by Dia Ale, Staff Writer
Imagine waking up by hearing the busy streets of London, seeing the Eiffel Tower after class, or improving your Spanish skills by ordering tapas in Barcelona. Studying abroad isn’t just another thing to add to your resume-it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where you get to immerse yourself in new cultures, make lifelong friends, and gain a new perspective on the world.
CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, with a summer study abroad option available for students. Just this past summer, the program itself sent over 20 kids from Morristown High School all around the world.
There are two types of programs students can choose from: topic programs and language programs. There are two different sessions for every program, so students can get to choose which time they want to go.
Sra. Leff, Spanish teacher here at Morristown High School and Spanish Honor Society Advisor is one of the organizers for CIEE here at the high school. In addition, she used to be a program leader for some summer programs.
In her time as a program leader, Sra. Leff says, “My favorite part of the experience was seeing the students grow as people, becoming more confident, more communicative, working together with others, and being out of their comfort zone.”
Topic programs last 3 weeks over the summer. These programs dig deep into the world of STEM, Arts & Culture, Business, and Social Change. These programs are great to explore a passion or career, and some select programs even offer up to 50 hours of service learning. Over the summer, topic programs students participated in ranged from Global Entrepreneurship, Marine Ecosystems & Sustainability, and Leadership & Service in Public Health. There are lots of options to choose from that can suit students’ interests!
Language programs last 4 weeks over the summer. Key benefits to these programs is the major improvement your language skills can obtain just by practicing everyday. Language programs are available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, and Mandarin. The month spent with CIEE language programs is approximately equivalent to 1 year of schooling material. By completing a language program, participants achieve a Global Seal of Biliteracy, which is good for 4 college credits.
When abroad in a program, a day consists of 2-3 hours of interactive classes, cultural activities, and free time to explore. The fun thing about this schedule is that nothing gets too repetitive, and everyday is a new experience. What’s also included is a one day trip and overnight excursion.
This past summer, I went to Palma de Mallorca, Spain for the Marine Ecosystems and Sustainability program. A classroom day would have gone something like this:
9h: Meet up at Plaza center
10-13h: Visit laboratory and go to the beach
15-17h: Biology Class
17-19h: Group project work/Spanish Class
19-21h: free time
Our mornings would consist of a new excursion around Mallorca, and then in the afternoon, we would settle down with classes. Alongside the classroom days, the program included an overnight trip across the island to Alcúdia.
In Alcúdia, it was a 3 day, 2 night trip with activities including coasteering, snorkeling, games, hiking, beach time, pool time, and group activities. Overall, it was a very fun time and special way to bond with all of the other classmates.
In regards to the CIEE program, Sr. Leff says, “I’m so grateful CIEE offers scholarships so that these experiences are accessible to everyone,” she truly believes that, “Studying abroad as a high school student is one of the best experiences.”
There are two types of scholarships CIEE provides that can help cover the costs of the trip. The first one includes a financial aid scholarship that is decided from CIEE when the required IRS forms are uploaded to an application. The second is a merit scholarship that is based upon the three supplemental essays needing to be submitted, and transcript. These scholarships can help cover a small portion of the trip to a big portion.
Here are the following timelines in regards to the program:
Now: rolling admissions if you wish to not have a scholarship
12/1/24: Deadline to enter for a free flight voucher raffle
1/24/24: Final Scholarship Deadline
February: Scholarship Awards Announcements
Any questions concerning an application can be directed to Sra. Leff, who can guide you into the right direction!