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Skype user: Habla Ya Spanish Schools: an Excellent Partner for School Trips Abroad
Understanding the Challenges
As a group leader, there are many challenges when it comes to organizing and planning a school trip abroad. From researching where to go, securing cheap flight tickets and producing a well detailed risk assessment, to getting sufficient students on board and narrowing down your group's daily itinerary (minute by minute as improvisation is simply not an option).
At Habla Ya Spanish Schools in Boquete and Bocas del Toro, Panama, we understand these challenges and know what it takes to make your school trip aboard a total success. Whether you're an experienced group leader or if it's your first time traveling abroad with a school group, we will work with you step by step and make sure that you reach your goals and exceed your directors', students' and and their parents' expectations. We will work with you from beginning to end!
Benefits for your Students
The benefits of a school trip abroad for your students are simply outstanding. Being directly exposed to the Spanish language will dramatically improve their conversational skills and provide them with the enthusiasm required to really learn it. On the other hand, experiencing a different culture, set of values and way of life will certainly broaden their horizons. And nowadays, being fluent in the Spanish language and having a practical understanding (not just theoretical) of our globalized world is a must for the leaders of tomorrow.
Proven Experience & Satisfaction
We would be honored to work with you, side by side, and make it happen. Some of the groups that we've hosted in the past are:
- St. Edward's University, Texas. Group leader: Dr. William Joseph Quinn
- KUS Project - University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Group leader: Dr. Ruth Merk
- Pennsylvania Leadership Cyber Charter School. Group leader: Prof. Pat Parris
- Orcas Island High School. Group leader: Prof. Caitlan Parker
- Colorado Rocky Mountain School. Group leader: Prof. Dave Meyer
In 2011, we hosted PALCS on their fourth trip to Panama, and the KUS Project joined us for their third trip in a row! In 2012 they will all be coming back again!
CONTACT US AND REQUEST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TRIPS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS TO PANAMA... »
Each high school, college and university group is unique and we understand this. From the moment you first contact us we will make sure that we understand your school group's specific needs, trip's purpose and goals, and work with you side by side to ensure that an adequate program is organized, and then executed once you arrive to Panama.
Boquete and Bocas del Toro, Panama: Ideal Destinations for School Trips Abroad
Safe & Convenient
It is a well known fact that Panama is one of the safest countries to visit in Central and South America. We are very fortunate to not suffer with the problems that other countries do. And within Panama, the rural charming mountain town of Boquete and the quaint beach town of Bocas del Toro are certainly amongst the safest destinations for tourists in Latin America.
There wonderful sense of community make it easy for students to practice their Spanish and interact with the locals. And each of the towns' small compact layout simplifies your group's logistics as students can mobilize themselves by short 10 - 15 minute walks or 5 - 10 minute bus rides from the school in downtown Boquete and Bocas del Toro to their host family's house or hostel where the entire group is staying at. And virtually everything that they could want access to is within walking distance from Habla Ya Spanish Schools. You really couldn't ask for easier places to manage your groups at.
Gorgeous Weather & Outdoor Opportunities
If you'd like to bring your group to a place in the mountains with a fresher climate, then Boquete is your choice. Boquete is situated 1,200 meters above sea level and enjoys a year round spring like temperature of 60° to 80° F (16° - 28° C), which is just perfect to remain fresh without being too hot or too cold. Boquete is known as Panama's Eco-Adventure Capital so there are plenty of things to do.
On the other hand, if you'd like to take your group to the beach, then Bocas del Toro is where to go. The Islands of Bocas del Toro are famous for its emerald Caribbean waters, secluded golden and white sand beaches, uncrowded waves, colorful coral reef and abundant marine life. And when it comes to adventures, your school group can go on boat trips to spot dolphins, snorkel or just hang out at the beach. Horseback riding, rainforest ziplining, sea kayaking, cacao plantation tours, jungle trekking, cycling... the list is endless!
For more info about Bocas del Toro, its location within Panama, its islands, weather and things to do, click here...
Boquete on the other hand is blessed with abundant wildlife and nature, making it a wonderful place for outdoor exploration. With numerous hiking trails and outdoor pursuits, students have a wide variety of eco-adventures to choose from. Despite being in the mountains, Boquete only 1.5 hours away from the coast, so beach trips on the weekends are perfectly doable. School groups benefit from discounted rates on tours that will depend on the size of each group.
For more information about Boquete, its location within Panama, its regions, weather and things to do, click here...
And of course, it is perfectly possible to organize a Spanish program for your school group at both of our Spanish schools' locations in Panama.
CONTACT HABLA YA AND START PLANNING YOUR SCHOOL TRIP TO PANAMA... »
Having your school group's trip in a rural mountain or beach town, in a healthy environment within a community with traditional values, will make it easier for you to keep your group focused on the trip's objectives and away from the crazy party life that characterizes many cities.. In our experience it's certainly easier to manage a group during an extended period of time in a safely manner in a town like Boquete or Bocas del Toro.
Spanish Language Lessons for School Groups Abroad
Effective Spanish Language Classes
As a group leader you want your students to make the most out of their educational school trip. When it comes to language learning, choosing a great school instead of an average one makes a whole world of difference.
One of the main reasons Habla Ya Spanish Schools are amongst the most and best reviewed Spanish schools in Latin America is simply because students quickly learn to speak and understand the Spanish language at our school. Our Spanish teachers are highly experienced and trained, have language teaching related university degrees, and are immensely passionate about teaching Spanish as a foreign language.
Spanish Lessons Tailored to your Group's Needs
The curriculum and syllabus of your school's Spanish program can be adjusted to suit your own high school or university's language department's requirements, or you can leave it to us!
Each student's level is assessed through our Online Placement Test and oral interview upon arrival, ensuring that students are placed with the most appropriate classmates and each teacher's class is planned according to the students' level of proficiency.
The specific amount of hours of lessons per day is flexible, but for the best results we recommend at least 4 hours of class per day. School groups generally enroll in one of the following courses but costum-built solutions can also be arranged:
- Group 4: 20 hours of lessons per week in a small group of no more than 6 students. Groups are arranged according to students' Spanish levels ensuring that classmates will have a very similar degree of communicative proficiency.
- One to One Spanish Classes: we offer students the option to have four - six hours of private Spanish lessons per day. The contents and schedule of these private Spanish lessons are arranged to suit the student's individual needs.
- Group 4 PLUS: for those seeking a more intensive or an even a more personalized course, Group 4 PLUS adds one or two extra hours of private lessons on top of the standard four hours of group classes that students would normally have each day.
- Personalized Spanish Courses: sometimes a student may require something particularly specific and needs to focus on a topic of a very specialized nature. It could be an Intensive Spanish Course, a Medical Spanish Course, Business Spanish, Legal Spanish, or simply vocabulary or a Spanish language skill related to a specific field.
The cost for Spanish lessons goes from $135 to $345 per student per week. It all depends on the type of Spanish classes you decide to have (group lessons, mini-group lessons or private lessons) and on the amount of hours of lessons each of you decide to have each week (10 to 30 hours).
CONTACT US & REQUEST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS... »
Studying the language in a Spanish speaking country has a dramatic impact on how much and fast students learn. You will notice that your students will learn a lot more Spanish in two or three weeks in Central America than what they usually learn in a whole semester or even a year back at home. Encouraging them to only use Spanish during their trip and providing the best conditions to make this happen will go a very long way.
Appropriate Accommodation for Educational Programs for Groups Abroad
Home Stays with Local Host Families
If you would like your school group to get truly immersed in the Latin culture, experience our way of life and expose them as much as possible to the Spanish language, then a family home stay is the way to go.
Your high school or university students will get a unique perspective about family life in Central America and everyone will easily be able to practice their Spanish conversational skills after each day's activities.
We currently collaborate with more than 70 host families in Boquete, Panama and about 10 in Bocas del Toro, Panama that make our Total Spanish Immersion Program a reality, all of which are within a 15 minute walk to our Spanish schools or a 5 - 10 minute drive by public transportation. Living standards are somewhat higher in Boquete than in Bocas del Toro and our host families are middle class by local standards.
Students can be placed in pairs at each host family's house, but to maximize exposure to the Spanish language, we always recommend placing one student per family. In order to select the most appropriate host family for each student, students are required to fill out a Home Stay Interview (students under-age fill out this interview). The sooner we receive each of the candidates' interviews, the more able we are to place each student in a host family close to our Spanish schools.
Each family home stay has a $25 setup fee and costs $175 per student per week. This weekly fee includes the home stay itself and two meals per day (breakfast and dinner usually).
Hostels & Vacation Rentals
Another option is booking several rooms at a hotel or at a budget hostel, or depending on the size of your group and on the time of the year that you plan to come, there are several hostels that we could rent out exclusively for your own school group's use. Some of the hostels that could work for school group are:
- In Boquete
- In Bocas del Toro
Depending on the length of your stay and on the size of your group, you could also consider a vacation rental in Boquete, Panama. With enough time in advance we can help you secure a suitable place for your school group.
It's reasonable to budget $10 - $15 per student per night when considering a budget hostel for your group's accommodation or $20 to $40 if you'd prefer something in the mid-range.
SIGN UP NOW & REGISTER FOR A FAMILY SPANISH LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM... »
Needless to say, alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited for anyone underage (18) in Panama, and curfews for students under 18 are established in accordance with each group leader. These measures obviously do not apply for adults and university students. We always discuss specific rules with each group leader in advance.
Eco-Adventure Tours, Cultural - Social Activities & Volunteer Projects
Eco-Adventure Tours
Besides learning Spanish your school group can have a blast after class!
Boquete, Panama's eco-adventure capital is the perfect place for a Spanish learning vacation:
- Whitewater River Rafting
- Ziplining in the Cloudforest
- Island Hopping & Beach Trips
- Rock Climbing
- Coffee Tours
- Hot Springs
- Horseback Riding
- First Class Hiking Trails
And in Bocas del Toro, Panama's top beach destination in the Caribbean, there are plenty of outdoor opportunities:
- Surfing Lessons
- Scuba Diving & Snorkelling
- Ziplining in the Rainforest
- Boat Tours
- Catamaran Sailing Tours
- Island Cycling
- Horseback Riding
- Cacao Plantation Tours
- Caving Tours
- Turtle Nesting/Hatching Tours
- Bird Watching Tours
- Beach & Island Hopping
Habla Ya Spanish students have access to special discounts off many eco-adventure tours and depending on the size of your school group you could have access to even more significant discounts. For more about tours in Panama and pricing information please click here.
Cultural & Social Activities
At Habla Ya Spanish Schools we simply love to have fun! We start off the week with several cultural activities and then we move on to more social orientated ones:
- Tuesdays - Panamanian Traditional Dinner
- Wednesdays - Movie Nights
- Thursdays - Charity Parties (only adults)
- Fridays - Dinner Parties and Get-Togethers
- Saturdays - Salsa Lessons & Conversational Sessions
- Daily - Yoga Classes
Several extra activities are free of charge, such as our movie nights, salsa lessons and conversational sessions. Panamanian dinners cost $5 per person, Yoga Classes cost $1 per class plus a voluntary donation to your yoga instructor, Eco-Adventure Tours have their own fees and students pay what they consume during our Charity Parties, Dinner Parties and Get-Togethers. For more information about our extra activities please click here.
Volunteer Projects
School groups looking to volunteer or to work on a service project can collaborate with several local organizations such as:
- Casa Esperanza Day Care Center
- Hogar Trisker Orphanage
- REAL Boquete Recycling Center
- Boquete Handicap Foundation
- La Jungla Animal Rescue Center
- English Volunteering Program
By volunteering and helping our children or our community's projects your school group will not only be able to make the difference but your students' appreciation of life will gain a new meaning and each and one of them will be even more grateful for all of the opportunities and means that they have access to.
In order to organize and coordinate all of the volunteering activities there is a $10 per person per day volunteering fee. 75% of this fee goes as a direct donation to each Non Profit Organization.
For even more info about volunteering in Panama please click here...
SIGN UP & REGISTER YOUR FAMILY FOR A SPANISH LEARNING VACATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA... »
Your school group will enjoy one of the most amazing trips that they've ever had. At Habla Ya Spanish School we employ additional staff whose main responsibility is to make sure that our Spanish students have the time of their life outside of the classroom!
Sample Itinerary for School Groups Abroad in Central America
The following is a sample itinerary for a school group visiting Panama for two weeks and living with a local host family. It can be totally adjusted to suit your needs. We are very flexible and would be thrilled to work with you as a group leader. Please contact us so that we can start planning and organizing with you!
Week 1 |
|
Day 1 |
- Land at Tocumen Airport in Panama City - Airport pickup and transfer to hostel - Overnight in hostel |
Day 2 |
- Pickup at Hostel - Visit to the Casco Viejo at to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal - Departure by Private Transfer to Boquete - Arrival to Boquete - Welcoming Dinner at Habla Ya Spanish School with host families - Students go home to their host family's house |
Day 3 |
- All Day Whitewater River Rafting Trip - Go back home and spend some time getting to know your host family |
Day 4 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Introductory Tour of Boquete and Surrounding Areas in the afternoon |
Day 5 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Coffee Tour in the afternoon - Traditional Panamanian Dinner in the evening |
Day 6 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Volunteer session in the afternoon - Spanish movie in the evening |
Day 7 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Half Day Hike in the afternoon |
Day 8 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Volunteer session in the afternoon |
Week 2 |
|
Day 9 |
- Morning conversational session and salsa dancing lesson - Afternoon time with host family |
Day 10 |
- All Day Beach Trip to the Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park's Islands |
Day 11 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Volunteer session in the afternoon - Traditional Panamanian Dinner in the evening |
Day 12 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Zipline Canopy Tour in the afternoon - Spanish movie in the evening |
Day 13 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Volunteer session in the afternoon |
Day 14 |
- Spanish Lessons during the morning - Horseback Riding & Hot Springs Visit in the afternoon |
Day 15 |
- Spanish Lessons in the morning - Afternoon with host families - Goodbye dinner with all of the host families at the school |
Day 16 |
- Depart to Panama City and leave the country |
CONTACT HABLA YA & START PLANNING A SCHOOL TRIP TO PANAMA FOR YOUR SCHOOL GROUP... »
For school groups of 15 students or more who join us for at least 2 weeks of Spanish lessons (20 hours per week), we assign at no additional cost one of our staff members exclusively to assist you as a group leader in the coordination of all the extra activities that take place after class. In this way your group will have its own personal guide of the Boquete and Bocas del Toro areas, and with our insider knowledge you will be able to save money on many tours as you will only have to cover the cost for transportation.
Rates for Spanish Programs for School Groups Abroad
The total cost could be around $350 - $600 per student per week including Spanish lessons, accommodation, tours and round-trip transportation from Panama City. It all depends on the type and amount of lessons your students have, the length of their stay, and on the amount of tours each student has. Please contact us and tell us your needs and we will get back to you with several scenarios.
Rates for Spanish Lessons
The cost for Spanish lessons depends on the type of class (private, mini-group or group lessons) and on the length of your school group's stay. The more weeks and hours you school group signs up for, the better the rate you will have access to.
Depending on your length of stay and on the amount of hours purchased, school groups may also have access to additional discounts.
Considering 20 hours of lessons per week, rates per person are as follows:
- Spanish Lessons in Small Group, $175 - $255 per week
- Mini Group Lessons, $205 - $295 per week
- Private Spanish Lessons, $275 - $355 per week
Specific rates for Spanish lessons can be found here (do not include group discount)...
Rates for Accommodation
Rates for accommodation depend on your choice of accommodation, number of group members and on the length of your school group's stay.
As a general rule when making your budget, home stays have a $25 setup fee per student and cost $175 per week and include two meals per day (breakfast and dinner). Lunch at local restaurants can be arranged for an additional $3 - $5 per student.
Overnight stays in Panama City, can be arranged for as low as $15 per student per night.
Please click here to compare rates for all of our lodging options.
Rates for Eco-Adventure Tours
Habla Ya Spanish students have access to special discounts off many eco-adventure tours, and depending on the size of your group, you can have access to even more significant discounts. For groups of 15 or more students who join us for at least 2 weeks of lessons (20 hours per week), we can assign you your own private guide and in this way you will only have to cover the cost of transportation for several of your tours. For more info about tours in Boquete and Bocas del Toro, Panama click here.
Rates for Volunteering
There is a $10 daily fee when arranging volunteering o service projects for groups. 50% of each daily volunteering fee goes as a direct donation to each NGO. For more information about volunteer projects please click here.
Rates for Transfers to and from Panama City
For groups of 10 or more students, round trip transfers to and from Panama City (6 hour drive) can be arranged at $100 per student. These transfers include all necessary meals, airport pickup in Panama City, transfer to hostel if necessary, city tour to the Panama Canal and Casco Viejo, and transfer to Boquete. A similar transfer from Panama City to Bocas del Toro would cost $150 per student. Transfers between Boquete and Bocas del Toro can also be arranged.
CONTACT US & START ORGANIZING YOUR SCHOOL TRIP ABROAD TO BOQUETE, PANAMA... »
Included in the Spanish course fees: registration, level test, class material and handouts, certificates, wifi internet connection at the school, cultural & social activities and access to all the school's facilities.
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