Program Description

Edu-Culture International

Summer Language-Immersion Programs
Spain, France, and Costa Rica


		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Phyllis O’Neill, Director
Edu-Culture International (ECI)
P.O. Box 2692
Berkeley, California 94702
510-845-3925
510-845-2230
866-343-8990 (toll-free)
Fax: 510-845-2231
http://www.educulture.org/
E-mail: info@educulture.org

Type of Program: Summer language-immersion, study-abroad, and travel programs for high school students in France, Spain, and Costa Rica; summer language immersion in Costa Rica for middle school students and high school freshmen
Participants: Coeducational, students ages 14–18 (Spain and France); students ages 12–18 (Costa Rica)
Enrollment: 450 students each summer in groups of 25 to 30
Program Dates: Varies according to program—from two to four weeks, mid-June through mid-August
Head of Program: Phyllis O’Neill and Marie Harris, Managing Directors and Founders

Location

Edu-Culture International’s (ECI) unique language-immersion, study-abroad, and travel programs take place in Spain, France, and Costa Rica.
    The language-study portions of ECI’s Spain programs are located in the culturally rich Renaissance city of Salamanca, the lovely seaside towns of Nerja and San Sebastian, and in the lively Andalusian city of Granada. Travel destinations during these trips include Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Cordoba, Seville, Bilbao, and more.
    The France programs are based in the dynamic Rhône Valley city of Lyon, in the student-filled university of town of Aix-en-Provence, and in Toulouse, France’s fourth-largest city, known as La Ville Rose. Portions of these programs take place in the beautiful Mediterranean towns of Nice and Montpellier, as well as in the Alpine village of Gap. All trips include visits to nearby villages and towns as well as three days in Paris. Students who have been to Paris in the past have the option of an alternative itinerary while there.
    Programs in the safe, democratic country of Costa Rica are based in Heredia, Monteverde, and Flamingo Beach for high school students and in Grecia for middle school students and high school freshmen. Additional travel destinations include Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio National Park, and many more.

Background and Philosophy

Founded in 1998 by two experienced teachers with advanced degrees in education, Phyllis O’Neill and Marie Harris, Edu-Culture International is a nonprofit educational organization based in Berkeley, California, with additional offices in Boston, Europe, and Costa Rica.
ECI brings together a team of educational professionals dedicated to broadening the academic horizons of students and to creating well-rounded culturally aware student leaders. ECI’s summer programs offer intensive small-group language learning, unique host family immersion experiences, team-building opportunities, travel excursions, and organized social/cultural/educational activities balanced with free time to explore the host community and develop personal friendships.

Program Offerings

ECI’s summer-abroad programs in Spain, France and Costa Rica all offer a different combination of the following components: language classes, activities/excursions, homestay, dorm, host-family immersion, travel within the host country, and university-credit option.
    Most of ECI’s summer study-abroad programs last from three to four weeks, with the first two to three weeks including language classes. The morning classes, lasting about 3 hours in total (Monday–Friday), are small, interactive, and usually include other international students. Verbal communication skills are stressed, and classes are taught by highly skilled, experienced professionals, always native speakers in the target language. After lunch, there are a variety of supervised activities, such as salsa dancing, kayaking, visits to nearby villages and towns, bike riding, hiking, swimming, cooking classes, and more. After dinner, participants enjoy concerts, dancing, movies, and other social activities. Each day is structured to include free time, facilitating the development of confidence, independence, and social skills. Students stay either with families who live near the language school or in a dormitory setting with ECI’s chaperones.
    All programs include up to one week of travel to some of the most beautiful destinations in Spain, France, and Costa Rica. ECI always chooses high-quality, centrally located hotels to give students the most exciting and enriching experience possible.
    Edu-Culture’s college-credit option is an invaluable asset in today’s competitive realm of higher education. High school students who are planning on applying to college in the future know how important it is to have a strong application. Most of ECI’s programs offer teens the opportunity to earn 3 semester units of credit in Spanish or French through an accredited U.S. university. These credits are transferable and are accepted by most universities in the United States.
    ECI’s immersion families typically host the students during the third week of their program and are carefully chosen and matched to participants by ECI staff members. Students usually stay one per family during the immersion week. Edu-Culture has developed an extensive network of connections with superior high schools and teachers in Spain, France, and Costa Rica. Through these connections, ECI consistently finds wonderful host families, most of whom have teenagers of their own. High school travelers interact with the family, the family’s children, and friends of the children. This is a great opportunity for students to live the life of a Spanish, French, or Costa Rican teenager. The students and immersion families write letters or e-mails prior to their visit to get to know each other, and they often remain friends for a lifetime.
    To increase the amount of interaction between teens on the trips and local young people, each ECI trip includes the Language Partners Program. Energetic university students meet with small groups of students for a few hours each week. These young people work to enrich the total experience by providing participants with numerous opportunities for integration into the community and practice in the target language. In small groups, they explore the town, participate in a variety of activities, and discuss an assortment of topics, such as entertainment, school, politics, travel, vacations, and sports.
    Designed to be fun as well as challenging, ECI’s programs provide students with an unforgettable and exhilarating once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Enrollment

ECI’s high school groups are limited to 30 participants each. The Grecia Costa Rica Program for middle school students and high school freshmen is limited to only 24 participants. Each group has 3 full-time chaperones, 1 of whom is always from the country in which the program is based.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

ECI specializes in customizing its programs for students who would like specific activities not offered in the group itinerary. Extra dance or cooking classes, additional guided museum visits, extended host-family stays, surfing lessons, and music, culture, or history classes—these are just some of the ways ECI can personalize a participant’s experience to make it as meaningful and enriching as possible.

Facilities

During the study portion of ECI’s programs, participants live with host families or in small student residences chosen for safety, location, and exposure to other international students. During the organized travel portion, students stay in centrally located three-star hotels with their chaperones.

Staff

ECI’s chaperones are selected on the basis of language ability, maturity, patience, personal integrity, judgment, enthusiasm, and their ability to earn the respect and trust of teenage participants. Most of them are teachers who have traveled abroad extensively and who possess near-native fluency in the target language as well as an in-depth knowledge of local history and culture. All receive extensive training prior to departure, and many of ECI’s best leaders return year after year to travel with the program.
Teachers in ECI’s language schools are always native speakers of Spanish or French.

Medical Care

Fees include supplemental medical insurance. Students who need medical care are always escorted by ECI’s staff members and/or host families to designated health-care facilities. Medical expenses are reimbursed when the students return home.

Costs

The costs of the 2007 programs range from $3850 to $6400. The fees include airfare, most meals, all accommodations, group activities and excursions, language classes, and medical insurance. ECI also offers cancellation/interruption trip insurance for a nominal fee.

Financial Aid

ECI is offering three scholarships of $3000 each to be applied toward the 2007 summer programs. One scholarship will be awarded for study in Spain, one for study in France, and one for study in Costa Rica. Scholarship recipients are chosen on the basis of their application, essay, and teacher recommendation form. Winners will be announced no later than March 1, 2007. Scholarship applications and information are available on ECI’s Web site (http://www.educulture.org/) or are sent to families upon request.

Application Timetable

Students may apply as early as September 1 for the following summer’s programs. Initial applications can be done online with a $95 application fee. A teacher’s recommendation form is required for final acceptance in the program. Students are encouraged to apply early, as the trips fill quickly. Admission is on a rolling basis.