Interested in playing sports, making arts and crafts, and helping kids learn about teamwork? Join forces with a local nonprofit organization serving underprivileged children and teens in Santiago and help run a summer camp project with local teens. You’ll gain valuable leadership and coaching experience while playing a part in improving the lives of approximately 400 children and youth who might otherwise spend their days on the street.
The camp is part of a prevention program focused on vulnerable communities where many children cut school and are forced to work. Your help can literally make someone’s day. Outside of camp time, you’ll take functional Spanish classes to help you communicate with the locals and have ample time to practice your language skills in the cafes, shops, and markets of this scenic hilltop city. On group outings you’ll tour Santiago’s murals, historic museums, and quaint architecture. On an excursion to Montecristi in the Northwest region of the island, you’ll sunbathe on the beach, swim, and snorkel in the clear tropical water. You’ll tour salt mines, listen to merengue beats, eat freshly picked mangoes and local specialties, and then stay overnight in cabins near the coast.
Looking for a longer term program? Check out our trimester, semester, or academic year programs for high schoolers.
Graduating high school soon? Visit the CIEE First Year Abroad and CIEE Gap Year Abroad pages to learn more about our post-graduation options.
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