years-experience access-alumni-network airfare airport-pick-up assistance-with-application-process community-service-placement continuous-support cultural-trips domestic-transport emergency-support field-trips global-competence-certificate grade-transcripts host-family-placement housing individual-contact-person internship-placement language-instruction meals medical-insurance orientations-during-your-time-abroad other pre-departure-orientation product-materials re-entry-orientation school-dipolma school-materials school-placement school-transport school-uniform stipend teaching-materials vaccinations visa-and-passport-fees visa-application-assistance world-wide-presence

Spain’s warm, friendly atmosphere and rich blend of cultures make it an ideal place to rewrite your high school experience. Let the country known for the fiesta and siesta teach you how to make the most out of life, all while advancing your Spanish and expanding your world-view. By living with a host family and enrolling in a local school, you’ll be totally integrated in Spanish daily life. You’ll be able to experience what it’s like to be a regular Spanish teenager and build lasting friendships within your community. So why not step outside of your comfort zone and spend a year or semester in one of the most beautiful countries in the world?

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be between the ages of 15 – 17,6 years old on the day of departure.

The AFS Program

After your host parents greet you with traditional hospitality, it shouldn’t be long before you feel at home in their open, friendly community. By going to a local high school, you’ll be totally immersed in a new language and customs, and what you learn during the day will be reinforced at night when you spend time with your host family. This is your chance to break out of your comfort zone and join in this diverse and ever-evolving culture.

Your high school

You’ll likely attend a public high school with a variety of different classes like Spanish language, literature, and physical education. Depending on the region, your classes will be taught in Castilian Spanish, Catalan (in Catalonia), Galician (in Galicia), or Euskara (in Basque country). School is in session Monday-Friday from 8am to 3pm, but you may have additional classes on some afternoons if you go home for a siesta at lunch. Don’t be surprised if your classmates call their teacher by his or her first name—it doesn’t mean they don’t respect authority, it’s just their custom.

For more information on fees and shcolarships.

Returning Home

“Life-changing” is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad.
“Transformed” is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though – others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. “Life-changing” means it’s only the beginning.

 

What's included in your experience

  • Airfare
  • Airport Pick-up
  • Host Family Placement
  • Housing
  • Meals
  • School Placement
  • Individual Contact Person
  • Medical Insurance
  • 24/7 Emergency Support
  • Domestic Transport
  • Assistance with Application Process
  • Visa Application Assistance
  • Pre-Departure Orientation
  • Orientations during your time abroad
  • Re-entry Orientation
  • Global Competence Certificate
  • School Materials
  • Access to Alumni Network
  • Continuous Support
  • Worldwide Presence
  • 70 Years Experience

What you are responsible for

  • Vaccinations
  • Visa and Passport Fees
  • Stipend
  • School Uniform