Students biking around the Matadero of Madrid.

Studying abroad is not just about the academics. Students are encouraged to participate in activities outside the classroom to further engage with the host community.

Activities held outside the classroom provide students with opportunities to deepen their social immersion in Spanish culture, enhance their language skills, and gain a better understanding of present-day Spain. Join a choir, a rugby team, take dance classes, or participate in any other cocurricular activity with program support.

The Middlebury School in Spain also organizes group activities throughout the semester for its students.

Orientation

From day one, Middlebury helps students embrace their city and surroundings. Local university students introduce our students to student life and the cities’ diverse neighborhoods.

Cocurricular Activities

Cooking classes, wine tastings, and outings to the theater are some of the activities that the Middlebury School in Spain offers our students. Furthermore, our Cultural Coordinator will assist students in identifying additional opportunities according to their individual interests. Past students have played on sports teams, taken flamenco and salsa classes, and joined choir and theater groups.

In addition, our weekly bulletin, MadLoCo, suggests cultural activities and opportunities for students in Madrid, Logroño, and Córdoba.

Excursions

Each semester the School in Spain organizes group excursions. Students take a day trip to a nearby city or town. During the mid-semester excursion, students from all program sites travel together to discover other cities and towns such as Burgos, Cáceres, and Cuenca. This excursion includes an overnight stay.

Language Exchanges

Language exchanges are available to help students improve their Spanish, learn about Spanish culture, and have the opportunity to meet locals with similar interests.

Volunteer Opportunities

At the Middlebury School in Spain, we help our students find volunteer opportunities that allow them to provide a service to the community and connect with others while practicing their Spanish. Past volunteer opportunities have included teaching English at low-income schools and working with students with disabilities. Our students have also volunteered at an equine-assisted therapy center.

Cultural Reimbursements

To support students in their exploration and discovery of the rich heritage and diversity of Hispanic cultures, students that participate in cultural activities while studying at the Middlebury School in Spain may apply for cultural reimbursement(s).

“El rincón hispánico”

Due to the cononavirus pandemic, our onsite programs were canceled for the 2020-2021 academic year. In order to provide extracurricular activities so that students and friends of the Middlebury community could practice the Spanish language virtually, the Middlebury School in Spain collaborated with the School in Argentina, the School in Chile and the School in Uruguay to create the website, “El rincón hispánico”