From the time I was accepted as a three month volunteer in Castilla y Leon, I have felt supported by the US mainland staff. My questions were answered quickly, and the pre departure modules were informative. (I did need a quick tutorial on how to post answers in Canvas or whatever the platform was). Once at the Madrid airport, we met our leaders in Spain and felt we had someone to call locally should a problem occur. I appreciated the help with getting the Spanish SIM card the first night and cultural sensitivity training at the orientation.

My family is wonderful, and the school´s children and faculty are fantastic. The weather here is much warmer than in my home state of Missouri. I did not expect that. I am in a primary school and see each class in grades one through six each week (12 sessions). When I am not teaching, I am immersed in a Spanish class. Although Spanish speaking was not a requirement, I would feel more confident if I had a basic Spanish course under my belt. It would be easier to communicate with all the teachers at the school, not just the English teachers. I am expected to speak English at school and at home, so there is not much time to practice. Maybe CIEE would put suggest a basic Spanish book on the internet if needed. I could not find one that was colorful and self explanatory.

We all have at least three days to travel a week, and some have four. The bus and train systems are very efficient in Spain, and Laura compiled a list of everyone´s email and phone for group communication.

Overall, my expectations have been exceeded. This whole trip seems like a dream even after a month.

This is a chance of a lifetime. Grab it and go!

I was hesitant as I had never heard of anyone who had done one of CIEE's Teach Abroad programs, but I really enjoyed myself. All the people I met were lovely, from the CIEE staff in the USA and Spain to the teachers and my host family in my placement. If you can afford to go abroad for three months volunteer, I'd highly recommend it. It is so much fun to embrace the Spanish culture, and they are such loving and kind people. The teaching experience was really what I made of it. Sometimes they would have activities they wanted me to do with the children, and sometimes I was able to lead my own lessons that I had designed, like learning about American holidays. And it is really easy to make a little money through private tutoring, if you're really worried about money.

My volunteer experience in Spain was nothing short of amazing! The students and school that I assisted welcomed me and helped generate a new passion for helping the youth. Each day was different, and there were challenges, but I definitely received a greater appreciation for teachers while adapting to a new culture. My host family is what really made my experience what it was. Their hospitality and generosity has continued even now that I am back in the U.S. They were so loving and courteous throughout the duration of my stay that I did not want to leave. It is the people that make the experience, and I am so happy that I was fortunate to be placed in a home and town that was as inviting as Peñafiel.

In the CIEE Volunteer Teach in Spain program you are placed with a family, which has its pros and cons. It was definitely challenging living in a small apartment with four other people, but my family was so great! By living with them, I was able to practice Spanish each day, throughout the day, and experience things I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced (my host dad took me mountain biking!)!
One part of this program worth mentioning is that most of the schools don’t solicite for a host family until their school year begins in September. So probably won’t find out where you’ll be staying until right before you leave, or in my case after you’ve already left the States. (I left two weeks early to explore other parts of Europe.) So, with that said it’s important to just be flexible and know that everything will fall into place. The unknown can be scary, but CIEE has got your back.
Once I had a super frustrating morning at school. But, both the Spanish CIEE people and my English coordinator were super supportive and listened to my frustrations. It was nice to know that if I ever had any problem, there was someone to go to.

This trip was my first time in Europe, and I’m so happy I went through CIEE. I even went on a trip to Morocco with people I met in the program! With the program I felt way more supported and connected than I would’ve on my own. It I could turn back time I’d do it all over again.

My experience teaching in Madrid, Spain has been wonderful.
CIEE has been a big part of that experience as they go above and beyond to make sure our stay is in the best way possible. CIEE staff is very helpful and is always available to answer questions, provide guidance, and support.
The school where I teach has also been a great experience. Teachers are very friendly, provide great knowledge, support and are very inclusive. They make us feel part of the school family.
I certainly recommend CIEE for the teaching abroad program!

The Teach English Abroad Program in Spain was great if you want to teach and want to experience something new in a foreign country. I would reccomend this program to anybody who wants to start a career in teaching English abroad or expand an existing career of teaching English abroad. You will make a lot of new friends and have fun when you hangout with them. This is a great opportunity to not only see Spain but also to see a lot of it´s neighboring countries. If you have never taught or studied abroad, I reccomend that you try this program out. You might be nervous at first but once you have settled in, you will be just fine. Even at the end of the program if you really didn´t like it, you don´t have to do it again.

My experience teaching and living in Spain was truly wonderful. I was lucky to be placed with such a sweet family. They treated me like I was part of their family. I ate so much delicious food, and they took me on a couple of day trips. I was thrilled to have met their cousins and extended family. The atmosphere at my school in Cuellar was welcoming, friendly, and fun. Some days I would play games with my students and other days I would give a presentation about my culture or something I thought might interest them. I particularly enjoyed working with my students when they had questions and insightful comments about what I was explaining to them. I also had the opportunity to go with my students on a few field trips around Cuellar, as well as to Segovia and La Granja. I'm also glad I had the chance to travel to some other parts of Spain such as Barcelona, Sevilla, Toledo, Madrid, and many smaller towns.

I spent the first three months of my 2016 living and volunteering in a small town in Castilla y León, a central north region in Spain. My town was quiet (except during the week of Carnaval!), and I volunteered in two local high schools with the bilingual classes. The experience was one that you can't really explain unless you have experienced a similar situation, because so much growth and progress happens both internally and externally during that special time abroad. Three months feels like a short time, but you come back totally changed with a new perspective on the world. Strangers become family, unfamiliar cafes become regular hangouts (you know you're a regular when your wifi connects automatically!), and unfamiliar streets start to feel like home. CIEE does a great job of making initial connections for you, and following up with you during your time there. If you're on the edge and unsure, take the leap! Going abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made, and has led me to so many more wonderful opportunities!