PROYECTO ECOLOGICO
Spanish School/Escuela de Español FUNDECI/GAIA
Intensive Spanish Language and Volunteering Program
Spanish language studies at "Apoyo Spanish School" adhere to the principle of total immersion. Spanish students are placed in a one-on-one and/or group learning context (max. 3 per teacher) for 4.5 hours per day, 5 days per week. Activities and excursions are included in the language program, such as visits to the local elementary school, guided nature walks, visits to local agricultural sites, and meetings with scientists working in research and conservation projects in Nicaragua. Our project stresses volunteering, and activities in reforestation are programmed weekly. Families with children are especially welcomed. Our Spanish language instruction program is an intensive, interactive and challenging experience aimed at strengthening the students’ written, oral and reading skills, particularly in the context of the colorful Nicaraguan dialect.
Our Spanish language teachers are not only knowledgeable in the Spanish language, but also in the rich culture, history, and ecology of Nicaragua. The staff come from colorful and varied backgrounds, and reflect the friendly characteristics of the Nicaraguan people. All of our Spanish language teachers have extensive experience working with campesinos in the vicinity of Laguna de Apoyo, and present very detailed perspectives of the Nicaraguan campesino life for the student.
Students of Apoyo Spanish School live in the home which is used for the school. Here, one will encounter modern conveniences with a rustic flavor. The Spanish school and the research station provide housing, near the shore of the crater lake, with additional housing available in homestays nearby. Here, the students can engage in informal discussions with the staff and residents, practicing their Spanish in the after-class hours.
Meals are an important part of your stay at the Biological Research Station "Estación Biológica". We serve the best food available in Nicaragua. Organic salads, green vegetables and soy products are served regularly, in combination with the Nicaraguan standard dishes. Vegetarians can be accomodated easily. Much of our produce is grown organically by cooperatives of poor farmers, and we serve prize-winning, certified Organic, Fair Trade coffee!
Apoyo Spanish School is located in a beautiful natural setting which offers excellent swimming in clear, tropical waters, and magnificent hiking along the shore, into forest, and through many indigenous villages. You will find plentiful opportunities for quiet reflection amongst the striking flora and fauna of Laguna de Apoyo.
There are afternoon activities scheduled every weekday for the Spanish students. The activities range from forest walks to find birds and monkeys, to guided discussions about environmental issues, and every week we visit the Pueblos Blancos, where you can see prize-winning artisan pottery, enjoy the view of Laguna de Apoyo from the Catarina Overlook, and take a horse ride. Twice weekly, the afternoon activities involve participation in our reforestation activities in the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. You can help to plant a tree and save the earth! In addition, through optional excursions arranged by the Spanish teachers at modest additional cost, Apoyo Spanish School familiarizes the students with Nicaragua’s volcanoes, tropical waters, and rain forests. Depending on your interests, these trips might include: Masaya Volcano National Park (see molten lava in the crater); the local colorful Masaya market which is famous for artisan craftwork; the historic city of Granada; a boat ride through Las Isletas, an archipielago in Lake Nicaragua at Granada; or listening to the revolutionary songs of folk musicians at a Managua night spot.
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Spanish classes are often held under the shade of large, native trees on the grounds of Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo, with the most experienced and well-trained teachers in the area. Most of the Masaya and Granada Spanish school instructors have received their Spanish teacher training at Apoyo Spanish School. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary. |
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The staff of Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo accompany the students of Apoyo Spanish School on a dawn birdwatching adventure every week. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary. |
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Mario Montenegro is a Nicaraguan children's singer. He often visits and sings with the visitors at Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo. Here he is singing for a group of Spanish students from Denmark. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary. |
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Apoyo Spanish School is located in Masaya department, the cradle of artisan crafts in Central America. Here, a student of Apoyo Spanish School tries her hand at pottery making on a foot-powered wheel, on a school excursion to meet the artisan craftmakers in San Juan de Oriente. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary. |
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Horse riding is available to students of Apoyo Spanish School. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary. |
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The Apoyo Spanish School program includes weekly excursions to sites such as Catarina. Apoyo Spanish School is located in the facilities of Estación Biológica, beneath this scenic view of Laguna de Apoyo from Catarina. |