Taking in the view is one of many ways to pass the time. Guatemala is the home to 37 official volcanoes, three of which are constantly active: Pacaya, Fuego, and Santiaguito.

Guatemala

Spanish Language Intensive (4-week)

A 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

Duration
28 Days
Description

Investigate issues of social justice amidst Guatemala’s diverse landscapes and communities while improving your Spanish language skills through personalized instruction.

Note: This program may offer multiple sessions (same dates, separate groups). TBD sessions open based on demand.

summer
Jun 28 - Jul 25, 2024
Group Size (4:1 Ratio)

12 Students
3 Instructors

Tuition

$7,950

Plus airfare & insurance

  • Session A - Full
  • Session B - Limited Space
Suggested Ages

15-17

Tuition Details

Beyond your budget? Learn how we increase access.

Tikal

Coban

Todos Santos

San Juan la Laguna

Program Overview

At dawn a howler monkey cries from the branch of a giant ceiba tree.


In the Cuchumatanes Mountains, a young woman rises to grind corn on a stone petate, and along Avenida Reforma, businessmen tuck into air-conditioned office buildings. Students explore this complicated country of contrasts where steamy jungles rise to meet towering volcanic peaks and traditional forms of dress walk alongside Armani suites.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Deepen your Spanish language skills through personalized instruction and an extended homestay on Lake Atitlán.
  • Explore the vibrant colors, flavors, and ancestral landscapes of the Maya people.
  • Support community projects and social justice movements through a range of learning service initiatives

Our course begins in Antigua, where we explore colorful markets, hike through coffee plantations and begin our first Spanish lessons. We ride the infamous camioneta—a colorful and chromed-out version of a 1990s Blue Byrd school bus—to the sparkling shores of sacred Lake…

In the Cuchumatanes Mountains, a young woman rises to grind corn on a stone petate, and along Avenida Reforma, businessmen tuck into air-conditioned office buildings. Students explore this complicated country of contrasts where steamy jungles rise to meet towering volcanic peaks and traditional forms of dress walk alongside Armani suites.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Deepen your Spanish language skills through personalized instruction and an extended homestay on Lake Atitlán.
  • Explore the vibrant colors, flavors, and ancestral landscapes of the Maya people.
  • Support community projects and social justice movements through a range of learning service initiatives

Our course begins in Antigua, where we explore colorful markets, hike through coffee plantations and begin our first Spanish lessons. We ride the infamous camioneta—a colorful and chromed-out version of a 1990s Blue Byrd school bus—to the sparkling shores of sacred Lake Atitlan, and settle in for a week of homestays at our program base in the town of San Juan la Laguna.  In the mornings, we participate in intensive language instruction at a local school, and in the afternoons we immerse ourselves in Tz’utujil culture through independent projects and time with gracious host families.

Crossing the lake to the town of San Lucas Toliman, we engage in a service project at the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute, learning about traditional agriculture and the ethics of service engagement in an intercultural context.

From Lake Atitlán, we wind our way into the protective folds of the Cuchumatanes Mountains where local communities share their accounts of Guatemala’s thirty-six year civil war. Their stories help us understand the root causes of Guatemala’s colored human rights record, sharp economic inequalities and underrepresented indigenous populations.

Our final leg takes us into the Peten rainforest, where we encounter howler monkeys and scarlet macaws in the ancient city of Tikal. We rest in hammocks, converse with our new Spanish vocabulary, and reflect on all we’ve learned about indigenous rights and Guatemala’s grassroots revolutionaries.

Read More Read Less Sample Itinerary

Program Components

4/5
Religious & Spiritual Traditions

The syncretism of Catholicism and Maya spirituality, Maya cosmovision, and cycles of time.

3/5
Social & Environmental Justice

Modernization and globalization, impact of education and tourism on indigenous culture, free trade, exploration of minority empowerment issues.

3/5
Focus Of Inquiry

Cultural survival and change in a globalized society.

4/5
Homestay

Home-stays in 2 to 3 different communities, including 2 weeks during language school.

2/5
Independent Study Project (ISP)

ISPs facilitated throughout. Options include traditional weaving and textiles, Maya spirituality, medicinal plants, sustainable agriculture, painting and the arts, and exploration of socio-political issues.

5/5
Language Study

2 weeks of one-on-one interactive instruction, four to five hours a day; language immersion throughout.

3/5
Learning Service

Volunteering in schools, clinics, and farms. Tree planting with the Chico Mendes project. Approximately 20 hours of service credit earned.

3/5
Rugged Travel

"Chicken bus," truck, and boat travel. Hikes to remote villages.

2/5
Trekking

4-day trek through Cuchumatanes Mountains. Day treks through Biotopo del Quetzal cloud forest. Volcano ascents.