break for an hour lunch at school and resume from 2-4pm. Extra help is available to our students at an extra fee in either type of school.

Cost in US$: Please inquire

Program does not Include
* Round-trip domestic travel to US departure city Boston
* Monthly spending allowance
* Textbooks and supplies
* Personal phone charges or other personal items
* Transportation to and from school

Participants Travel to Spain Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Council on International Educational Exchange's Mission Statement: CIEE's mission is to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. We approach our tasks aware of the great responsibility we are given to help mold tomorrow's citizens in a complex and fast-changing world. We are committed to being a truly global organization. We continue to open new offices, establish new programs, and form new partnerships on every continent. We have initiated exchange activities between and among many of the newer countries we now serve and expect this pace to quicken in the coming years. We move into the next century, and into our next fifty years, with lofty, but achievable, goals. We are proud of our past and excited about our future and our ability to contribute to the world in which we live. CIEE moves forward with the same spirit of commitment that has already made us a worldwide leader in international education and exchange.

Year Founded: 1947