Teen Spanish Immersion
Summer Camp
3-Week Teen Spanish Summer Camp
Combining intensive Spanish classes, daily cultural activities, and weekend adventure tours, the Teen Spanish camp fully immerses students in Costa Rican culture and community.
The camp emphasises studying and acquiring Spanish through cultural immersion. Students will not only walk away with an increased level of Spanish, but also a new worldly and cultural perspective on life… and an adventure to share with everyone back home!
Ages: 13 – 17
Duration: 3 weeks
Price: $3,600 p/p
Duration: 3 weeks
Price: $3,600 p/p
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Program Details
The Teen Spanish Immersion Summer Camp runs for three weeks and combines intensive Spanish classes, daily cultural activities, and weekend excursions. It’s an all-inclusive program that offers teens everything they’ll need to gain lifelong Spanish skills, and walk away with the adventure of a lifetime.
Month | Start Date | End Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Fully Booked | |||
July Camp | July 4th, 2021 | July 24th, 2021 | Limited Spaces |
August Camp
recently launched due | August 1st, 2021 | August 21st, 2021 | Registration Open! |
What's Included
Everything included in the camp:
- Small Group Spanish classes, 15 hours/week
- Homestay Accommodation – 2 meals/day, laundry, wifi
- Daily cultural activities; dance, yoga, art, cooking, soccer
- Daily lunch provided at the school
- Weekend adventure tours like white water rafting and zip-line tours
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Chaperones 24/7; 7:1 student-chaperone ratio
- Community service projects
- Oral exam to ensure proper Spanish leveling
- Program orientation and graduation ceremony
- Official certificates for Spanish and volunteering
- Souvenir Spanish Camp T-shirt
What To Know
Program start dates are fixed.
Start dates available; June 6th and July 4th
There is a set number of students.
Each 3-week camp will have a max of 15 participants. There is a max of 6 students per classroom. Students will have at least one other like-gendered student living with them in them in their homestay.
Chaperones are available 24/7 for contact.
Each camp will have a two dedicated program chaperones; one local to Costa Rica and another a native English-speaker. Chaperones provide support in many areas and are available to students and parents 24/7 in case of emergency.
Groups are welcome!
If coming with friends or family, please notify us and we can place students with the same family or within the same neighborhood.
Start dates available; June 6th and July 4th
There is a set number of students.
Each 3-week camp will have a max of 15 participants. There is a max of 6 students per classroom. Students will have at least one other like-gendered student living with them in them in their homestay.
Chaperones are available 24/7 for contact.
Each camp will have a two dedicated program chaperones; one local to Costa Rica and another a native English-speaker. Chaperones provide support in many areas and are available to students and parents 24/7 in case of emergency.
Groups are welcome!
If coming with friends or family, please notify us and we can place students with the same family or within the same neighborhood.
How to Sign Up
Step 1: Check Availability
- Contact a program advisor by filling out a Teen Spanish Camp Application.
- Your program advisor will confirm availability and provide you a secure link you can use to place your deposit. Payments are submitted via debit/credit card.
- To be accepted in the program each applicant must submit a personal motivation letter, a reference letter by a Spanish teacher, and a signed waiver form. Instructions for how to submit these documents will be provided by your program advisor.
Step 2: Pay Your Deposit – $300
Step 3: Submit Your Documents
Program Perks
Airport Pick-up & Drop-off +
24/7 Support
A friendly face will be there to pick you up and drop you off. Our Teen Camp Chaperone will be available 24/7 for student and parent support throughout the entire camp.
School Activities and Daily Lunch
Partake in daily activities like dance and cooking class, yoga instruction, and local soccer games while enjoying a hearty lunch every day at the school.
Weekend & Afternoon Excursions
Weekend and afternoon excursions get students out of the classroom and into the real world. Join us on a volcano hike, a rafting trip, or a walk through the jungle to look for monkeys and sloths!
Local Homestay Accommodation
Students don't live in hotel rooms. They live with local families walking distance from the school! Share breakfast and dinner with your family and live the Costa Rican culture.
Student Words
After a month of classes, I found that my Spanish abilities skyrocketed; whereas before I struggled to articulate my thoughts, speaking now came naturally. This program was a wonderful learning experience. Thank you so much to Chris, Karen, my teachers, and my homestay family! I hope to come back next year! ¡Pura vida!
Cassidy Walton
High School Senior – June 18th, 2017
The first few days were rough since my host family didn’t speak much English, but at about day 3 I began to get more comfortable socializing and talking to them with the help and encouragement from Tico Lingo. I genuinely enjoyed it and will probably be back next summer! The amount of material I was able to absorb while being in Costa Rica in and out of the school was amazing.
Ethan Orobitg
High School Sophmore – July 3rd, 2019
The time that I lived with a homestay family in Costa Rica was one of the best of my life. It’s really a once in a lifetime experience and I can honestly say that my Spanish improved a lot. I can now hold a conversation in Spanish whereas before I couldn’t, even though I had taken Spanish classes in high school.
Gabe Rhead
High School Junior – June 26th, 2018
Program Itinerary
Teen Camp Photos
Check out some of our favorite camp photos!
Teen Camp Videos
Check out some videos from the Teen Spanish Summer Camp
and get an idea of what life is like while you’re here!
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Play Video
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Frequently Asked Questions
Parents
Whenever someone studies abroad, everyone (even adults) will experience some cultural adjustment. This cultural adjustment can be a little more difficult for younger participants as they are less experienced travelers and their expectations may be a bit more unrealistic (i.e. standard of living and lifestyle differences). Usually, cultural shock/homesickness occurs within the first week and disappears as your child gets used to the differences. If homesickness occurs, we ask parents to encourage the child to stay for at least a week. If you decide to pull your child from the program, we will work with you to make the process as quick and simple as possible but no refunds are available.
We ask for a $300 deposit for the camp that will secure your position for 4 weeks. Once the deposit is received, we ask for a motivation letter, a reference letter, and a signed waiver. Once those are received, your child’s position is fully secure in the camp. If documents aren’t received within 4 weeks, you will receive a full refund of your deposit and will loose your spot in the camp.
Make sure your child has a copy of their flight itinerary, a copy of their program confirmation with emergency contact numbers highlighted, and an up-to-date passport. Also, be sure that this information goes with your child in their carry-on luggage… NOT in checked luggage!
Students are encouraged to bring their cell phones as they will have wifi internet access at their homestay and at Tico Lingo. Free internet apps like Facebook messenger and Whatsapp will allow students and parents to stay in touch during the program. For Parents who want to make phone calls over a cellular network, we recommend you contact your cellular provider to consider an international cell phone plan.
Usually, no additional arrangements should be necessary. However, if your child needs to change flights, some airlines may not allow an unaccompanied minor to board an airplane. You can arrange for “Unaccompanied Minor Assistance” with most airlines, they will require full details of the person who will pick your child up at the airport (we will provide this upon a successful camp registration).
After picking up luggage and going through customs, your child will be met by a representative of the camp or school just outside the airport (SJO). This person will be holding a sign with your child’s name on it. In the unusual event that there is a problem with the airport pick-up, be sure that your child has a copy of their Confirmation with the Emergency Contact Numbers highlighted so that they will know whom to call. Also be sure they know how to dial the numbers, knowing which is the country code, which is the city code and how to use them. We’ll be happy to explain this… just ask!
We recommend a combination of debit/credit card and cash. Your child should have at least $100-$200 US cash just in case of an emergency. Throughout Heredia, there are ATM machines where your child can withdraw cash with a debit/credit card. Tip: Visa offers prepaid Visa cards for teenagers.
Your child will have to go and report it to the airline upon arrival, but be sure they know thay must meet their airport pick-up person first. It’s best to pack two our three days changes of clothing in carry-on luggage…just in case!
Holders of a U.S., Canadian, or EU Passport will be granted entry without additional Visa. Beyond a valid passport, students will need to provide their destination location. Customs will ask, “Where to do you plan to travel?, and students should be prepared to say “Barrio Fatima de Heredia”.
Students
As much as we’d love to see students in Spanish class all day, it just isn’t realistic. Instead, we take students out on city and museum tours, local coffee farm tours, and animal rescue tours.
Cultural activities are also included in the camp. With your classmates, you’ll be learning to dance Salsa and Merengue, cook empanadas and tortillas, and create traditional Costa Rican art.
Adventure tours are also included, so, among other tours, we’ll be hiking in the rainforest and rafting down a river!
Cultural activities are also included in the camp. With your classmates, you’ll be learning to dance Salsa and Merengue, cook empanadas and tortillas, and create traditional Costa Rican art.
Adventure tours are also included, so, among other tours, we’ll be hiking in the rainforest and rafting down a river!
Yes! All programs have atmospheres that encourage lots of interaction between participants, as well between participants and local Costa Ricans. Our community service projects encourage camp participants to engage directly in our community and make some life long Costa Rican friends!
We try to avoid lots of boring worksheet homework and prefer to give homework that engages students and encourages them to speak with their homestay family or other native Spanish speakers. Interviewing your homestay mom, writing a story about where you went yesterday, or creating a song to share in class are typical homework assignments at Tico Lingo.
If not otherwise stated by a camp counselor, all camp participants have a curfew of 6:30pm.
There is always a counselor, mentor, host parent or program director to go and speak with if you are having any kind of problem. The sooner you speak up, the sooner your problem can be solved. If you call your parent to tell them about a problem and then they call us to discuss is, it takes a lot longer to deal with something that could be fixed if you speak directly to an adult at the school.
Yes, sometimes you have to be a bit brave to address a problem directly with Tico Lingo staff, but that’s what will make you a successful international traveler in the future!
Yes, sometimes you have to be a bit brave to address a problem directly with Tico Lingo staff, but that’s what will make you a successful international traveler in the future!
Still have some questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us and talk directly to someone in Costa Rica
today about the Teen Spanish Summer Camp.
today about the Teen Spanish Summer Camp.