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How it began . . .After organizing various "pre-packaged" immersion trips abroad, an American group of language teachers decided they wanted to depart from those “cookie-cutter” design trips and started to organize their own tours from a teacher’s perspective and experience; they needed school trips that were an extension of the classroom, instead of mere sightseeing tours.
The idea was to design trips within the framework of the school’s mission statement and philosophy, in which the school is seen as a hub of an extended network of resources, both locally and abroad. Additionally, they made sure ACTFL's 5 World-readiness standards for learning languages were an essential part of those trips. These teachers partnered up with a leading local tour operator and began to offer tailor-made trips to schools in the USA. Spain PREP was born shortly afterwards! Besides personalized Spanish-immersion tours, Spain PREP offers Summer Programs for high school and college students, Internships and Professional Development Programs for Spanish teachers. Spain PREP is registered as an LLC in the state of New Jersey, and all business, banking, payments and legal processing is conducted in the US. |
Our Philosophy
Being language teachers ourselves, we belive a school trip should gravitate around the topics of Language Immersion, Diversity and Service Learning. We believe that in order to make a difference in a student's life, a school trip should be enriching and fun at the same time.
Language Immersion |
Practicing Spanish is one of Spain Prep’s priorities. Our trips are designed around ACTFL’s World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages:
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Diversity |
Cultural and social diversity is present throughout Spain Prep’s tours. From the moment they arrive in Spain, the students are immersed in Spanish language and culture. The didactical component is present not through formal lessons or lectures; the students learn by doing, by living authentic experiences in the target language. Spain Prep facilitates pen pal match-ups with local students before the start of the trip. Then, they meet their Spanish buddies in person when they visit their school and spend the day with them. This, along with stays with host families, takes the experience beyond the language practice to a fully-immersive cultural adventure.
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Service Learning |
The way we present Service Learning in our trips is through Sustainability Education. Students become familiar with models of successful ethical farming practices by visiting a sustainable organic farm, and taking part in hands-on activities led by local farmers. We also organize group experiences that foster understanding of the environment and team building.
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Spain Prep is a fully-insured LLC registered in the State of New Jersey, USA
