Language studies at "Estación Biológica FUNDECI/GAIA" adhere to the principle of total immersion. 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 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 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 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 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 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 "FUNDECI/GAIA Research Station". We serve the best food available in Nicaragua. Salads, green vegetables and tofu 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!

The school is located in a beautiful natural setting which offers excellent swimming in 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.

Through optional excursions arranged by the teachers at modest additional cost, the 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; or listening to the revolutionary songs of folk musicians at a Managua night spot.