Program Overview
Program Overview
Running after–school activities at a home for children. Joining your peers and local students for a friendly soccer match or a game of frisbee. Spending your weekend hiking and exploring a massive Gothic castle in the Bohemian hills. This is your summer in the Czech Republic.
A beautiful, cosmopolitan city with a rich culture distinctly its own, Prague offers you a unique glimpse into the Central European way of life. Just two decades ago the Czech Republic made a peaceful transition into independence as a liberal democracy. It was an accomplishment made possible through cooperation, community, and respect—a transformation that holds important lessons for all young leaders.
This program is an exceptionally active one, making the most of the area’s natural spaces through activities like hiking, rafting, and swimming. So whether you’re raising the spirits of patients at a children’s hospital or tracking down native flora on a scavenger hunt through the Suma Mountains, the C1 Leadership Academy in Prague offers you an exciting, enlightening, and rewarding intercultural experience.
Service
Service
In Prague, let your own passion for service lead you.
CIEE has a number of service options for you to explore. One is spending time with children who are on long-term stays in a local hospital. By sharing your time and culture with them, you’ll help raise their spirits and improve their English, helping them stay on track in their language studies while they miss time in school. You could also volunteer at a local home for children, planning and leading after school activities.
Have your own idea for a service project? The program can help match you with one of the city’s many nonprofits and NGOs. Whichever you choose, these projects offer you the opportunity to interact with Czechs, help inspire a sense of community, and provide you with the knowledge that continued efforts like these will make a real difference in the community.
Leadership
Leadership
The goal of the C1 Leadership Academy is to train the next generation of innovators, leaders, change makers, and social entrepreneurs—the young people who will help solve the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
In Prague you’ll explore concepts and develop skills that will help you to think independently, effectively manage situations, and more easily navigate interpersonal experiences throughout your life—preparing you for college and beyond. You’ll do this by:
- Developing a personal portfolio that tells the story of your life—an autobiography that explores your passions and strengths, your dreams and aspirations
- Journaling your experiences while on the program to analyze the meaning and purpose of your life
- Analyzing case studies of young leaders who have become change makers by solving critical social problems
- Applying the skills and concepts you learn in class to real-life scenarios you’re facing every day during your service project
Language
Language
Whether you’re ordering a meal or asking for directions, the survival Czech language course gives you a functional vocabulary and pushes you to use it in your daily interactions. With an emphasis on pronunciation and practicality, the classes are extremely interactive. From excursions to service projects, you’ll take part in activities that tie into, and allow you to apply, your language learning.
Living
Living
During your time in the Czech Republic you’ll live in a dorm in downtown Prague with your Program Leader and fellow participants.
Cultural Activities
Cultural Activities
Get ready to get active.
While Czech culture is quite relaxed, the people of Prague take full advantage of the great cultural treasures and recreational activities within and around their city. And with CIEE, you will too.
Tour Prague’s neighborhoods by bike, or spend the afternoon hiking and picnicking in the beautiful countryside around Karlstejn Castle. Hear and feel what it would be like to experience the world without your sense of sight at the uniquely interactive Invisible Exhibition. Prepare and enjoy traditional Czech dishes like dumplings, schnitzel, and honey cakes.
Your activities are prepared and run by Czech buddies, Charles University students who are eager to share with you the best that the city has to offer. In addition to helping you practice your Czech, buddies are an amazing cultural resource and offer you an insider’s view into Prague and the surrounding area.
week-long tour
week-long tour
Spend your final week in the Czech Republic celebrating the completion of the program while exploring the country’s staggering natural beauty.
You begin your tour in Cesky Krumlov, the charming South Bohemian town renowned for its architecture and art. Activities could include a tour of the town’s 11th century castle and a performance at one of its many theaters. Next it’s on to Sumava National Park, and its mountains abutting the borders of Austria and Germany. From biking, rafting, and swimming to a visit to an organic farm, the week-long tour allows you to truly experience the Czech Republic and provides even more insight into the country’s history and culture.
Program Leader – Arielle Singleton
Program Leader – Arielle Singleton
Arielle is a recent graduate of Penn State and an avid traveler. She majored in Biological Anthropology so different cultures have always interested her. She showed leadership by being a member of the undergraduate student council for the College of Liberal Arts and working as a tour guide and student ambassador for the college. Service was also a big part of her life at PSU, where she worked with the Penn State Dance Marathon and volunteered her time in the Education Abroad office as a peer adviser.
Arielle studied abroad at Charles University via CIEE’s Central European Studies program in the spring of 2012. Living in Prague was one of the best experiences of her life and the city is still fresh in her mind. She hopes to share many of her favorite moments from Prague such as paddle boating in the Vlatava River, climbing Petřín Hill, and most importantly eating fried cheese in Václavské náměstí, with the C1 Leadership Academy participants. She hopes that each student finds new talents, interests, and friends while in Prague as she has on her own journeys.
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