Selected West Virginia high school students and recent graduates may soon spend a week learning about and living in a Spanish-speaking culture without ever leaving the state.
The West Virginia University Spanish Immersion Camp CHISPA (CampamentoHispano Internacional Siempre Amigos) will be held July 22 �€27 at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon. The camp helps high school students learn about the diversity of cultures in Spanish-speaking countries using music, art, drama, history, dance, film and literature. The entire camp will be conducted in Spanish.
High school students in grades 9 through 12 and 2001 high school graduates who have taken at least two years of Spanish by the end of the current semester are eligible for the camp. Advanced first-year students may also participate.
A unique feature of the camp is the participation of native speakers of Spanish, which includes staff, students and volunteers from the Caribbean, Latin America and Spain. Activities also consist of one-on-one and small group language instruction, guest presentations, courses about different countries, experiential learning activities and special recreational events with Hispanic themes.
Applications will be accepted through June 4 and can be obtained through many WVU Extension Service county offices, high school foreign language teachers, the WVU Department of Foreign Languages and the West Virginia Department of Education.
A completed application must include a short essay explaining the students interest and how the prospective participant plans to use what he or she has learned at the camp. It must also contain a signed parental consent form and a written recommendation from the
Cost of the camp, including meals and lodging, is $190 for first-time participants and $165 for returning campers. A limited number of scholarships are also available. Those students selected for the camp must pay tuition fees by June 29.
The West Virginia University Extension Service, the WVU Department of Foreign Languages, in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Education, and the West Virginia Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese are sponsoring the camp.