Make a lasting difference in the world with only a 30-minute a week commitment! The best way to learn a new language is by speaking with native speakers! Adventures Beyond Borders matches advanced level Spanish students from the U.S/ Canada with advanced level English students in Mexico. * Don't speak Spanish but still want to mentor? Contact us! This 8-week program benefits BOTH language learners through guided, online, casual conversations in English & Spanish. Conversation topics are assigned based on individual language curriculum levels. No prior tutoring experience necessary. All that is needed is a willingness to learn & help others learn.

SO many things

Students between the ages of 12-18, who desire to improve their Spanish speaking skills and comprehension through weekly online conversations with native speakers. **Don't speak Spanish, but still want to voluneer mentoring in English? Contact us! We have plenty of students in Mexico would would benefit from your help!

Your $75 program fee covers the full 8 week program and includes: Program operations Teacher salaries in Mexico Much needed school supplies for students in our Mexican sister school Enrichment opportunities for our Mexican speaking partners. (Learn more details about these enrichment incentives in the About Our Sister School tab.) Program fees are due upon registration. A full registration refund will be issued if your student has not been successfully matched with a speaking partner. Payments can be made via check, credit or debit card through our secure online payment system. * Scholarship & work trade options available for U.S/Canadain families in need. * Sorry, your registration fee is non- refundable.

Adventures Beyond Borders is excited to partner with the Empowering Our Youth (EOY) organization at La Escuela de Luis Manuel Aguilar Cruz, for this speaking partner program. English learning students at the school are ages 12-18 and attend English classes 4 times a week for 2 hours a day. The program is a heavy commitment for Mexican youth. In addition to school, they often are required to work long hours at construction or other jobs for their families. Learning a second language requires incredible commitment and drive. The students are excited and motivated to become educated in English and to develop other important employable skills. As is the case with many youth and even many adults, that motivation can become strained. To ensure continued motivation volunteers & teachers, have put together serveral incentive opportunities. The Adventures Beyond Borders speaking partner program allows students at EOY to converse with other students their age, build friendships & enjoy practicing their English skills. Additionally, weekly activities are made possible through program fees & donations. Mexican students that hold a 90% or higher attendance, keep their weekly speaking partner appointments, and participate in monthly service activities, are allowed to attend these weekly activities. Thanks to the incredible support of local volunteers, businesses, and your program fees, these activities are organized at no cost to EOY students or their families. Activities such as snorkeling, swimming cenotes, Karaoke nights, sports activities and more, not only motivate the students, but they also give students growing and learning opportunities that they otherwise would never get to experience. At the end of the school year, top students from EOY have the opportunity to join U.S students from Adventures Beyond Borders for a full day Adventure Park experience. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all the participating students! Monthly service activities & helping American speaking partners with their Spanish gives students at Empowering our Youth a first-hand knowledge of the importance and power of giving back and helping others by Paying it Forward.

I have registered my student online, how do I know if they’ve been accepted to the program or matched with a speaking partner? Adventures Beyond Borders will be working with our sister school in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, to match registered students by age, grade and language fluency. We’ll do our best to make sure all interested students receive a speaking partner. However, some students may be added to a waitlist until a speaking partner becomes available. Program fees will be refunded if your student is NOT matched with a speaking partner. ------- How can I help my student prepare for this experience? Download WhatsApp on a devise your student will have access to throughout the entire 8 weeks. Need assistance? Ask your student! They can likely help. Otherwise, give us a call. We’re happy to walk you through the process. Speak to your student about personal safety & appropriate behavior when speaking online. We want conversations to get personal... but not TOO personal! Encourage your student to set up times for the speaking partner meetings that won’t conflict with other activities. Weekends will work best for many of our Mexican speaking partners, as many students there are in school AND working full time. Review the discussion tips, cancellation policy & the About our Sister School information with your student. ------- What happens if we miss a week or need to cancel? Our program is set up for 8 consecutive weeks. We require at least 8 weeks of communication. This leaves some wiggle room for Spring Break & other holidays. Be respectful and responsible. If you have to cancel a meeting, contact your partner before the meeting. Reschedule as soon as possible. If you need to drop out of the program alltogether, please let us know ASAP, so we can reassign your speaking partner. Sorry, your registration fee is non- refundable. ------- My child wants to participate in the Speaking Partner Program, but they will not be able to travel to Mexico for the Service Adventure. Can they still enroll? Yes! Our Speaking Partner Program is completely seperate from our Pay it Forward Mexico adventure. Students enrolled in the Speaking Partner Program will communicate with their speaking partners strictly online. Many students who participate in the Speaking Partner Program also choose to join the Pay it Forward Mexico trip, as they get to meet the person they have been getting to know for 8 weeks. But it is not expected or required.

If you are a Spanish teacher in the US or Canada looking to connect students in your classes with our students in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico - please CONTACT US! We have tips & ideas for getting your students on board & excited to begin!