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AVENTURAS LANGUAGES
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL ADVENTURES
Language Immersion Schools Presents Our Partner Schools with Programs for Children and Teenagers in Mexico: Summer Spanish Language Camp for Teenagers
Adult Spanish language immersion classes also available. Contact Aventuras Languages

We work with the schools in the following locations with summer immersion
school camps and special classes for Teenagers and Children.
AVENTURAS LANGUAGES Charges NO ADDITIONAL FEES, unlike most agencies, just school posted fees.

La Manzanilla Beach, Mexico: Independent Teen Summer Program @ La Catalina School on the beach in Mexico!

Spanish Language Immersion School for teens at La Catalina School at La Manzanilla Beach, Mexico, just 45 minutes north of the Manzanillo  international airport and three hours south of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast on the Mexican Riviera. Summer Spanish immersion language camp for teenagers with Mexican homestays, Spanish language classes, and activities.

Supervision level: Moderate-High: Teens are allowed to walk to and from school, in this small village of 1,200 inhabitants, and also have a couple of hours of time in the afternoon on their own if they wish. they have a tight 10pm curfew. The La Catalina Spanish School has been in operation for several years.

For more information, click here!

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INFORMATION PACKET

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June 18^th - August 14^th, 2011

Spend one to eight weeks this summer on the lush, tropical coast of Mexico studying Spanish, experiencing the rich and colorful Mexican culture, and building new friendships with students from different parts of the U.S., Canada and Mexico! Our teen Spanish summer program will be held this year from June 18^th - August 14^th, 2011

La Catalina Natural Language School’s Teen Spanish Summer Program offers a complete cultural and Spanish language immersion program for adventure-minded teens, where students can learn Spanish, live in our small tropical beach community of La Manzanilla, and participate in exciting excursions in the surrounding areas. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience that teens will remember forever. 

Camp Program Index

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE	LA MANZANILLA SCHOOL LOCATION
SPANISH PROGRAM	SPANISH CLASSES
TEACHING METHODOLOGY	HOMESTAYS
VOLUNTEER WORK	CULTURAL CLASSES
TEEN SOCIAL NIGHTS & LANGUAGE EXCHANGE	CULTURAL & RECREATIONAL EXCURSIONS
GROUP TIME ACTIVITIES	LA CATALINA STAFF
ABOUT OUR TRIP LEADERS	DRUG/ALCOHOL FREE POLICY
TEEN SPANISH PROGRAM WEEKLY SCHEDULE	COST & TRIP OPTIONS
REDUCED TRIP COSTS	ESCORTED TRAVEL
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL	IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL DATES

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

We are accepting up to 14 teenage students in each week-long session from various parts of the United States and Canada. Participants in the Spanish camp should be mature individuals (ages 14 - 17) entering or enrolled in high school for the upcoming year. No previous experience with speaking Spanish is necessary for participation. Students must demonstrate outstanding behavior and a commitment to learning and will be admitted to our program through an application process including a letter of recommendation from a teacher or employer.

LA MANZANILLA SCHOOL LOCATION

La Catalina Natural Language School is located in the charming Mexican village of La Manzanilla, in the state of Jalisco. La Manzanilla is a small beach town of just over 1,200 Mexican residents. The village is nestled between gently sloping mountains covered with dense tropical foliage on one side and a beautiful beach with lofty palms on the other. The warm climate, beautiful beaches and friendly Mexican people make La Manzanilla a true tropical paradise! 

La Manzanilla is approximately three and a half hours south of Puerto Vallarta and one and a half hours north of Manzanillo by car, with the Manzanillo’s airport (ZLO) only 45 minutes away.

SPANISH PROGRAM

Our Spanish program consists of:

• 2 hour Spanish classes (5 x week)

• 30 minutes of homework (5 x week)

• Homestay with Mexican families

• Volunteer work in community (6 - 10 hrs/week)

• Cultural class (5 x week)

• Teen social nights and language exchanges with locals

SPANISH CLASSES

Students will participate in a private group Spanish course tailored to their needs and interests. They will be grouped according to their level in a beginner, intermediate, or advanced Spanish course. Classes are small in size (limited to 8 students per level) and all students receive plenty of one-on-one time with the teachers. Our teachers are native Spanish speakers who are caring, professional, well trained, and experienced.

Spanish classes meet daily for two hours, Monday through Friday, in our beautiful outdoor cool and breezy Palapa classroom overlooking La Manzanilla’s beach and oceanfront.

In addition to the classes, there are daily homework assignments that require a minimum of 30 minutes outside of class time.  As part of their homework, students will be guided to keep their own travel journal throughout the course of the trip, which they will be provided with upon their arrival to Mexico.  These journals will not only serve as a tool to develop their Spanish writing skills, but also allows students to reflect upon and record their experiences and discoveries on the trip.

TEACHING METHODOLOGY

At La Catalina, we have integrated the latest research and findings on language acquisition, along with a holistic mind/body/emotion approach to learning. Our methodology puts very little emphasis on cenceptual grammar with speakers who are not at a fluent level. Instead the emphasis is on familiarization and usage of Spanish. Our approach helps student see and experience first-hand that they can learn Spanish quickly and naturally through right practice and encourages students to take risks with the language and just “blurt it out” initially.  Lots of games, songs, and age appropriate activities are used to create a fun and engaging learning environment when teaching classes to young learners.

HOMESTAYS

Living with a Mexican family is an exceptional and heart-warming experience for students as it gives students a real taste of Mexican culture, helps accelerate learning the Spanish language, and can lead to lifelong friendships.  We place one to two students in a home with a Mexican family for the duration of their stay. All families who participate in our program are carefully selected and are genuinely interested in welcoming their homestay students as another family member.

During their stay with the family, students can participate in daily conversations with family members, join them for meals and receive assistance with homework and other questions they may have.  It is also encouraged that the students participate as a family member, which might mean helping prepare meals or assisting with miscellaneous tasks around the house. To facilitate students learning experiences, it is a requirement that the Mexican families only speak Spanish in the household with the foreign students. This is an important component of the program, which allows students to truly “experience” the Mexican culture, develop life long friendships, and strengthen their Spanish acquisition skills.

VOLUNTEER WORK

On the second week of their immersion experience and for the remainder of their stay, students will participate in a volunteer program, where they will be placed in a volunteer position in the community for approximately 6-10 hours per week. Participation in the volunteer program allows students to become involved in the local community and gain a deeper cultural understanding and appreciation of the workings of Mexican society. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to practice their Spanish outside of the classroom setting and may receive credit at their high school for community service. Students’ volunteer placements will be aligned with an area of personal interest. 

Areas of Volunteer Work

• Teaching and Education

• Building/Construction Work

• Mexican Cooking

• Environmental and Ecology projects

• Community Service projects

• Art and/or Dance with children

CULTURAL CLASSES

In addition to the Spanish classes, there will be a one hour cultural class everyday (Mon. – Fri.). Students will have the opportunity to participate in some of the following options: beading, painting, Mexican cooking, lamp making, singing, collage making, paper maché, and video making.

TEEN SOCIAL NIGHTS & LANGUAGE EXCHANGES WITH LOCALS

Teens come together with their trip leader for fun and lively evening events, which may include game nights, movies, dancing, bonfires, moonlight hikes, a talent show, etc.  The local Mexican teens may also be invited to some of these events to create a cross-cultural experience where new friendships can be forged.

CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL EXCURSIONS

In addition to Spanish classes, we offer local excursions every Saturday, which will provide insight into Mexico’s culture, history, art, and local ecology, as well as plenty of recreational opportunities. Below you will find some of the highlighted weekly excursions that the group will participate in during their stay in Mexico.  (A more comprehensive list of excursions with the dates they will take place will be included on our website soon!)

Sea Kayaking & Eco-Tour

Students will spend an exciting half-day sea kayaking in the Tenacatita Bay with Immersion Adventures, a local kayaking company.  The group will receive prior instruction and be accompanied by an experienced guide as they paddle out from La Manzanilla to a secluded beach where they will snorkel (optional) over a fringe coral reef, do some beachcombing, and learn about the coral reef ecosystems.

Barra de Navidad Excursion

Students will travel by bus to the picturesque beach town of Barra de Navidad, located 30 minutes south of La Manzanilla.  There they will spend the morning body surfing or swimming in the ocean, followed by a walking and boat tour of the area.  The students will finish the day shopping at a number of the arts and crafts shops and enjoying a very special authentic Mexican lunch.

Tenacatita Beach Excursion & Riverboat Tour

Students will visit the stunning, immaculate, and somewhat desolate beach of Tenacatita, with its crystal clear waters and tranquil waves located just 30 minutes north of La Manzanilla. The students will enjoy the morning on a guided riverboat tour into the surrounding mangrove forest, where they will see remarkable flora, fauna and wildlife.  Afterwards, lunch will be served at one of the delicious seafood oceanfront restaurants. In the afternoon, students may choose to spend their free time lounging on the beach, swimming, or snorkeling in the clear, calm waters.

Blue Bay Resort Fun Day!

The students and their trip leaders will travel to the beautiful Blue Bay Resort located 15 minutes north of La Manzanilla for a day of fun and luxury. There they can lounge around the beautiful crystal clear pools overlooking the beach, have access to a galore of recreation activities, including horseback riding, volleyball, boating, snorkeling, tennis and more, and enjoy tasty meals at the resort.

Colima Overnight Excursion

Students will travel 3-hours by bus to arrive to the city of Colima, known for its sacred volcano, ancient ceremonials ruins of the Nahua’s people, and beautiful colonial downtown area. 

DAY 1 - Students will spend their first day exploring the small city and its cathedrals, museums, parks, and fashionable storefronts. 

DAY 2 - The students will go on a day-long guided tour to the Colima Volcano .  They will enjoy a beautiful hike in the tropical forest and reach the rim of the crater of an extinct volcano, where they’ll enter it using rappelling technique (easy, even for beginners). They continue hiking and discover the regional organic coffee, and its culture, and finally reach a beautiful crater lake. On the return trip, the group will enjoy a typical Mexican lunch accompanied by a Mariachi band in the quaint town of Comala, nestled at the foothills of the volcanic mountain, six miles from Colima.

 GROUP TIME ACTIVITIES

Everyday the group will have an activity time where the trip leaders will plan a fun recreational activity, which may include swimming at the beach, playing volleyball or soccer with the locals, going on a group hike, gathering to do their homework and journaling, and other activities.  This will also be a time for the students to debrief with their Trip leader and share their feelings and experience about their trip experience.  In addition to day time activities, there will be evening social activities including ice cream socials, movie nights, game nights and more!!!

LA CATALINA STAFF

Victor Amezcua and Julie Catton, former teachers from San Francisco, California, founded La Catalina School in 2002.  They continue to be the Directors and work with a small, but tight knit staff which includes our experienced trip chaperones and Spanish teachers.  Close communications, meetings and check-ins between the students, the Directors, their trip chaperones and their Spanish teachers will take place on a daily basis.  Our supportive staff at La Catalina will work together to carefully oversee the students and help make every aspect of their trip a safe, fun, organized, enriching and educational experience.

ABOUT OUR TRIP LEADERS

La Catalina School hires very experienced bilingual trip leaders, who have traveled or lived in Mexico. We look for leaders with lots of positive energy and who genuinely love working with teens. Information will be posted soon on who our 2008 trip leader will be.

DRUG/ALCOHOL FREE POLICY

As our premier concern with this program is that our participants are safe, the school has a very strict drug and alcohol free policy and curfew that will be strictly enforced by the directors and trip leaders. In the event that a student violates this policy, he or she will be expelled from the school and the parents will be responsible for arranging immediate return of the student and will forfeit all unused tuition. Students with prior history of drug and/or alcohol abuse will not be admitted into the program.

TEEN SPANISH PROGRAM  WEEKLY SCHEDULE:*

Mon.	Tue.	Wed.	Thu.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast	8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast	8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast	8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast	8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast	9:00  Breakfast	9:00  Breakfast
9:00 - 11:00 Spanish Classes	9:00 - 11:00 Spanish Classes	9:00 - 11:00 Spanish Classes	9:00 - 11:00 Spanish Classes	9:00 - 11:00 Spanish Classes	Day Excursions	Student Arrival and Departure Day & Time with host families
11:30 - 1:30 Volunteer Work	11:30 - 1:30 Volunteer Work	11:30 - 1:30 Volunteer Work	11:30 - 1:30 Volunteer Work	11:30 - 1:30 Volunteer Work
2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time	2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time	2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time	2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time	2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time	2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time	2:00 - 3:30 Lunch & Free time
4:00 - 5:00 Spanish/ Cultural Class	4:00 - 5:00 Spanish/ Cultural Class	4:00 - 5:00 Spanish/ Cultural Class	4:00 - 5:00 Spanish/ Cultural Class	4:00 - 5:00 Spanish/ Cultural Class	Time with host families	New Student Orientation & Group Dinner
5:00 - 7:00 Group Activity Time	5:00 - 7:00 Group Activity Time	5:00 - 7:00 Group Activity Time	5:00 - 7:00 Group Activity Time	5:00 - 7:00 Group Activity Time
8:00 - 9:00 Dinner	8:00 - 9:00 Dinner	8:00 - 9:00 Dinner	8:00 - 9:00 Dinner	8:00 - 9:00 Dinner & Teen Social Night	8:00 - 9:00 Dinner & Teen Social Night

*Schedule is subject to change

COST & TRIP OPTIONS

REDUCED TRIP COSTS:

STUDENTS STAYING 4 OR MORE WEEKS RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT OFF OVERALL TRIP TUITION & FEES

Costs do not include:

Student's personal expenses, including: shopping, e-mail use, telephone calls, postage for mailings, food eaten at airports or outside of the food pre-arranged by school (i.e. snacks purchased at the stores.)

Estimated student personal expenses budget per week:

E-Mail                           $   5    -      $  10

Telephone                    $   5    -      $  25

Postage                        $   5

Shopping/Souvenirs     $ 25    -      $  40

Food & Snacks             $ 20     -     $  30

Misc. Expenses            $   5     -      $ 20

                                     $ 65     -      $ 125

ESCORTED TRAVEL AVAILABLE OUT OF LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX):

La Catalina School will provide an escorted trip to and from Mexico every two weeks during the 8-week program, when 2 or more students request this service on a given departure date. The students and our school escort will depart from the Los Angeles (LAX) airport. Families who would like to send their children with our school escort should arrange to have their child meet our escort on the designated departure date at LAX three hours before the group’s departure time. Students will then leave LAX with La Catalina School’s escort who will deliver them safely to the designated Mexico airport (ZLO or PVR) and escort them back at the end of their stay. Scheduled escorted departure dates from LAX are as follows:

• June 19^th,

• July 3^rd and 17^th

• July 31^st

Students can be escorted back from the designated Mexico airport (ZLO or PVR) to LAX on the following dates:

• July 3^rd and 17^th

• July 31^st  and August 14^th

(Escorted travel arrangements from other centralized locations, including the Houston airport, can potentially be made upon request for large enough student groups. Please inquire for the possibility of making such an arrangement.)

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL:

Students may opt to purchase their own ticket and fly independently to and from the Manzanillo, Mexico (ZLO) airport, on any Saturday or Sunday from June 19^th – August 8^th, 2010 and depart any Saturday or Sunday from June 26^th – August 15^th, 2010. La Catalina School will pick up students upon their arrival to ZLO and escort them back to ZLO at the end of their stay, seeing them on to their plane to their home state. While in Mexico, students are fully chaperoned.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL DATES:

If it is not possible to book your flight on one of the scheduled arrival/departure days specified above, you can make special arrangements with La Catalina School for an alternative arrival and departure date. You will need to check with us before booking your tickets to confirm that your proposed date modifications will work. (There will be an additional cost for making these special arrangements.)

EARN $100 OR MORE OFF YOUR TRIP BY:

• Recruiting friends! ($50 for every friend that you recruit)

• Registering early! ($50 for registering by March 1^st, 2010)

CONTACT US

La Catalina Natural Language School

Victor Amezcua, School Director

Julie Catton, School Director

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If you are looking for a high supervision program summer Spanish immersion program for your teen where they are in adult supervision 24/7 from the time they arrive until departure, please view this page on our Costa Rica teen summer Spanish program with COSI, the Costa Rica Spanish Institute: Costa Rica Teen Summer Program This program is full of integrative and fun cultural and teenager-oriented activities in the mornings and some evenings with 3 hours of intensive immersion Spanish classes from 2:30-5:30 each weekday afternoon.

We also offer summer teen programs in other languages including a number of summer teen French language immersion programs including ones in Canada, France and Switzerland. Also, we offer English summer immersion in the United States and Canada.

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AVENTURAS LANGUAGES: Educational Travel Adventures
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