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Foreign Languages Department

Harvard-Westlake

Travel and Study Programs

Last update11/06/06

Spring Vacation in Cuernavaca Mexico

Travel, enjoy, relax, and learn Spanish in total immersion. Grades 8-12

AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE
Harvard-Westlake students enrolled in Spanish can experience an unforgettable trip by joining Harvard Westlake’s travel-study group to Mexico for a two-week stay in Cuernavaca during spring break. Priority is given to current 9th graders.

IMMERSION IN SPANISH
The Instituto Mexicano de Español y Cultura is Mexico’s foremost center for the study of Spanish. The instructors are very experienced. They use the most current conversational methods. No more than six students are enrolled in each class so that the Instituto’s teachers can provide individual attention to each pupil. The excursions, the individualized focus, and the emphasis on skills provide each pupil with the unique opportunity to make rapid progress in acquiring the language.

A BEAUTIFUL SETTING
Cuernavaca, Morelos, is the home of the Instituto Mexicano de Español y Cultura. It is a beautiful city of more than a half million inhabitants. The city becomes a phenomenal language laboratory for the pupils. Cuernavaca, called the City of Eternal Spring due to its perfect year-round temperature, is located a little over an hour by car from Mexico City. This location offers easy access to many of the cultural riches of central Mexico which the students will visit.

LIVING WITH A MEXICAN FAMILY
A significant advantage which this program offers is that the students live with a typical Mexican family selected by “IMSC”. Our students experience and enjoy Mexican hospitality. Students are paired with a Harvard-Westlake roommate of their choosing. They enjoy three daily meals prepared by their Mexican “Mamá”. The family offers the guests direct cultural exposure and the invaluable opportunity of many hours of informal conversation in a comfortable home setting. Upon arrival in Cuernavaca, our students are met by the Institute’s staff and an adult member of the family. One of the adult members of the family will have the responsibility to transport their guest to and from the school and to take them to the meeting location for all of our excursions. Each family is also responsible to pick up the students from the field trips and the community service activities.

PROGRAM COORDINATORS
Harvard-Westlake former Middle School teacher, and current Upper School Foreign Language teacher, Javier Zaragoza, coordinates and chaperones the trip. He will be accompanied by three other faculty members. This is the 16th year Mr. Zaragoza is involved with this trip.

EXCURSIONS
All students participate on a number of half day excursions during the school days and all day excursions on weekends. All outings are designed to interest the age group of participants. They expose students to the people, the culture, the folklore, and the wonders of Mexico.

SOME SAMPLE EXCURSIONS
Teotihuacan First with the chaperones and guides and then in groups of more than four, students will be allowed to explore the ruins of this ancient Mexican city. Risks involved in this activity may include, but are not limited to, falling, twisting an ankle or stubbing toes on the uneven ground and stairs. Sunscreen, sunglasses and hats are strongly suggested. For more information on these ruins see: http://srcheology.la.asu.edu/teo/

Taxco First with chaperones and guides, then in groups of four, students will be allowed to explore the central part of this city with a guide and in small groups of at least four students. Risks involved in this activity are similar to those in Teotihuacán. Students will be responsible for managing their own money/credit cards for shopping.

Swimming/Recreation Parks Students have the option to participate in water activities at recreation water parks and beaches.

Museum of Anthropology Students have the unique opportunity to visit the most outstanding museum of its kind in the entire world and learning about some of its treasures through an enjoyable “treasure hunt”. The Museum of Anthropology has examples of all of the past cultures and groups of people who contributed to the rich culture and tradition of the country. The students will participate in a museum artifact finding activity and they will have the ability to explore the museum unchaperoned.

Bellas Artes National Theatre The students attend a concert featuring the incredible National Folklore Ballet and learn about Mexico’s music through the many dances presented from all of the regions of the country. The students will view the many murals painted by Mexico’s most renowned muralist.

Local Activities Accompanied by their peers and/or family, students gather for fiestas at local restaurants and pizza parlors, shop at shopping centers, bowl, go to the movies, and visit traditional markets, admire architectural landmarks, or simply swim or play tennis as well as other sports at recreation centers.

2007 cost: $2,495.00 (Included airfare, three meals per day, housing, schooling, field trips, and miscellaneous transportation). To receive information about this and other future trips, please contact Mr. Javier Zaragoza at the Upper School Campus, (818) 487-6651 or email him:

Harvard-Westlake Japanese Exchange

(For current 9th through 12th graders)
Due to Ms. Dair's maternity leave, this trip will not be offered in 2007. Our partnrship with Tamagawa School in Tokyo involves hosting a group of Japanese students at our school every other year. They reciprocate by hosting us in the summer. Organized with support from a parent committee, the trip typically includes a two-week homestay in Tokyo with classes at the Tamagawa School, followed by one week of travel in Japan. The cost of the last trip was approximately $3,200, including airfare and all expenses other than pocket money. For more information, contact Ms. Julie Dair in the Upper School Foreign Language Department or email her.

Harvard-Westlake Travel/Study Program in China

This program has been extremely popular. It will, however, not be offered in 2007. Photos and a description of last summer's trip are accessible from the Chinese page of the Upper School language department site. click here to see site. To be kept informed of future plans, call Dr. Zhou at the Upper School Foreign Language Department: (818) 487-6652 or email him.