BRIEF: Monarchs plan a trip to Spain

Spanish professor Maria Zamudio plans a trip to Spain for a summer abroad.

By Erika Zuniga, Staff Writer

Valley College is sponsoring a study abroad program in Spain for up to 19 students next summer.

Monarchs will get a chance to travel to Spanish cities in a faculty-led program with tour guides. The two-week program is based on the enrollment of 14 to 19 students with a fee of $2,695 per person. Airfare, passport or visa fees and personal expenses are included in the trip. The study abroad program is open to all students who are interested in learning Spanish.

Airfare is approximately $1,500. Students will need money for meals not covered by the program. A workshop on funding this program was held recently. There are several scholarships available, including some through the Valley College Foundation. Students helped professor Zamudio raise money to help students who want to learn Spanish and study abroad.

Students will have an opportunity in four Spanish cities -- Madrid, Granada, Toledo and Córdoba -- to gain knowledge of Spain’s culture and history while improving their Spanish language skills at the same time.

Students will have the opportunity to quickly improve their Spanish language skills. Monarch travelers will have 60 hours devoted to language skills at Valley over a four-week period. They will then immediately follow up on this in-class training with two fast-paced weeks in Spain, where they will have 30 hours focused on Spanish culture in a two-week period, as well as excursions and cultural immersion.

The program aims for students to come away from the experience with a deep appreciation of the region’s role in Spanish history and civilization while simultaneously improving their understanding of the Spanish language.