Summer of a lifetime

If you're an easy-going, open-minded, positive and enthusiastic person then this is the way to spend your summer. ACLE allows you to experience Italy in a way that no holiday ever could - by being totally immersed in authentic Italian life. The host families for me were by far the best part of the experience - all my families were just incredible. They will go above and beyond to ensure you feel comfortable, welcome and FULL in their family home. My families were eager to bring me to visit local sites of interest as well as take me to events, parties and family gatherings - you really are part of the family, but equally they understood if I wanted some time to myself or a night out with the other tutors. Some of them spoke little or no English which at first was daunting but as long as you approach the situation with a positive attitude it's fine - you'll be surprised how much Italian you pick up and how far their English progresses in the week or two you stay with them!

Camp life is .....exhausting but simultaneously amazing. One thing to stress is that you MUST love working with children! Entertaining up to 100 kids who don;t speak your language for hours every day is tough and you need passion to get through it. However it's also fantastic fun and the days fly by. ACLE prepare you really well at orientation with songs and games and you're always working in a team at camp so you have plenty of support from other tutors, helpers, assistants and directors.

In general I found ACLE to be very prompt and helpful in replying to any questions or queries i had about anything - they are always there on the phone or e-mail. Also all my camp directors (who speak English) were really helpful and there to help you with any difficulties you have.

Unlike some of the other posts on the forum, I enjoyed the social life ! Possibly it depends on the tutors you are working with but most days after camp we would go for a spritz....or two....and head to the local nightclub/beach party Friday nights. In general I think the ACLE experience is all about what you make of it. If you are the type of person who lets the slightest difficulty get you down, it's probably not for you. If you are adventurous, up for trying new things and tend to see the positive in challenging situations, you will learn a lot and have an incredible time. One of my favourite things about the program was that you never knew where in Italy your next camp would be until 3 days before you had to leave! It's all about making the most of the moment. And make sure you travel when you're finished in camp!