We really appreciate the teachers who take the time to accompany their students while attending our service learning trips in Spain. We also really appreciate the logistical challenges of bringing larger groups to Spain. To show that appreciation, we have a wide variety of incentives to offer teacher-chaperones. Here are some of the main possibilities:

• • • Free room and board via homestay, hotel, or apartment accommodation
    • Free teacher workshops or classes
    • Free attendance for all activities and excursions
    • Free airfare
    • Stipends

Please note that these incentives are worked out on a case-by-case basis, and some terms and conditions apply. The nature of the incentives we’ll be able to offer to you will depend on the size of your group, the date of your arrival, and the nature and location of the program you end up selecting. To discuss the possible benefits in more detail, please contact us, and we’ll work them out together!

We take care of most of the organizational work for you. This can include the processing of payments for the program, which each student can take care of on his or her own online; this way, you don’t have to handle any money from them. In the lead-up to the trip, your main role will simply be announcing the program in advance, spreading interest in it, holding an informational meeting about it for parents and students, and completing certain preparatory tasks, such as collecting copies of each participant’s passport. A Centro MundoLengua director can attend the informational meeting, either in person, by Skype, or by phone.

The short answer to the first question is “yes!” While you’re more than welcome to attend volunteer work, classes, and activities with your students for free, you can also use this time to explore Cadiz on your own. That being said, teachers usually come to the volunteer work site and check in with their students every weekday. Many teachers accompany their students on the cultural tours and activities as well. If a student becomes ill, a teacher will usually accompany him or her to the doctor, as additional support to a Centro MundoLengua staff member, who will always accompany the student in such a situation. Generally speaking, if any type of issue arises with a student during the trip, we will rely on the teacher(s) for advice and/or additional support.

If your group contains 10 or more students and adults, you can book your flights together through an agent with whom we work. Beyond that, we leave your flights up to you, so you and your group can have the flexibility to meet your own particular needs. Everything else is covered and arranged by us—airport transfers to and from the nearest airport, housing, classes, activities, etc. That being said, we’d be more than happy to provide you with advice or guidance, so don’t hesitate to contact us about making travel arrangements; we can help you find the option that works best for you!   

To reach Cadiz, there are three main options:

1. Fly into Jerez Airport, which is located in the city of Jerez de la Frontera. This is the closest airport to Cadiz—about 25 miles away. A representative of Centro MundoLengua will be waiting for you at the airport, and we will provide you with complimentary airport transfers to and from your group’s accommodation or a designated meeting point.
2. Fly into the airports of Seville or Malaga, which are about a 1.5-hour and 2.5-hour train or bus ride away, respectively. Centro MundoLengua can provide airport transfers between these airports and Cadiz.
3. Fly into Madrid and then take a high-speed train to Cadiz. This trip takes about 4.5 hours.

Our service learning trips for high school students in Spain are custom-built for each group of students to last however long they desire. Let us create the ideal program for you and your students based on your interests, preferences, and the amount of time you want to volunteer!

We will accompany your students on their first day of volunteer work and introduce them to all the key people they’ll be working with at the organization(s) with which they’ll be volunteering. At each organization, they will have a team of people on whom they can count for any questions or concerns. While teachers often accompany their students during the volunteer work sessions, this is not required.

The answer to that question depends on which organization(s) your students are working with. Some organizations allow students to work every day while others only allow them to volunteer on certain days. We will make sure your students have volunteer work scheduled for every weekday, which may entail you working with more than one organization.

Here’s what a typical day will look like for your students on weekdays. (For the weekend, see the answer to the next question below.) Note that the following schedule assumes that your group has opted for the homestay accommodation option.

8:30 AM to 9:30 AM: Breakfast With Their Host Family

Students will enjoy a delicious, home-cooked breakfast with their host families. Perhaps they’ll have some classic Andalusian breakfast fare, such as tostada con tomate, aceite, y sal!

9:30 AM to 10:00 AM: Go on a Scenic Walk or Ride to the Volunteer Center

Students will be able to take advantage of Cadiz’s walkable streets or accessible public transportation system, enjoying all of the city’s sights and sounds along the way. They’ll be sure to see some shops, restaurants, or attractions they’ll want to check out later!

10:00 AM to 1:00 PM: Volunteer

Students will enrich their understanding of the world while helping out Spanish residents in need. Whether they’re serving meals at a food center, doing arts and crafts with marginalized youth, or assisting the elderly, they’ll have daily opportunities to make a difference as part of the global community.

1:00 PM to 2:30 PM: Return Home

Students will head home for lunch with their host families—perhaps poking their heads into one of those shops or taking photos of that beautiful building that caught their eye on the way to class!

2:30 PM to 3:30 PM: Lunch With Their Host Family

Students will share a home-cooked Spanish lunch with their host families. Perhaps they’ll have some gazpacho or a “Spanish omelet” (known here as “tortilla”). The meal will vary from day to day—and don’t worry: if they have any special dietary needs, we’ll make sure they’re met!

3:30 PM to 4:30 PM: Enjoy Some Free Time

Students can embrace the Spanish lifestyle by taking a siesta—or use this time to hang out with their friends, explore the city, or talk to their host families—a great chance to practice their Spanish in an authentic setting!

4:30 PM to 7:00 PM: Afternoon Activity

Students will enjoy two cultural activities during these hours. Today, it could be a Spanish cooking lesson. Another day, it could a tour of a historic attraction. And another day, it could be a surfing lesson at the beach. Every day is different! Spanish language classes can also be added to this program, and they would take place during this time period.

7:00 PM to 8:30 PM: Enjoy Some More Free Time

Students will enjoy another chance to relax, talk to their host family, hang out with their friends, and/or explore the city together.

9:00 PM to 10:00 PM: Dinner With Their Host Family

Students will have another opportunity to savor some Spanish cuisine with their host families. Perhaps they’ll have some paella tonight—or maybe some croquettes! This is also a great chance for them to talk to their host families about their days—providing them with yet another natural opportunity to practice their Spanish in an authentic setting!

10:00 PM to 00:00 AM: Attend the Nighttime Activity

Students will be able to unwind from their adventure-filled day and have some fun with their friends from the program. Tonight, it could be a concert, a dance, or a dinner. Another time, it could be a tapas or movie night. If you want, we can make attendance optional for some of these activities, so if they want to just go home and relax, they’ll have a chance to do that too.

Depending on your group’s size, preferences, and dates of travel, we can offer organized, staff-led excursions to a variety of different destinations in and around Spain. From Cadiz, there are many possible destinations that you and your students can easily reach by bus, train, or plane, including:

• • Madrid and Barcelona—two most popular cities in Spain, which are home to world-class museums and attractions, such as the planet’s largest royal palace and the unique architecture of Antoni Gaudí.
  • Southern Spain: the capital city of Sevilla, the picturesque hilltop city of Granada, the garden-filled city of Cordoba, and the charming whitewashed village of Vejar de la Frontera.
  • Central Spain: the Baroque and Gothic architecture-filled city of Salamanca, the historic riverside city of Toledo, and the fairy tale-like city of Segovia.
  • Portugal: the peaceful, riverside village of Tavira, which is situated in the country’s scenic Algarve region, right near an idyllic beach.
  • Morocco: the vibrant seaside city of Tangier, the lively port city of Tetouan, and the iconic blue-washed city of Chefchaouen (also known as Chaouen).
  • Gibraltar: the world-famous Rock of Gibraltar and the British Overseas Territory that surrounds it.

With our optional add-on classes, your students will be able to level up their Spanish and have fun at the same time. Here are some of the key features of the program’s classes:

• Interactive, conversation-based classes designed for their specific level of Spanish.
• A friendly, experienced teacher who is a native Spanish speaker.
• A focus on both the Spanish language and culture.
• Opportunities to practice their Spanish skills in authentic, real-life settings, such as markets and shops.

While your students don’t have to be fluent, they’ll need a high enough level of Spanish to be able to work at various organizations. We recommend they have an intermediate or advanced level of Spanish; however, there are certain volunteer opportunities that require very little communication in Spanish.

Before you and your students arrive in Spain, we’ll ask them to take an online placement exam. We’ll also ask them to tell us the number of years of high school Spanish classes they’ve completed.

For students (and you, the teacher, if you choose this option), it’s like a home away from home—with a few added benefits: enjoying homemade Spanish meals and practicing Spanish in a natural, real-life setting!

Each host family lives in a middle-class home (most likely an apartment), where the student or teacher will find all of the standard amenities of modern life. Students will probably share a bedroom with another student attending the program, while teachers will enjoy a private bedroom. Both students and teachers will also probably share a bathroom (European homes tend to have fewer bathrooms than those in other countries).

All meals are included with the homestay accommodation. Special dietary needs can be met; all you need to do is inform us about them in advance. On top of meals, the host families will also take care of their guests’ laundry!

Like families everywhere, each of our host families is different, so it’s difficult to generalize about them. For example, some have children and/or pets; others do not. However, you can rest assured that each of our host families has been carefully selected by our housing staff, and each of their homes has been personally visited by our housing director to make sure it will provide every student and teacher with a comfortable, enjoyable place to live, relax, dine, and gain first-hand experience of Spanish culture and hospitality.

We maintain a network of host families with whom we’ve been working for many years, so it’s not like we’ll be putting anyone with a random Spanish family; you can feel confident that everyone will be in good hands! If you or a student needs any assistance during your group’s stay, our housing director will be available to provide support.

Situated right in the historic center of Cadiz, the student residence is just a short walk away from the city’s majestic cathedral. It provides your students with a variety of amenities, including individual bedrooms that are equipped with sinks, shared bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and a rooftop terrace. Meals can be included as part of this housing option. For groups visiting the city in the summer, you should be aware that, like many buildings in Spain, the residence is not currently air conditioned, so even on a thermal level, this will be a true immersion experience for your students!

Students will have at least 3 hours per day—sometimes more. It’ll just depend on what we’re doing that day, how much time they have to factor in for travel time, and whether they’re attending the nighttime activity, which can be made optional for students to attend.

Students will have 24/7 adult supervision and support while they attend our service learning trips in Spain. Thanks to our extensive, experienced, and knowledgeable network of teachers, directors, coordinators, and host families, students will feel very well-supported during their time with us here in Spain. Every day, a member of our staff will be present to check in with them and make sure they’re okay during their classes, activities, and excursions, and they’ll be able to contact someone from our staff for assistance 24/7.

Yes and yes! Your students will have opportunities to participate in language exchanges and/or sports games with local Spanish high school students. As for international high school students, there will most likely be students from other countries attending the same program and/or other programs that we run during the same time as yours. Our students typically come from a variety of locations in the US, Canada, and Europe.