14-Day Pre-College Enrichment for Teens in Barcelona

Course Description: 14-Day Pre-College Enrichment for Teens in Barcelona

Spain Pre-College Program in Barcelona 🇪🇸🎓

Study abroad, discover Barcelona, and experience a taste of college life in a Mediterranean city.

Program Overview 🌟

This pre-college program in Barcelona offers high school students a rare combination of academic enrichment, cultural immersion, and college preparation while living in one of Europe’s most vibrant coastal cities.

Students take engaging morning courses at respected academic institutions, live in a modern student residence, and spend afternoons exploring Barcelona’s highlights and cultural treasures. The program strikes a balance between structured support and independence, helping teens build confidence, global awareness, and readiness for university life.

After two weeks, students leave with:

• A greater sense of independence

• Practical experience living away from home

• Exposure to university-style academics

• New friendships from around the world 🌍

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Program Highlights ✨

• Choose from a variety of engaging academic courses

• Live in a modern, upscale college residence in a central Barcelona neighborhood

• Stay active with gym and indoor pool access 💪🏊

• Explore Barcelona on a guided bike tour

• Immerse yourself in the city’s culture with a guided tour of the Gothic Quarter

• Enjoy exciting day trips to Girona, Figueres, and more 🚆

• Experience “Student’s Choice” time for sports, fitness club, or city exploring

• Meet and make new friends while studying abroad

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Typical Weekday Schedule 📅

Students choose one morning course; afternoons feature highlights and activities.

8:00 AM – Wake Up

8:30 AM – Breakfast

10:30 AM – Morning Course

1:00 PM – Lunch

3:00 PM – Afternoon Highlight

5:30 PM – Student’s Choice (Sports, Pool & Fitness Club, City Exploring)

8:00 PM – Dinner

10:00 PM – Evening Activities

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Courses – Morning Options 📘

Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation 💡

Students explore the full experience of entrepreneurial management for early-stage ventures. The course covers:

• Identifying and evaluating new business opportunities

• Developing business ideas and concepts

• Understanding the process of starting a business

• Acquiring resources

• Building the key components of a business plan

Learning is project-based and activity-focused, with an emphasis on practical application.

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Spanish Language Immersion 🇪🇸

Barcelona becomes the classroom through “out-of-the-class” language activities under the guidance of a Spanish teacher. Students practice Spanish through:

• Bargaining at local markets

• Interviewing local community leaders

• Participating in real-life interactions and cultural activities

Open to students with at least two years of previous Spanish study.

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Psychology of Human Behavior: Barcelona 🧠

Introduction to behavioral, cognitive, and clinical psychology. Topics include:

• Emotional intelligence

• Perception and its limitations

• Cognitive distortions and memory

• Mental illness

• Stereotyping and prejudice

Lessons use discussion, film, and in-class activities to make psychology accessible and engaging.

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Cooking: The Food and Culture of Spain 👩‍🍳

At the Barcelona Cooking School on Las Ramblas, students:

• Learn kitchen skills with expert chefs

• Explore how Spanish culture and regions are reflected in food

• Prepare signature dishes such as Valencian paella and Catalan tapas

Classes take place steps from the famous Boqueria Market.

Supplementary fee: $220

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Leadership and Negotiation Skills 👥

This course focuses on leadership as a skill, not just a role. Students:

• Develop self-awareness

• Learn inspirational leadership approaches

• Practice negotiation techniques

• Explore how to contribute effectively in different situations

The goal is to build leadership and negotiation skills that transfer to school, career, and everyday life.

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Digital Photography Journal: Barcelona 📸

Students capture Barcelona’s art, architecture, and street life through photography. The course covers:

• Framing, lighting, and composition

• Using manual camera settings

• Building a final portfolio of work

Instruction is provided by the Institut d’Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya (IEFC).

A DSLR or bridge camera with manual functions and at least a 12.0 megapixel sensor is required.

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Independent Workout: Barcelona 🏋️

Students have access to the Canricart Fitness Center and can plan a personal workout routine including:

• Cardio

• Weight training

• General fitness to meet individual goals

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International Business in a Globalized World 🌍

This course explores how international business operates across borders. Students study:

• Economic foundations of international business

• Political, economic, cultural, and legal forces affecting companies

• How global firms structure and manage international operations

The course uses practical examples to illustrate how everyday products and services are shaped by global supply chains and cross-border trade.

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Online Marketing with Digital Apps 🎬

Focuses on the power of video and digital media in modern marketing. Students learn to:

• Plan and produce a promotional video using digital apps

• Understand key elements of visual storytelling

• Promote content through social media and digital channels

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Spanish Language (All Levels) 💬

A structured Spanish course that emphasizes:

• Grammar and vocabulary

• Reading and writing

• Above all, speaking and verbal skills

Open to all levels, from beginner to advanced. The primary goal is to help students use Spanish confidently in real situations.

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Sports Management: Barcelona ⚽

Introduces the business side of professional sports, including:

• Finance and marketing in sports organizations

• Technology and live event production

• Broadcasting rights and sponsorship

• Athlete marketing and the fan experience

• Sports law and regulation

Content is delivered through lectures, case studies, and (where applicable) guest speakers.

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Voice & Impact: Finding Your Power in Public Speaking 🎤

Workshop-style course that helps students:

• Find their voice and speak with confidence

• Communicate in class, social settings, and online

• Connect authentically with an audience

• Overcome mental blocks around public speaking

Through interactive exercises and feedback, students learn to present ideas with clarity, impact, and greater self-confidence.

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Community Service at the Martí-Codolar Youth Center 🤝

Students support Barcelona’s Martí-Codolar Youth Center, which has served disadvantaged children and families for over fifty years. Activities may include:

• Facilitating games and recreational programs

• Assisting with computer education

• Helping with English practice and conversation

Service hours certificates:

• 21-day & 28-day programs: 27 hours of community service

• 14-day program: 17 hours of community service

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College Life in Barcelona 🏙️

LIV Student Barcelona Residence 🛏️

Students live at LIV Student Barcelona Residence, located in one of the city’s most exclusive areas, close to:

• Cafés and boutiques

• Parks and theaters

Each two-person suite includes:

• Air conditioning

• Private bathroom

• Safe

• Wi-Fi

• Desks

The residence offers:

• 24-hour security

• Garden and sun deck

• State-of-the-art gym with indoor soccer, volleyball, and basketball courts

• Game room

• Study and computer rooms

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Stay Active: Gym & Indoor Pool 💪🏊

Students receive a membership to the DiR Diagonal Fitness and Pool Club, near the residence, featuring:

• Yoga, spinning, Pilates, martial arts, aerobics

• Cardio and weight training

• Indoor solarium pool

• Outdoor resort-style pool with lounge chairs and palm trees

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Prestigious Academic Partners 🎓

Courses are taught at respected institutions in Barcelona, including:

• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) for university-level courses

• Institut d’Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya (IEFC) for Digital Photography Journal

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Positive Social Experience 😊

The program is designed to mirror aspects of college life:

• Students live together in a residence

• Choose from different classes

• Enjoy a mix of structured activities and free time

At the same time, the residence offers a warm, family-like environment where students can relax, connect, and build friendships.

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Organized Sports 🏀⚽

A Sports Coordinator organizes games such as:

• Basketball

• Volleyball

• Indoor soccer

  and more, giving students active options beyond the gym and pool.

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What It’s Like / Academic Recognition 📄

• Experience a balance of academic learning, cultural excursions, and free time

• Receive a certificate of completion for your course

• Letters of recommendation are available

• Classes are private to program participants

• Courses are taught by experienced university-level faculty, instructors, and local professionals

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Meals 🍽️

• Breakfast: Buffet-style, eaten in the residence dining hall with a variety of hot and cold options

• Dinner:

• Some nights at the residence hall

• Other nights at local restaurants (in one group or smaller groups)

• Lunch:

• Taken in smaller groups at local cafés or restaurants

Food options are varied and plentiful, with:

• Local Spanish and Mediterranean dishes (including seafood, paella, fresh fruit, vegetables, and meats)

• Familiar North American–style options also available

Most dietary needs can be accommodated, including:

• Vegetarian

• Food allergies

• Lactose intolerance

• Celiac disease

• Kosher-style diets

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Transportation & Program Specifics ✈️🚆

Flights to Barcelona, Spain

Participants have the option to:

• Join a chaperoned group flight from the New York area

• Staff accompany students from check-in onward

• Connect from other cities into New York to join the group flight

• Travel independently and meet the group in Barcelona

• Staff help coordinate flight times and greet students after immigration and customs

Return Flight from Barcelona

For the return:

• A chaperoned flight back to New York is available

• Students from other regions can:

• Join the New York flight and connect onward, or

• Fly directly from Barcelona to their home city, with staff support at the airport until flights (within set times) have departed

Local Transportation

• Public transportation within Barcelona

• Occasional private motor coach for excursions and day trips

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Laundry 🧺

Students generally need about one week’s worth of clothing. Laundry options include:

• Using local wash-and-fold services (drop off and pick up clean, folded laundry)

• Doing laundry in the residence hall

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What’s Included ✅

• All lodging

• Breakfast and dinner daily

• Listed recreation and entertainment

• Day and weekend excursions

• Fitness club and pool membership

• Wi-Fi in the residence

• Campus identification fee

• Classes (supplementary fees apply for select courses, e.g., Cooking)

• Airport transfers at designated times

• Gratuities and taxes

Not Included ❌

• Transportation to and from the program (international flights)

• Lunches

• Snacks

• Personal spending money and souvenirs

• Laundry costs

• Application fee

• Optional travel insurance

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Barcelona Highlights 🌆🌊

Students experience many of Barcelona’s most iconic sites, including:

• Las Ramblas – A lively boulevard connecting Plaza Cataluña to the waterfront, lined with shops and historic neighborhoods

• Casa Milà (La Pedrera) – Gaudí’s distinctive building, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Guided Bike Tour – A fun way to explore Barcelona’s architecture and history by bicycle

• IKONO Museum – Immersive, interactive rooms blending art, play, and surprise

• Plaza Cataluña – A central square with sculptures, decorative arts, and frequent public activities

• Gothic Quarter – Narrow medieval streets, Catalan restaurants, Roman remains, and sites connected to Picasso’s life

• Park Güell – Gaudí-designed park with views of Barcelona and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Gaudí’s Casa Batlló – Iconic building with coral-inspired colors and sculptural balconies and pillars

• Plaza Real – A beautiful square off Las Ramblas, featuring early works by Gaudí, including his lamp designs

• Sagrada Família – Gaudí’s famous basilica and a defining symbol of Barcelona’s skyline

• Barceloneta Beach – A landmark city beach with promenade, Port Olímpic, and maritime atmosphere

• La Boqueria Market – Historic food market with over 200 stalls offering fresh produce, seafood, tapas, and more

• Picasso Museum – Collection of over 3,500 artworks tracing the development of Picasso’s career

• Aerial Cable Car from Port Vell to Montjuïc – Panoramic views of the port and city

• Bogatell Beach – A calmer beach in the Sant Martí district, ideal for relaxing

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Day Trips 🚆

• Figueres – Home to the Salvador Dalí Museum, where both the building and the collection offer a highly original artistic experience

• Girona – A medieval city with cobblestone streets and a historic old quarter to explore