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Poland

Program Overview

Witamy w Polsce.
Internet cafés buzz in 500-year-old buildings. Medieval cobblestone courtyards throng with young people hurrying to the latest theater performance. Turreted castles and towering international shipyards share the landscape, symbolizing the phenomenal changes Poland has undergone in the last quarter century. Journey to Poland to be inspired by its renewed strength and invigorated by its political and artistic spirit.

Orientation in Warsaw
Your adventure begins in the dynamic capital city, Warsaw. Stroll through quiet Old Town, rest in the shade of Lazienki Park, and use your growing Polish language skills at outdoor cafés and restaurants. Throughout orientation you become accustomed to Polish culture while learning about this country’s incredible transition from communism to capitalism.

Homestay and Community Service

Travel to Torun, one of the most charming cities in Poland, to meet your homestay family. Nestled along the banks of the Vistula River, Torun boasts a medieval castle, walls, gates, and towers. Home of Nicholas Copernicus University, the population of Torun is young, ambitious, and open-minded, and the city thrives with theater, cinema, and music. During your homestay, attend survival Polish language classes; eat traditional food; research distant galaxies with gigantic radio telescopes in the Piwnice Astronomic Center; and learn how to care for cows, goats, and other animals on a traditional Polish farm. You will also have a chance to give back to your host community as you work with local Poles on a challenging community service project.

Travel and Discovery
Pack your bags and get ready for an amazing voyage through different regions of Poland and a thousand years of history by traveling to the stunning towns and cities of Kraków, Gdansk, and Zakopane, a world-famous resort in the High Tatra Mountains. Voyage to the north, where you will bathe in the Baltic Sea, and to the south, to hike in rocky mountains. Your journey of discovery culminates in a powerful and moving visit to Auschwitz.

Sample activities: Make bread and cheese at an ecological farm; milk goats and ride horsedrawn wagons in the Polish countryside; meet with Solidarity representatives, MPs, or other politicians to learn more about the collapse of communism; discover the secrets of the Teutonic Knights at their magnificent castle in Malbork; discuss the history of Jews in Poland with representatives of the Jewish minority; hike through the rugged Tatra Mountains; enjoy coffee in an outdoor café in the Old Town square in Kraków.

"I felt so connected with my Polish family. We often walked into old town together, enjoyed delicious dinners, cracked jokes, and shared stories in the family garden. My host sister and I walked the dog, met with her friends, and talked about everything! I found that we had a lot in common, including our annoying 15-year-old brothers. I felt part of their family and very much at home in Poland."

-- Stephanie Ma, Lexington, Massachusetts