Spanish Language Immersion in Merida, Mexico

This will be the third summer that Lawrenceville is offering our Spanish language program in Merida, Mexico, the one time colonial capital of the Yucatan. Students live with Mexican families for a first-hand experience of everyday life in Mexico. Five days a week, students attend classes in language, culture, composition and grammar at a branch location of UNAM, The National Autonomous University of Mexico. Classes are taught by local university teachers and the accompanying Lawrenceville faculty. Additionally, students participate in excursions to nearby sites of interest. Students will travel on weekend day trips to Celestun on the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy the beach and Flamingo preserve, to the ancient Mayan ruins at Uxmal, and to a sisal plantation at Sotuta de Peon. This language experience will culminate in a 4 day excursion that will take students across the Yucatan peninsula to visit the ruins of Chichen Itza as well as the Caribbean coast for Mayan cave exploration and snorkeling.

While students will not receive academic credit for participating in the program, they will, upon successful completion of the course work and subject to department approval, be placed one level ahead in the sequence of courses. Hence, a student who has completed Spanish 6 would, if successful, be placed in Spanish 8 in the fall.

Trip Dates
Friday, June 15 - Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Chaperone
Spanish Master Joaquin Gonzalez

Target Student Population
Students must have completed level 6 by the end of the academic year.

Cost
TBA

The cost will contain price of flights at time of trip research. There is the potential for this to change. Participants will be alerted to any changes at time of trip sign-up.
A list of required vaccinations for this trip will be sent home to all families.
If students do not provide records of having these vaccinations by their return to campus after the Winter break, arrangements will be made for the vaccinations to be administered on campus.

Note: All passports must be current six months past the return date of any school sponsored trip. Please check and plan accordingly.

Sign-up Instructions
To sign-up for spring trips, please have housemasters or advisors complete the House Master/Day Advisor Recommendation and submit to Louise Wright by Friday, November 11, 2011.