Chile

	Quick Facts
	Language Spanish. Two years of previous Spanish language study is required.
	Host Family Placement Throughout the country.
	School March to July and July to December, with a summer vacation from January until March.
	Trips Optional educational trips are also available for an additional fee.
	Pastimes Fútbol (soccer), fishing, sailing, skiing, and hiking.

Want to go to the end of the world? Then Chile is the place for you! You might explore the Antarctic with its glaciers, the botanic wonderland of the Juan Fernandez Islands, or Easter Island with its famous giant statues, the Moais.

Chileans are an exceptionally hospitable people who will welcome you into their homes and hearts for an experience that can only come from living in Chile. Family life is valued and treasured in Chile. Parents, siblings, and extended family not only live and eat together, they also enjoy special gatherings and social events. As a member of your host family, you’ll experience this unity from the inside out and enjoy developing close ties with your host parents, brothers, and sisters. Because of its isolation and challenging geography, Chile is a country of people who are strong, proud, extremely innovative, and caring.

Academic Programs

You will attend school in one of the best school systems in South America. As a YFU student in Chile, you may attend either a private or a public senior high school. Courses at both types of schools are generally compulsory so you will not have the option of choosing classes. In addition, there will be educational excursions and sightseeing trips during your stay in Chile. These are optional and involve an additional fee.

YFU will pay for registration and tuition fees, but students must cover the costs of books, transportation and other materials such as uniforms. These additional costs may be approximately $300 for the entire year.

Gap Year Abroad - University Program
An exciting new opportunity for students 18 and over, the Gap Year Abroad year and semester programs in Chile combine a YFU homestay experience with attendance at the Universidad Bolivariana in Santiago. The program includes orientations, intensive Spanish courses, and field trips.

The interdisciplinary character of this program ensures that you will gain insights into the most important aspects of Latin American culture, society, politics, and economic development. Class hours are combined with educational visits and excursions for a complete learning experience. At the University Bolivariana, you will participate with local students in social science classes, giving you the opportunity to discuss relevant issues and make new friends. The Interdisciplinary Course on Latin American Culture and Society (ICLACS) provides you with a solid introduction to major themes of cultural and social development in Latin America. In the second semester, the Economic Development and Social Change in Latin America (EDSCLA) advanced course reviews and analyses economic development in a Latin American and global context - focusing on the social and ecological implications of economic development. Both the ICLACS and the EDSCLA courses are directed by a bilingual academic director who will support you through group discussions and individual guidance.

Your first semester will include courses in intercultural learning, intensive Spanish, and Social Sciences; an optional week-long trip to Mendoza, Argentina; the four-week ICLAS seminar; a two-week educational excursion; and an end-of-semester week-long excursion to the south of Chile for project development, presentation, and discussion. The second semester includes additional intensive Spanish and Social Sciences courses, the EDSCLA seminar, an introduction to Field Studies, a one-week educational excursion, four weeks of independent field study, and a final Field Study Presentation. Click here for the proposed schedule for academic year 2008-2009.

Learn more about other 13th Year Abroad Programs.

Programs, Departures, and Costs

Programs	Code	Departure	Return	Tuition
Academic Year	0031	late July	early July	$8795
Academic Semester	0216	late July	early January	$8495
Academic Semester Winter Departure	0141	early January	early July	$7695
Gap Year Program University Program	0949	late June	early July	$15,895
Gap Year Program University Semester	1063	late July	early January	$13,395

Online Resources

To learn more about Chile, we recommend:

E-mail YFU Alumni from the Alumni Referral List with your questions
Visit your local library to find reference books, travel guides and essays, Spanish language dictionaries, and many more country resources
Use an internet search engine to find informative web sites
Embassy of Chile in Washington, DC web site

"I was able to learn a new language, make lots of new friends and have a lifetime's worth of fun."
- Dylan McGuire

All YFU Programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.
Last Updated: August, 2007