Program Overview
Program Overview
Picture this:
Rainbow-colored houses and winding cobblestone streets that create a mosaic of colors and shapes. Learning to surf in the crystal blue waters of the harbor. Driving along Chile’s spectacular coastal road to quaint seaside towns with your host family. Practicing your Spanish alongside international students from across the globe.
Through intensive language courses at a local university; volunteering opportunities at schools, nonprofits, and NGOs; and the support of caring host families and CIEE staff, you’ll immerse yourself in Chilean culture, becoming much more than a tourist. Gain independence, improve your proficiency in a second language, and learn what it means to become a true global citizen during a gap year abroad in Chile with CIEE.
The CIEE Difference
The CIEE Difference
Academic Program
You’ve never studied language like this before.
At the Universidad Viña del Mar, you’ll enroll in an intensive Spanish language program four days a week that includes the courses Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Grammar and Composition, and Spanish Phonetics and Pronunciation. Whether you’re an advanced-level Spanish speaker, or you have no background in the language, classes are designed to suit your particular needs and abilities.
You’ll also take culture courses and participate in cultural activities at the CIEE Study Center with fellow CIEE Gap Year Abroad participants. In both Spanish and English you’ll explore topics like intercultural understanding, poetry, art, food, and self-expression.
Volunteer Opportunities
Give back to, and make a difference in, your host community.
Volunteering is an essential component of a gap year abroad, and a fantastic way to build fluency and gain insight into Chilean society and culture.
Customize your volunteering experience based on personal interests: you could choose to support English classes at a local school, assist at a public health organization, or work in a youth shelter.
Cultural Immersion
There’s no better way to immerse yourself in another culture than by living with a local family. Not only will your host family provide you with daily meals and a place to stay, they’ll help you develop your Spanish language skills, introduce you to local customs, and offer support and guidance in an unfamiliar environment.
Our host families are as diverse as our students. Whomever you’re placed with, all host families are carefully screened and matched with you based on personality profiles and common interests. Through your host family, you’ll build a home away from home and develop relationships that endure long after you’ve finished your Gap Year Abroad program.
Program Excursions
Program Excursions
To familiarize students with local culture, group activities such as field trips, city walks, and museum visits will be offered.
With fellow CIEE Gap Year Abroad participants, you’ll take a day trip to Santiago, another trip to a local community packing plant and farm, and spend three days in San Pedro de Atacama just west of the Bolivian border. Host families can also be a wonderful resource of regional interests and cultural information.
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
We want to make sure you get the most out of your gap year abroad experience with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.
- Transportation to and from a local Chilean airport
- Language classes at the Universidad Viña del Mar
- Volunteering opportunities
- CIEE-sponsored trips and excursions
- Room and board with host family
- Supervision and support by a student services manager
- Orientations prior to leaving the U.S. and upon arrival in Chile
- International medical insurance through iNext and 24-hour worldwide travel assistance and support services
Application Due
Start Date
End Date
Cost
Fall Semester
May 25, 2013
August
December
$11,475
*Prices are subject to change and will be locked in for the participant on the day CIEE receives the completed application and program deposit.
Eligibility
Eligibility
- Students must have graduated from high school in good academic standing
- No previous language experience required
- Students must demonstrate, through the application and interview process, their flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living in a new culture
CIEE Support
CIEE Support
The CIEE Study Center in Chile is responsible for the supervision and support of CIEE participants throughout the duration of their stay. The Gap Year Abroad program coordinator at the Study Center will remain in regular contact throughout the semester/academic year in order to check in on your language progress and to make sure that the homestay and volunteer placements are is going well. The office selects, screens, and interviews all host families and will place students with a family that best matches their student profile.
CIEE Orientation
CIEE Orientation
All CIEE Gap Year Abroad participants take part in an online orientation prior to their departure. In addition to providing logistical information, the orientation helps students set realistic expectations and goals. It also affords students and parents the opportunity to ask questions of CIEE Study Center staff.
An in-country orientation takes place upon your arrival in Chile. For one week in Viña del Mar (Valparaíso’s sister city to the north), you’ll receive an introduction to local customs and culture, set expectations for your time in the country, take a language placement exam, and participate in exciting cultural activities such as walking and driving tours of the city—all while settling in with your host family and before starting classes.
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Program Blog
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