Program Asheville
“To me,the exchange was not just a week in my life, it was my life in a week. I had so many experiences and I learned a lot, but not nearly enough. I just arrived and I already have to go!” - Andrej, student 2018
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Activities
"Go local" - this is a popular motto with Ashevilians. At Grow Abroad, we take this to heart. With our programming we take you to the best venues Asheville has to offer:
A fun scavenger hunt in downtown wants you to interact with other pedestrians as well as police officers, or even the mayor! We take you to the stunning Pisgah National Forest for a cooling swim at the bottom of a waterfall. Tubing along the Green River offers relaxing summer fun, while rafting the rapids on the Pigeon River in the neighboring state of Tennessee will boost our adrenaline levels to the maximum. Like bowling? - We do too! What about some shopping? - Sure! Let's simply enjoy some lunches as a group together and watch a movie. Tour local schools. Hang out with host families at one of our parties. - Fun stuff and outdoor thrills are endless! Volunteering Projects-
Getting to know the local community and helping citizens in need 
An integral part of each scheduled trip to Asheville is engaging our visiting international students in a weekly, 2-3 hour local volunteer project. It is our goal to introduce the USA to students in an authentic, true-to-life way. It is for this reason we have integrated this American tradition and core value into the program. Last year more than 62 million American citizens volunteered for 7.9 billion hours. The estimated value of their service total up to an impressive $ 184 billion! Our students will have the opportunity to see how meaningful their small contribution is for our community. They will be able to engage with, communicate, and form bonds with local members of the Asheville community. They will "learn-by-doing", both improving their English skills and picking up life-skills and broadening their perspectives. They are sure find this to be a very enjoyable, memorable, and deeply impactful experience. Year after year our student feedback names Service Projects as the most unexpected, best part of their trip to Asheville. We work with organizations such as the local food bank, MANNA, where students learn about food insecurity and help package and distribute food to those in need, Bounty and Soul, an organization which provides farm-to-table food to low income families and emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle, Conserving Carolina, a local NGO that educates on Environmental impact and supports our local ecosystems, and Asheville Poverty Initiative, an organization which educates about the systems which affect homelessness and provides services for homeless citizens of our community. Just to name a few! |
English Classes
Many of our students have been studying English their entire schooling careers. Many are already competent readers, writers, and communicators in English. What makes the Grow Abroad summer intensive immersion program different?
Why Foreign Language Immersion?- Our Values The art of learning a second language is beneficial in so many ways. You are taken on a marvelous journey to a new culture, which has many similarities to your own, and many differences. Learning a second language broadens our view of the world and our unique place in it, enabling us to understand that no matter where the journey takes us, we humans are more alike than we are different. At the same time, we come to realize that our differences are interesting and enlightening. We come to understand that our similarities and differences are things to be valued. Have you been studying English in your home school for years, but feel like you need that added push to take your knowledge to a usable, communicative level? Have you tired of route memorization, quizzes, and boring English lessons? Have you always dreamed of seeing the U.S., and/or other English speaking countries worldwide? Our program is designed to help you, the student, discover the the beauty of the English language and the uniqueness of the culture of the United States. The goal is to work your brains, to strengthen the already strong connections through a learning process designed to enhance critical and creative thinking. What you will not find here are the usual fill-in-the-blank exercises, that promote rote learning away from any cultural context. Our course is arranged in such a way as to provide you with interactive and discovery-based tasks which compel you to interact with the culture and use the language as it is used by native speakers.
Adapted from the Foreword to US- A Guided Course in American English and Culture, by Richard McGarry, 2016 Coming to the U.S. was a trip that showed us about stereotypes, true and false,and about social programs and problems they have. We saw many different lifestyles, from people in poverty to families with super healthy habits, like my host family. Being able to experience many landscapes, from mountains, waterfalls, and the city of Asheville, both with my host family in the evenings and during the program was exciting and impressive. The best part of the trip was seeing how much food there was to choose from in the U.S. at different grocery stores and restaurants. The whole trip was filled with experiences different from our daily life and for me the result is a reason to go back home bringing the good experiences with me. - Cora, student 2018 |
