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Location
Multiple Locations +23
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Botswana
  • Costa Rica
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • England
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Mexico
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Taiwan
Length
2 - 12 weeks
Program Categories
Cultural Immersion Language Immersion Service Learning Study Abroad Volunteer Abroad

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Dormitory Host Family Hotel

Pricing

Price Details
Get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE! High school summer abroad programs include Classes, Housing, 3 Meals/Day, All Ground Transportation (Once In-country), Access to Local Phone and WIFI, Cultural Activities and Excursions, Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection and 24/7 On-site Support.

Scholarship opportunities are available for high school summer abroad programs.

There are no hidden charges or surprises when you arrive!
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation Travel Insurance Wifi
Oct 06, 2021
Jul 10, 2023
Wish List
95 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Experience summer abroad in one of 30+ amazing worldwide destinations! From studying Spanish in Madrid to Wildlife Conservation in Sydney, from K-Pop in South Korea to Entrepreneurship in Berlin… it's a one-of-a-kind chance to make new friends, LIVE a new culture, immerse yourself in a language and gain real-world skills! Choose from 7 world languages or find a topic in Arts, Business, Social Change and STEM to explore hands-on.

Looking for scholarships to study abroad? CIEE administers the largest high school study abroad scholarship fund in the U.S., awarding $6 million in scholarships every year. These awards are based on academic merit and financial need and can cover between 10% to 100% of high school summer abroad tuition costs.

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Video and Photos

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CIEE High School Summer Abroad in Lisbon
CIEE High School Summer Abroad in France
CIEE High School Summer Abroad in Italy
CIEE High School Summer Abroad in Costa Rica
CIEE High School Summer Abroad in Mexico

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Program Highlights

  • 30+ exciting destinations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Australia
  • 3 to 4-week long programs with hands-on, interactive lessons in small groups
  • U.S. high school academic learning standards applied to programs
  • Comprehensive safety measures included with tuition, from carefully-vetted accommodations to health insurance
  • College credit available for language programs

Program Reviews

4.91 Rating
based on 35 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 94.29%
  • 4 rating 2.86%
  • 3 rating 2.86%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.85
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.75
  • Housing 4.55
  • Safety 4.75
Good for Students, Under 18, Groups
Showing 33 - 35 of 35 reviews
Me smiling with the warm, morning sun on my face
Bianca
24
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I miss Valpo so much!

May 22, 2018

Whenever I get the chance to talk, I make sure to tell everyone about my experience with CIEE's program for Valparaiso, Chile. The program itself was extremely beneficially, because my Spanish is much stronger and I feel more comfortable speaking with family and friends. I also enjoyed the program thanks to the team leaders, Maria Paz Montes was such a kind lady and the group leaders were just as great too. The environment I was housed in was perfect, and I got lucky enough to have a veteran host family who had worked with CIEE for many years. As for the country itself, it was spectacular! I cannot wait to return one day, hopefully with my own family or maybe even with CIEE? I think that would be an amazing opportunity if it were to present itself.

What would you improve about this program?
Planning for "rainy days" better is one area of improvement. I like free time as much as any teen, but sometimes structure is good when in a different country. Going out and exploring on one's own is great, but for those "rainy days" there ought to be a plan b.
64 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
The mountains stand behind me as cyclists pass by. I am next to a winery
With friends at the observatory, laughing, and having fun
Response from CIEE Global Navigator

Hi Bianca, thank you for your review. We’re so glad you enjoyed your summer program with us! Your feedback is very important and helps us improve our students’ experiences abroad. Unfortunately, the summer program in Valparaiso is the winter season in Chile, so it can rain at times. CIEE keeps this in mind when planning the summer abroad program and strives to find a balance of excursions and free time. But we appreciate our students’ flexibility and cooperation during unpredictable and inclement weather!

By Pierre LeGall on June 5, 2018
Read my full story
Default avatar
Max
24
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Summer Abroad in Valpo

May 22, 2018

From start to finish, CIEE made my summer in Valpraíso, Chile unforgettable. I signed up super late, yet CIEE was very accommodating in helping me be part of their program. All of the group leaders were funny, charismatic, and intelligent. Everyone shared their backgrounds and experiences and what led them to this experience in Chile and I was lucky to be surrounded by some truly fascinating individuals with whom I still have contact with, almost a year later. My host family was extremely caring and funny. I wouldn’t have been able to grow as much in the Spanish language if I hadn’t been with them. My family did not know English, so I was forced to develop my speaking skills, which was truly invaluable. The program confirmed that I wanted to study Spanish and international relations in college; experiencing another country’s culture for a straight month by living in it was incredible and I have to thank CIEE for having such a huge impact on my life.

What would you improve about this program?
There are three levels of classes with CIEE, but if I were them I would add another, higher level. The native Spanish speakers were not very challenged in the highest level class and even I wasn’t that challenged. Other than that, there’s nothing I would change.
66 people found this review helpful.
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Valle de Elqui
Street art in Valpo
Response from CIEE Global Navigator

Hi Max, thank you for your review. We’re so glad that you enjoyed your summer program with us! Your feedback is very important and helps us improve our students’ experiences abroad. We know we have gifted students with a knack for languages, which is why we are opening more intensive programs to challenge the best speakers in our groups. Look out for our new programs in Palma de Mallorca and Alicante, Spain! We also have redesigned our language pledge to encourage students to stay in the target language when communicating with host families, teachers, program leaders, and peers.

By Pierre LeGall on June 5, 2018
Kolby
25
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The city that opened my eyes

Aug 8, 2016

As of 8:30 pm today, I officially have left in a city that has given the best experience of my life. Though, I was originally terrified to come to Chile. It was not even close to where I wanted to go. I wanted to go to somewhere in Europe, along with my best friend who was most definitely going (and did go) to Spain. When I found out that I was going to Chile, I almost didn't accept my scholarship because I was so afraid, but I did. That decision was the best decision of my life. At 16, I was going to traveling the world, alone. I had never been outside the country before, but now I was doing it on my own, and it has been the greatest experience of my life. This city has given me a piece of myself that I was not aware was missing. To me, Valparaíso is the most beautiful and wonderful city in the world. The people here are some of the greatest people and the nicest I've ever met. There's always a smile on their faces and a genuine greeting following close behind. Though, the people here aren't the only great thing about this city, the food here is phenomenal, I’ve never tasted better food anywhere. Though, Valparaíso has taught me important life lessons. It taught has to be more independent, and trust my instincts and the people around me even with a language barrier. I am so thankful for this opportunity. This city has taught me more about myself than my small town in upstate NY ever could. While I am a proud small town American girl and probably always will be, this city will have a piece of my heart and soul.

65 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Bianca Rose Garcia

Program
CIEE High School Summer Abroad
Thumbnail

Why did you choose this program?

As funny and unbelievable as it sounds, I chose Chile because many of my favorite bands are from the country, specifically Valparaiso. I just grew a fascination with Chile and wanted to learn more about the culture and of course, study Spanish. I really needed (and still do) to build on my Spanish-speaking skills, and so traveling to a Spanish-speaking country was the perfect opportunity to do so. I knew that once in Chile I would have to communicate in Spanish so it was really a growing moment for me. A moment of truth if you will communicate in Spanish so it was really a growing moment for me. A moment of truth, of whether or not I could make it on my own, with a little help from my fellow trip-mates.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

CIEE assisted with the cost of the trip by awarding me a scholarship that covered more than half of it. They also provided numerous of resources for extra funding for any other outstanding costs. The only things I had to organize were my flight plans, which lucky for me, I had a third party help with that. I didn’t know the first thing about arranging a flight, so I’m forever grateful for everyone’s help along the way. And the last thing I had to situate, was extra spending money for souvenirs and the like. I knew that shopping would be something on my mind because of course, I needed “proof” I went to Chile, so I made sure I had enough funds to do so comfortably.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Follow the packing list that CIEE provides. You will truly need everything on the list. And if you’re feeling unsure of bringing too much, just know you’re not. Also, there’s tons of physical activities involved on the trip such as biking, walking up hills, and swimming (if you get lucky enough with the weather). So when you’re choosing what clothes to bring, stay away from outfits that aren’t ideal for physical exercises. But remember to stay extra warm out there.

Whenever anyone ever shows interest of going overseas, I tell them to keep an open mind because you never know what a country will be like until you’re truly there. You can read as many travel websites as you like but their experiences won’t be the same as yours because you choose how your trip will turn out. It’s all about being positive and open to a new culture, language, and environment all together.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day in Valpo consists of having a quick, light breakfast with your host family, followed by morning classes of Spanish grammar and Chilean culture. Once time for lunch, participants return to their host homes and have a large lunch with their host families before returning back to the main CIEE building where the entire group meets. From the main building, the group breaks into smaller groups and goes on adventures called “into the community”. While in the community, participants put what they learned in class to the test by interacting with Chileans.

After the adventures have finished, participants return to their host homes for dinner or “once”. This is a light meal/snack that is usually had very late around 8 or 9 in the night. Following “once”, participants get ready for bed and wake up bright and early the next morning to the same routine. On the weekends, however, there are other excursions like visiting different cities in Chile. These excursions are definitely the best part of the program because you never really know what could happen until you’re there.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear about traveling abroad was the plane ride. I have a terrible fear of heights and getting on the plane in committing to the trip was the most difficult thing for me. I overcame this fear by realizing that an opportunity to travel to another country for a small cost comes not-so-often. So I buckled down, took a deep breath, and hoped for the best.

What is your most memorable experience?

What was your most memorable experience on the trip?

My most memorable experience in Chile was when we traveled to Valle del Elqui (the valley) and visited the observatory. It was unlike anything I could ever see in the city or museums. The night sky was filled with stars and planets alike. It was dream come true and to spend it with developing friends, was even better. That night in the valley, I fell in love with Chile and knew I had to return someday.

About CIEE Global Navigator

With CIEE Global Navigator High School programs, the possibilities are endless. As a U.S. high school student, you can study abroad from as little as three weeks in the summer to an entire semester or gap year. With more than 60 programs on five continents, you’re sure to find the perfect program to match your personal goals and interests.

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