Spain

WHY EXPLORE THE CULTURAL AND REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN SPAIN?

Your journey begins with an immersive orientation in Spain’s capital and largest city, Madrid. Immediately begin practicing your Spanish as you navigate the city’s lively streets and visit the Reina Sofia and Prado Museum on Madrid’s “museum mile” to see original art by Spanish artists such as Picasso and Dalí. Order tapas in local cafés as you visit the Habsburg district. Take a full-day excursion to historic Toledo as your knowledge of Spain’s history and culture deepens.

Experience an entirely different region of Spain as you and your group travel from Madrid to your homestay location. Spend two weeks immersed in a Spanish community as your language skills grow through daily interactions with your host family and local students. Visit Valencia to take a bike tour through the Gardens of Turia, explore multiculturalism in Spain, and learn to make paella in a cooking class.

Your discovery of Spain’s cultures and regional differences continues as you and your group travel to Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city and the capital of Catalonia. Visit Barcelona’s numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites and parks, and see the Picasso Museum. Discover some of Europe’s most intriguing architecture as you visit Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família, one of Spain’s most famous landmarks. Shop along La Rambla, Barcelona’s bustling central street.

LEARN BY DOING

The Experiment’s programs are designed to build skills that will help you succeed. In Spain, you will learn: 

Technical Skills

• Spanish language  
• Spanish cooking

Interpersonal Skills

• Intercultural communication
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Relationship-building  

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Outdoor activities will include biking. 
• Temperatures and humidity can be high during the summer. 

• Students will explore urban life by foot (lots of walking!) and learn to navigate the public transit system. 
• Cities in Spain are increasingly vegetarian/vegan-friendly and gluten-free options are not difficult to find. 
• Access to the internet is limited and internet speeds and connectivity vary. 
• The diverse personal and social identities of participants may, in part, shape their experience abroad. In-country partners will discuss cultural norms and the local context during orientation. Please read our approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for further information. All students will have a safe space within the program spaces and with the local staff and group leaders. 
• The Experiment program structure is rooted in experiential learning and cohort-based learning. The participant group experience is a major source of learning for Experimenters and is facilitated by trained Experiment group leaders.