Location
  • Argentina
    • Cordoba
Length
1 - 4 weeks
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Timeframe
Summer Winter
Housing
Host Family
Language
Spanish
Age Min.
15
Age Max
18

Pricing

Starting Price
3275
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Nov 26, 2024
Nov 07, 2019
13 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Projects Abroad offers High School Specials for teens who are interested in getting a taste of what it's like to volunteer abroad. Travel to Argentina to work on service projects, learn Spanish, and immerse yourself in the Argentinian culture.

Program participants can choose to work with local Argentinian medical professionals or learn about Human Rights. Spend 2 or 4 weeks exploring Argentina while fulfilling community service hour requirements and engaging with other volunteers your age.

Our program will make you step out of your comfort zone and develop a better understanding of global issues while making a meaningful contribution to the community that hosts you. Plus, our friendly, dedicated staff will be there for you 24/7!

Follow the link below to visit our website and learn more.

Video and Photos

Impact


We are committed to sustainable practices that benefit local communities and the environment.

Our initiatives:

► Climate-positive projects
► Low-impact travel model
► Increased biodiversity

Partnering with Ecologi

We have partnered with Ecologi to offset more carbon emissions than we generate.

Planting trees for a greener future

We plant a tree for every volunteer who joins our projects.

Long-term impact

Our projects are designed to create long-term, positive change for communities and the environment.


Join Projects Abroad, a force for good connecting volunteers with communities. Build green futures, fight inequality, and empower locals on impactful adventures.

Visit our website to learn more about our impact worldwide.

Program Highlights

  • Participate in a well-organized high school international summer program that makes a real impact on communities
  • Take part in socials that spark new friendships and ensure you have fun
  • Receive 24/7 support from our trained supervisors
  • A truly unique opportunity to learn, help and explore
  • Explore a new country and culture through organized activities and a weekend trip

Program Reviews

4.75 Rating
based on 8 reviews
  • 5 rating 75%
  • 4 rating 25%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.9
  • Support 4.5
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.75
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Default avatar
Katherine
4/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Eye opening but poorly organized

I was almost 17 and I signed up for the 2 week education in Argentina for Highschoolers. It was my first time ever being out of the country so it was an amazing experience in the way that I was living in a whole new culture. Out of the 14 high school volunteers, I was the only one signed up for the education program- the other two programs were human rights and medical. My first week I went to the school I was assigned to, however there were only 1-3 kids depending on the day (and one was a 1 yr old that slept the whole time). Most days I would do nothing in terms of interacting with the kids. While I understand that this can be unpredictable, I feel that a little more organization was needed on the Projects Abroad side. It required many phone calls with higher up people in the program to try and switch projects- it was not very easy. I finally switched into the human rights program, though, and so I felt a little more immersed in the culture there. However, one of the main downsides of the whole program was the amount of time we got to spend in the community. We had to have 24 hr surveillance at all times, which could have worked fine, except that there was not enough staff to take us out often. This meant we were cooped up in a small courtyard for most of the trip. On the weekends, though, we went to a farm and had a cookout with locals and did a scavenger hunt in the city, but those were the few times we actually got to see Córdoba. The food was descent and the housing felt very secure and friendly (with 4 other girls in the program). My flight was actually cancelled the night before I left, along with a few other people. Since I had let Projects Abroad book my flights, I expected assistance from them in getting me on a new flight. I received none, and my parents had to call in the middle of the night to work something out. I ended up staying for an extra 2 days and they ended up being the best days of the trip. Only one other person could not get an earlier flight, and since we were technically not part of the program anymore, we were allowed to stay at the same residence but come and go as we wanted. We were able to figure out how to take the bus to the city and walk around the markets and eat at different restaurants. I wish that we had more freedom to do these things during the two weeks with the program, as this was the time that I felt fully immersed in the culture, was able to talk to locals in Spanish, and take initiative- all things I signed up wanting to be able to do. I don’t think I would recommend this specific program to others simply because I didn’t get to see and experience as much of Argentina as I felt the program had promised when I signed up. Also I think that they falsely advertised the education program, as I had the impression hay I would be teaching lessons to the kids. However, if you have not been outside the country much and want to get out of the bubble of your own city and culture, I would definitely recommend doing a program similar to this, as it really opened my eyes to all the new things I have yet to experience in the world.

What would you improve about this program?
There needed to be better organization and communication in the staff as well as greater communication between the program and the volunteers about what it looks like day to day in the country.
123 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hello Katherine.

Thank you for taking the time to provide us feedback about your time in Argentina.

I’m sorry to hear that you weren’t satisfied with the daily tasks of the project. You opted for the care project which involves caring for younger children. To me it sounds like you’d be a fantastic match for one of our teaching projects which tends to be with older school students. I do appreciate your feedback; I have contacted our staff in Argentina who will ensure that your placement is reviewed in line with your feedback.

It was great to hear that you switched to the Human Rights project. We are continuing to help vulnerable groups of citizens in Argentina, in 2017 we helped 56 citizens gain National Identification Cards which helps them access vital public service both medical and social.

I’m sorry to hear that you felt cooped up at times. You were part of our fully supervised High School Special. It sounds like that you may have been better suited to one of our Flexi trips which is for volunteers wanting more independence. Nevertheless, you should not have felt cooped up and I have therefore raised this with the local staff to review the number of social activities and sightseeing opportunities.

It was warming to hear that you went to a traditional farm, had a cookout with the locals and visited the big city.

I understand your frustration with regards to the flight, I have passed on your concerns to our travel team. It does sound like you made the best out of the situation.

If you would like to contact me directly about your experience, please feel free to contact me on my email georgegreen@projects-abroad.org

Best Regards,

George.

Default avatar
Myah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Everything I signed up for

My experience with Projects Abroad was really incredible. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is considering a career in medicine because it allowed me to figure out if I can handle it before I spent the thousands of dollars to attend a nursing program. It also gave me a taste of what I may want to specialize in because I experienced a variety of different environments inside the hospital. It is a very difficult process to view a surgery in the United States, so if you're interested in doing so, consider this alternative.

Essentially, each weekday morning, my roommate and I woke up, had breakfast, packed our lunches and supplies for the day, and waited to be picked up by one of the coordinators to be brought to one of the local hospitals. We would arrive, talk to the doctor who agreed to accept us for the day, and tell him or her where we wanted to go from the options given to us. In the two weeks I spent there, I was sent to pediatrics, nursing, the emergency room, and best of all, the operating room. I was able to watch three surgeries (as in, standing next to the patient, asking questions to the doctors), and it confirmed nursing as a career path for me.

If you're choosing between a medical camp at an American college or an opportunity abroad as I was, hands down choose the latter. It is not only a better experience since you are traveling the world, but it is unique and makes you stand out from the rest of the future med school applicants. This program in particular allows you to experience living with a host family, learning and practicing Spanish, traveling Argentina, and working in real hospitals with real patients. Everything that I was hoping to experience was checked off of my list before I left. I would highly recommend this program.

What would you improve about this program?
The Spanish class was not particularly beneficial, and overall I didn't practice Spanish nearly as much as I wanted to. Part of that was my lack of taking advantage of certain opportunities, however.
115 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Dear Myah: it's great to read that we were able to help you confirm your path towards Nursing school in our project! We agree that going abroad to a developing country to be able to observe medical procedures is a vastly different experience than what such young students would get to do in the US - it is definitely a more complete learning experience and one that will truly help you make sound decisions for your future. We do believe in mixing the medical aspect with a cultural immersion, which is why we do include the Spanish lessons - hopefully you will get to practice more of your Spanish in your next project!

Default avatar
Shawyan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Medicine in Argentina

Everything about the trip was wonderful. The staff were all very guiding and caring and the housing families were very protective and kind towards us. The work load was very manageable and very interesting. The weekends were filled with trips to historic sites or traditional shopping markets. We even went on a zip lining expedition through the mountains. Very cool to be exposed to a completely different culture while learning about medicine. Would recommend 10/10

What would you improve about this program?
More organized social events
121 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Pauline
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience

My time in Argentina through Projects Abroad was extremely fun. I had a great time at our weekly social events, and met lifelong friends. Through the human rights and law project, we visited girls' institutions, cooked for the homeless, and organized a campaign on pedophilia. Lastly, we also took classes on international law and prepared for a mock trial that we had at the end of the two weeks.
The staff was relatively kind and the coordinator Vicky was helpful and listened to us when my roommates and I needed to speak to her. My host family was also relatively kind, but we did not see her much, which ended up being a drawback because we weren't able to form a close relationship with her. Also, she spoke English to us, which was a bit frustrating as we had came to Argentina specifically to speak Spanish. However, she did all that she could to make us feel at home, and made the most amazing dinners.
Overall, i am extremely glad that I participated in this program as it allowed me to give back to the world and this community. I also met amazing people that I still talk to and see on vacations. Definitely recommend!

What would you improve about this program?
One thing that I definitely would improve is the freedom that we have. During our stay in Argentina, my roommates and I were often frustrated because although most of us were 18, we were not let out of sight. If we were home, we were under full supervision of our host family which felt a bit overwhelming at times. We also felt a bit uncomfortable asking the staff to take us out more to the city to visit more because we didn't want to bother them, and so we ended up not really taking in the culture of Argentina.
116 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jem
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Spanish and Medicine

The Project's Abroad High School Special is an excellently run program.Within that category I chose the program Medicine and Spanish for 2 weeks. I was thoroughly impressed with the immense variety of volunteer opportunities. I chose the program I did because it suited the fact that I wanted to become a doctor as well as it allowed me to practice my Spanish language skills. The program coordinators provided excellent support and provided transportation (a mix of public and private). As a minor, I found this very comforting as I was alone in a different country. The lady I stayed with, Dora, was very friendly and very entertaining. She took great care of me and made sure that I always had enough to eat. The volunteer placements were very unique and my activities ranged not only in type but also intensity. Some days we met locals and tried local culture and activities (such as zip-lining and going to the market), while other days we spent at hospitals shadowing doctors and watching surgery. The joy with the high school special is that you go with a bunch of other people your age. As a result I have made some extremely close friends who I will keep in contact with for a while. Overall, I was thrilled with the quality of homestay family, food, and volunteer placement.

What would you improve about this program?
The only advice I would give is to chose a month in which the weather is better in Argentina. I chose a month in which it was winter in Argentina and I would advice against that just so that you do not have to lug a jacket around and I did get a slight cold! As well, you can enjoy the scenery and vegetation. I strongly recommend that anyone who wants to go abroad and experience a different culture in a safe and friendly environment.
114 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aijah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Summer in Argentina

In the summer of 2014, I found myself in a small hospital in the Argentinian country side, wondering how lucky I was to have found a program that gave me this opportunity. When I first began my search for a program to do over the summer, I was pretty conflicted. I really wanted to study abroad, but I also really wanted to do some sort of medical program since I would soon be heading off to college and wanted to confirm that I wasn’t making a huge mistake doing pre-med. To top it off, I couldn’t do a program that was the entire summer either. The search wasn’t looking too great, until I found Projects Abroad. I went abroad to Argentina with Projects Abroad on their High School Specials’s Medicine and Spanish in Argentina. It combined going abroad, medicine, and flexibility.

After the uphill battle of convincing my over protective parents to let me go (the staff of Projects Abroad helped by providing other volunteers each other’s email addresses so we could coordinate plane flights and know each other a bit before getting there), I was off to Cordoba, Argentina. There, I visited various hospitals from the city to the countryside, viewed surgery from right behind the shoulder of surgeons, received a workshop and a lecture by a surgeon, had a tango lesson, went to a karaoke party, visited La Cumbrecita, to name a few activities.

I also met amazing people, none of whom I’ll ever forget: the staff, the other volunteers, as well as my host family. My host family from the very first day, made me feel like a part of the family too. The encouragement they gave me when I attempted to speak Spanish, the conversations we’d have at the dinner table, the jokes we laughed about; all are memories that I’ll cherish forever. For anyone debating whether or not to go abroad, I strongly recommend that you go out and experience the world.

What would you improve about this program?
I thought this program was perfect!
122 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An amazing volunteer opportunity!

When searching online for a volunteer program abroad, I couldn't have found a better program than Projects. I signed up for the High School Special focusing on Medicine and Spanish for 2 weeks. They helped with every aspect of planning my trip and made sure to stay connected with me up until my landing in Cordoba. As I stepped into the arrivals area I saw the smiling face of one of the coordinators and I knew my trip would be one I remember for a lifetime. I made friends from all over the world and was able to feel like I was giving back to the community also. Everyday I looked forward to our next trip to the hospital or to the next medical conference. The coordinators helped us whenever we had questions and I know that I have gained a new Argentinian family from my amazing hosts. Projects Abroad made volunteering, learning, and traveling all at once an amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone I know.

114 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Eliza
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Care & Spanish in Argentina

This trip made for one of the best summers of my life, if not THE best. For two weeks, I lived with an incredible host family while taking Spanish classes and volunteered in a group in the afternoons. An average day would go like this: my roommates and I would wake up and have breakfast, then walk to the PA office to have Spanish class for two hours. Afterwards, we'd come home, eat lunch, and then head back to the office before taking the bus to El Vagón, a place where kids in the neighborhood spent time in the afternoons. With them, we played fútbol, did arts and crafts projects, ate snack, etc. The kids were from about ages 4-14 and they were so sweet–always hugging and kissing us, playing with us, and helping us with our Spanish when we got stuck. After coming home by about 6:00, we'd have some down time before dinner. Some nights, PA organized socials for us–for example, while I was there we went bowling, had a tango lesson, and a karaoke night! All the leaders were so nice and always were there to answer questions. My host family was the best–by the end of the trip, I really felt like I had become a part of the family. The Spanish classes were conversation-based and there were different levels, so you were tested to see which one you would be in (but it was a very low-pressure test). I really liked it because it was so different from some of the Spanish classes I've had before–we talked about things we all really cared about, but in Spanish, learning tons of new words every day. Overall, I would really recommend this program to anyone looking to volunteer in a fun way while learning Spanish. The only thing I would suggest is to at least know basic Spanish before you go: that way, you won't feel completely lost.

What would you improve about this program?
Maybe the staff could have been a little more flexible in terms of giving us freedom.
116 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers