This trip is a culminating experience in language and culture for both Elementary and Junior High students.

What better way to perfect your language skills than living the culture and experiencing the richness of the language? Students study at the clic in Spain, and are encouraged to communicate in Spanish as much as possible during the trip. There are many small group opportunities (such as shopping) that are carefully orchestrated to give students the independent opportunity to communicate with native Spanish speakers.

Students in 6th Grade are from a select group who choose to be a part of a program called Ciencia en Utah. They do a really in-depth science study of a concept, with experiments do demonstrate what they’ve learned. It’s insane the level of science they understand by the end, and their ability to express it in Spanish. Then they present their science project in Spain.

Students in 7th-9th Grade in our Immersion program take a Spanish culture class in addition to Spanish language class. They learn history, so they know what they’re seeing when they go to Spain. They present to each other while they’re in Spain on those topics. For example, one student will study a specific person, and when they get to that castle in Spain, they’ll present on that. Or if they get to a park, they’ll explain what the park is and the history behind it.

All 9th graders have the opportunity to go to Spain, and about half go. Their trip is 10-12 days and see a lot of things they’ve learned since they’ve been at NDPA. Half the time they attend a university where they attend language classes and earn credits toward graduation. They have a tourist experience, see things, learn things, live with host families, and attend college level classes through a university or language school in Spain.  

At the end of 9th grade, NDPA pays for students to take an AP test and we have a very high percentage pass rate—87-90% students of these students pass the AP Spanish test that they would normally take in high school.