Encourage your students to give back to the local community!
All year round.
Intermediate (B1) and above.
Service learning tours for high school students in Sevilla, Spain
With our service learning tours in Sevilla, Spain, your high school students will be able to enjoy a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons, immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture, gain valuable community service experience, make the world a better place, and develop their character by helping out less fortunate people in need—all while simultaneously living in one of the most beautiful, historic, and culturally vibrant cities in Spain!
Here in Sevilla, the capital city of Andalusia, your students will be able to volunteer with a variety of disadvantaged communities in a diverse range of settings in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, they’ll be able to attend hands-on cultural learning activities, tour world-class attractions, enjoy fun-filled recreational activities, and explore the city’s enchanting, cobblestone streets. Between volunteering and enjoying the Andalusian sunshine, your students will create lasting memories that will shape the way they see the increasingly globalized world around them, as well as their ability to make a positive impact on it.
Highlights
Positively impact the lives of people in need while also exploring Sevilla—the lively, historic, and gorgeous capital city of southern Spain!
Gain valuable volunteer experience working with a variety of disadvantaged communities in a wide range of settings.
Learn about Spain's history and heritage by going on guided tours of world-class attractions and attending hands-on cultural learning activities.
Take advantage of Sevilla’s plentiful hours of sunlight by biking, kayaking and participating in a variety of other fun group activities!
Experience the Spanish lifestyle first-hand by living with our friendly, carefully-selected Spanish host families.
Feel safe and secure with 24/7 adult support and supervision from our experienced staff and host families.
Location
In Sevilla, you and your students will be able to experience first-hand the birthplace of numerous iconic Spanish traditions, including flamenco, bullfighting, and tapas. The city presents visitors with an eclectic mixture of historic charms, modern amenities, traditional culture, and cosmopolitan vibrancy. As you walk down its winding, cobblestone streets, you’ll see horse-drawn carriages calmly sharing a lane with modern cars and retro boutique shops located right next to major retail brands. You and your students will see how history not only comes to life but also intertwines seamlessly with the lively contemporary trends and traditions of Sevilla.
With over 2,200 years of history, Sevilla is an ideal location for high school students to go on service learning tour abroad. Here, they’ll find countless attractions to visit—including 10 palaces and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As you and your students spend time getting to know the city, you’ll discover narrow avenues overhung with charming, flower-filled balconies, picturesque squares lined with fragrant orange trees, and bustling local markets with plenty of unique, locally-made souvenirs for sale.
The Sevilla Cathedral
Dating back to the 12th century, this magnificent building is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the burial site of Christopher Columbus, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated right in the heart of Sevilla’s historic city center, it’s just a five-minute walk from our headquarters. Inside, you and your students will find a massive nave (or central hall) that’s lined with 80 side chapels, featuring a variety of artwork, tombs, carvings, and altarpieces.
The Giralda
Soaring more than 340 feet above Sevilla’s historic district, this dramatic bell tower is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. It was originally built as a minaret near the end of the 12th century, as part of the immense mosque on which the Sevilla Cathedral was built. From the top of the tower, you and your students can enjoy breathtaking views of the city below.
The Royal Alcázar
Dating back to the 14th century, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is both a majestic palace and a fairy tale-like complex of royal gardens. In the palace, you and your students will see one of the world’s finest examples of Mudéjar-style architecture, which combines Moorish and Renaissance-era influences. In the gardens, you will stroll through a peaceful array of courtyards, fountains, pools, and paths lined with orange trees, flowers, and hedges—along with the occasional peacock!
Barrio de Santa Cruz
This historic neighborhood is full of narrow, winding, cobblestone streets that weave through enchanting old buildings and orange tree-dotted plazas, where you and your students will find charming little shops selling handicrafts, ceramics, tea, and other local goods. Also known as the Old Jewish Quarter, the neighborhood used to be the part of the city where Sevilla’s Jewish inhabitants lived. Today, it’s the perfect place to walk around, soak up the ambiance, and feel like you’ve stepped back in time!
The Plaza de España
Providing a picturesque filming location for one of the Star Wars movies, this massive, semi-circular, palace-like building is surrounded by a wide-open plaza, a spectacular fountain, and a scenic canal that is spanned by arched bridges and traversed by rowboats. Right next to the Plaza, you will also find Parque de María Luisa—a 100-acre park that features beautiful gardens, elegant fountains, horse-drawn carriages, and peaceful ponds that are home to a variety of birds. Here, we and our students often go on bike rides and scavenger hunts!
Metropol Parasol
Built atop an underground archeological site that preserves the ruins of an ancient Roman settlement, this modern landmark is the largest wooden structure in the entire world. Because of its uncanny resemblance to a bunch of giant mushrooms, the structure is also known as Las Setas de Sevilla (the Mushrooms of Sevilla). After seeing the underground ruins, you and your students can visit the top of the structure, where you’ll enjoy breathtaking, panoramic views of the surrounding city.
Other attractions
The above list only scratches the surface of Sevilla’s many attractions. Other highlights include the following:
- Plaza de Toros: one of Spain’s most famous bullfighting rings
- Archivo de Indias: a UNESCO World Heritage Site that houses some of Spain’s most important historical archives
- Torre del Oro: a 13th-century, riverside watchtower that provides Sevilla with another iconic landmark.
- Palacio de las Dueñas: a gorgeous, 15th-century palace that was the birthplace of the famous Spanish poet Antonio Machado and features a flower-covered façade, an enchanting garden, and an eclectic mixture of Gothic and Moorish architectural influences.
- Museums: the Sevilla Museum of Fine Arts, the Flamenco Museum, the Archeological Museum of Sevilla, the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions—the list of museums in Sevilla goes on and on!
Day-to-Day
Lending a Hand: Volunteer Experiences
- Doing volunteer work with one or more of our partner organizations by participating in a range of projects with people from many different backgrounds.
- Picking from a variety of different community service options, such as:
- painting houses, preparing and serving meals, and providing childcare to low-income families;
- helping elderly people with physical and mental disabilities; and
- spending time with marginalized youth through English classes, tutoring, arts and crafts activities, and sports games.
- Allowing us to custom-design a service learning tour for your students, based on their interests, preferences, and the amount of time they want to volunteer.
Exploring Spain: Cultural Activities
- Embracing the Spanish lifestyle by learning traditional recipes in Spanish cooking classes and picking up some new dance steps in flamenco and salsa classes.
- Touring major attractions throughout Sevilla, with expert guides who help bring our service learning tours expert guides.
Making Memories: Social and Recreational Activities
- Spending time outdoors in the Andalusian sun while biking through Parque Maria Luisa, kayaking down the Guadalquivir River, and more!
- Meeting local Spanish teens during language exchanges and sports games.
- Bonding with friends from the program and other international students during group activities such as group dinners, music concerts, movie nights, and more!
Leveling Up Their Español: Optional Spanish Classes
- Boosting their Spanish speaking and comprehension skills with optional add-on classes custom-designed for their specific needs and levels of Spanish.
- Benefiting from the knowledge of our friendly, native Spanish-speaking teachers, who are deeply experienced in teaching Spanish as a second language.
Living confortably: Spanish family homestay
- Staying in a hotel, a hostel, a student residence, or the comfortable, middle-class homes of our friendly, carefully-selected Spanish host families.
- Feeling a safe and secure sense of home-away-from-home, with 24/7 support available from our staff and/or our host families.
- Deepening their Spanish immersion experience by sharing meals and conversing with actual Spaniards (if you select the homestay option).
Eating Like a Spaniard: Authentic Spanish Meals
- Savoring home-cooked Spanish meals—daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included with the homestay housing option and can be added to the other options as well!
- Trying out Spanish staples such as paella, tortilla, croquettes, and gazpacho.
- Resting assured: special dietary requirements can be accommodated.
PROGRAM
Service learning tours for high school students in Sevilla
DATES
Flexible
LEVEL
Required intermediate level of Spanish
PRICE
Ask for a quote
What’s Included?
Pre-departure consultation.
Accommodation and full board with a homestay family (other accommodation options available).
Program of social, cultural and recreational activities.
Weekend excursions.
Health insurance.
Initial orientation walk in Sevilla.
24-hour assistance.
Airport reception with a representative from Centro MundoLengua and transfer to and from Sevilla airport.
Spanish classes (optional add-on).
Free participation in and attendance on the program for teachers and adult chaperons. Other benefits may apply.
Optional airfare add-on.