Location
- Spain
- Madrid
- Barcelona
- Leon
- Granada
- Valencia
- Seville
- Santiago
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety
Dec 16, 2021
4 travelers are looking at this program
About Program
Explore colorful Barcelona and historic Andalusia, walk part of the world-famous pilgrimage route Camino de Santiago, and delve deep into Spanish culture on this inspiring gap year program through Spain!
We start this journey through Spain by exploring Madrid and taking some Spanish language classes, before heading north to walk part of the ancient pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella. As we discover the southern part of Spain, known for its many Moorish influences, we will immerse ourselves in local culture by cheering at a football match, mastering the passionate flamenco dance, and getting introduced to Spanish cuisine. When we head east towards Barcelona, we will discover the architectural masterpieces of Gaudi, like Park Guell and the world-famous Sagrada Familia. Ready to join us on this journey to the heart of Spain for a life-changing gap year abroad?
This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with Pacific Discovery for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.
Video and Photos
Diversity & Inclusion 💙
BIPOC Support
We understand that we have a long way to go in achieving the diversity we strive for among our students, staff, and partners. We are committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive organization, and we recognize that this requires time, effort, and resources. At Pacific Discovery, we deeply value diversity, equity, and social justice, and we are dedicated to creating educational experiences that reflect and promote these values. Our program curriculum incorporates social justice education and encourages students to explore their own identities. To further support these efforts, we offer a 'Diverse Voices' Scholarship.
LGBTQIA+ Support
All of our Pacific Discovery programs are LGBTQIA+ friendly, and our operations team have attended CIS Abroad's LGBTQ+ Allyship Training, to ensure we’re doing what we can to support this community. We provide an open and non judgemental space for students to explore who they are at this pivotal time of their life, and in our admissions process we seek information not only on a student's gender, but their pronouns and gender identity. We’re aware of the differing cultural perspectives of LQBTQIA in the countries that we visit, and can direct students to a semester location where they’ll feel the most comfortable. Operationally we ensure that our instructors use inclusive language and can facilitate conversations with students around their identity, and discuss the rooming situations with LGBTQIA+ students.
Neurodivergent Support
Our programs are designed to support students with a wide range of neurodiverse conditions while following our essential eligibility criteria. For students needing extra help, we provide personalized wellness plans . These plans include coping strategies, care protocols, and specific requirements to help them engage effectively in the program. Our instructors have access to mental health first aid resources and are well-prepared to offer strong support to students with these needs.
Accessibility Support
Our programs offer a variety of physical activities, including hiking, surfing, rafting, and mountain biking. We make sure to accommodate students with diverse needs such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic medical conditions, while working within the infrastructure of the host country and our program schedules. We're mindful of the varying levels of accessibility in the countries we visit and can help students choose a semester location where they feel most at ease.
Impact 🌎
Sustainability
Sustainability is one of the 6 core components of each Pacific Discovery program, where we educate students about the local and global environmental issues, how to travel sustainably, and have them think deeply about their impact and what they can do in their daily lives to affect change.
We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.
We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.
Ethical Impact
We make a conscious decision to partner with host communities and suppliers who are passionate about our students' participation and involvement with them being of a positive benefit to the community. We want our presence to enable positive sustainable growth for our partners and this mantra is ingrained in the fabric of our programs.
Program Highlights
- Traverse Spain and visit the history filled cities and cathedrals of Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona
- Learn to dance the dance of Spain with flamenco lessons in Sevilla
- Get a Pilgrim's Credential for walking the iconic Camino de Santiago for 17 days
- Spanish lessons and cultural orientation in Alcala de Henares
- Stay off grid and learn to live sustainably during a farm stay in southern Spain
