Summer Volunteer Programs in Spain

GLA's Spain program was in its first year this year, and I'm so incredibly happy to have been a part of such an experience. I have no doubt that it will grow and evolve into an even more amazing program over the years.
Regarding community service, when I was in Spain, I wasn't thinking about the hours or what I was going to use them for at all. It felt like a dream, having fun with the kids and teaching them English. It was amazing to pass on knowledge on a language that I never had to learn. It opened my eyes to other cultures, and I really think that we opened their eyes to our culture. What we gave to the kids and taught them, they gave right back. I learned so much about Spanish culture and customs just from going to service every day.
If that's not enough of a reason to go on this trip, the social aspect was the best I've experienced on any summer trip. We were a small group of seven students (mostly 16-18, but there was one 14 year old and she still got on with us very well) and I think that's a big reason why we all felt like a family at the end.
We did a lot over the three weeks, but it never felt like our schedule was packed. We had siesta every day, so of course that helped, but looking back, we still got to do and see a lot. Our schedule was more packed when we went on our weekend trips to Barcelona and Granada, simply because we only had one full day in each city to see as much as we could. Our local director was amazing and found several concerts in Valencia that we went to on one night. She also found a dance festival, where we were able to see some traditional Valencian dance and (try to) take part in it ourselves. With such a small group we were able to shift plans based on what was going on, and if any conflict with our itinerary had shown up, it would've been easy to find something else to do in such an amazing city.
Valencia was also the perfect city to host a program like this, because it's not the touristy Barcelona, so we still got a taste of Spanish culture while staying in a relatively big city.
We were always kept safe no matter what, and our hostels (in Valencia, Barcelona and Granada) were more than sufficient.
I hate to be cheesy, but it really was a life-changing trip. On my flight home, the flight attendant said, "Anyone that needs to get off this flight for any reason should do so now," and I was holding myself back from staying in Spain for a little while longer. It was a trip that fueled my desire to travel, and as my parents keep saying, I caught the "Euro-bug."