Last month we were joined by a group of 11 students all the way from Austin, Texas. The group of high school home-schoolers were joined by three moms, plus little sister Harper. Julie, who organized the trip and is a their Spanish teacher, thought it would be a great idea to immerse her students into the language and culture while helping their self-confidence, social skills, resourcefulness and knowledge of the wider world, and we couldn’t agree more!Home-schooling really doesn’t have to mean staying in the house. Travel can be a life-changing experience for children home-schooled or not, and here at Na’atik we welcome families, teens traveling alone and educational groups as well as adults.Julie and the group’s parents wanted to ensure that the kids really embedded and immersed themselves into life in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, so they were put in homestays in pairs without their chaperones. This allowed them to develop their own relationships and practice their Spanish without relying on others.Group classes were the order of the day, with Spanish teacher Paulino taking the reins of the seven students. The adults and Harper were able to use the school facilities and explore Carrillo, and of course join in on all the activities and excursions!Only a short week with us meant they really made the most of their time here, fitting in a lagoon trip, cooking class, visit to Bacalar and Chacchoben, their classroom lessons, and hanging out with their homestay families. They also participated in a language exchange with our teens from the English program, allowing both parties to practice their language skills.With the trend of home-schooling and travel and home-schooling-on-the-road growing, we believe that language and cultural immersion is a great tool for young people as they learn. As the group graduated, all apprehensions of being in a new country and living with a new family had disappeared and in just a short time their confidence particularly in Spanish speaking had really grown. We can’t wait to see what these young people will do next with their language skills and newfound appreciation for Mexican-Maya culture. We hope to welcome them all back to Na’atik in the years to come!

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.