ROWINGELITE
 

      GAP YEAR / SEMESTER & ROWING ELITE

 
      SPRING: Jan. 30 - May 14, 2025 
      FALL: Mid Sept., 2025 - Mid Dec., 2025
      GAP YEAR: Mid. Sept. 2025 - Mid May, 2026
      ELG: High School Graduate
      ROWING REQS.: Please see below >>
      LANG. REQS: No Prior Knowledge of Spanish is required


       $13,500*  See full breakdown >>

       APPLY NOW>>   

       CONTACT US  

 

 

 

Instagram new 
@saiieathletics

 

ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND REQUIREMENTS      
ACADEMIC CREDIT
ROWING ELITE PROGRAM
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

PROGRAM DATES AND COSTS
INSURANCE   
                              
ACCOMMODATION                

         

 

ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND REQUIREMENTS      

This program allows high school graduates to take a year or semester abroad taking an intensive Spanish language course (beginning, intermediate or advanced levels) at SAIIE or taking a serious of courses at the University of Sevilla, and continue to practice rowing weekly on a Spanish team under the guidance of a Spanish Olimpyc Rowing Coach.

We offer two programs to our students:

University of Seville: Liberal Arts, Business, Spanish Lang. & Culture Program
SAIIE: Intensive Spanish Language Program

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS   

  • Must be a high school graduate.
  • No previous knowledge of Spanish required
  • A student must be in good academic standing at the time of participation.
  • A student must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 GPA*
  • Completed SAIIE application
  • Official transcript, most recent grade report, or high school diploma 
  • Entry requirements: valid passport with student visa

*If your GPA is below 2.5, you are not automatically disqualified from studying abroad.

Please contact SAIIE for more information.

To learn more about the city of Seville and why chose this destination to do your GAP YEAR abroad please visit our website at: http://www.saiie.com/the-school/seville-capital 

 



University of Seville: Liberal Arts
, Business, Spanish Lang. & Culture Program

This program is designed for students from begginning to advanced level of Spanish. Students will take classes at the University of Seville.

Students may choose between the following, amongst other various subjects:

  • SPANISH LITERATURE COURSES

  • SPANISH CULTURE COURSES 

  • BUSINESS COURSES
  • ART COURSES

  • HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGY RELATED TO SPAIN, EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA COURSES

  course-list

Please note:

  • To participate in the program through the University of Seville students must be 18 years old before the semester is over.

  • Must take between a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 courses per semester. Each course consists of 45 class hours.

  • Classes are taught from Monday to Thursday, usually on alternating days (Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday) and 2 hours per session.

  • Classes will be taught at the University of Seville’s main building 

At the end of the program the student will receive an official certification from the University of Seville with the courses taken.



SAIIE: Intensive Spanish Language Program


This program takes place at the SAIIE center. 

Hours per week: 16hrs 
Classes: Monday - Thursday 
Language levels: A placement exam is administered upon arrival to determine the student's Spanish level. Classes are offered at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. 
Courses: Spanish language classes will be held in the mornings from Mo - Thur(4 hrs per day)

At the end of the course the student will receive an official certification from SAIIE acknowledging the hours taken by the student.


Back to the top>>
 

 

 

 

ACADEMIC CREDIT  

It is the students responsibility to obtain credit for the course taken at SAIIE and the University of Seville. 

Back to the top>>
 

 

ROWING ELITE PROGRAM 


Rowing program Includes: 

  • Weekly rowing training sessions throughtout the duration of the program
  • 5 water sessions per week mixed with gym work - Coach will plan this.
  • Gym membership throughout the duration of the program at the rowing club.
  • Access to rowing machines (ergometer) and weight room.
  • Option to participate in a regatta. Rowing coach will decide (Only for year long students).

Please note: students will have the option to practice a six day with the team if they want.

 

Rowing requirements:

  • Must be a high school graduate at the time of the start of the program.
  • Students must have been rowing on their varsity team back at their school or a rowing club before the start of the program.  
  • In the 2k Concept Rowing Ergometer test female student-athletes cannot exceed 7:30 and male student-athletes 6:30.

Please note: If you exceed these times, please contact the Program Manager, Sean Chipres, at seanrc@saiie.com 
 

Rowing typical practice

  • Starts with dinamic stretching and warm up.
  • Coach will explain practice and athletes will go out to the water.
  • Start up with some warm up exercises on the water.
  • Continue with steady state, drills, and fartlek intervals

 

PLEASE NOTE: Only students who study for the year will be able to participate in regattas with the team 

 

Where will you row?

At SAIIE, we work with the well-renowned local rowing club at Club Naútico Sevilla to help student rowers perfect their skills. 

SAIIE students on our Rowing program will be surrounded and integrated in a group of roughly 60 Spanish rowers from juniors to professionals and veterans. They form a varied and extensive network of athletes, making every training session and event a new and exciting learning experience. This has been the basis of the Rowing section´s successful growth within the Club over the 57 years since it was founded.

In its list of sporting achievements is the distinguished Stadium Cup (Copa Stadium), and the 1985 National Sports Award (Premio Nacional de Deportes), which was awarded to the Club for its special contribution to the development of its club sports.

Many rowers from the Club have participated in the Olympics. 

 

 Meet the Head Coach

davidcifuentes

David Cifuentes is the head rowing coach for the senior team at Club Nautico. Not only is he the coach of the senior team but he oversees all other rowing teams in the club as well. In addition to his crucial role at Club Nautico, Cifuentes coaches Spain’s National Under 23 Rowing team. Previously an international rower himself, he rowed 25 times for Spain on the national team and his history of accomplishments showcase a bronze metal from the world cup in the under 23 level. He has vast experience in the rowing world. He started rowing at the age of 13 until 34 during which time he has competed in several world championships and Spanish national championships. Many rowers under his swing have competed in world and national championships. Ex. Álvaro Romero was second in the world junior champinship or Javier García and Jaime Canalejo who ended up 5th in the under 23 world championship



 

PHOTO GALLERY


Back to the top>>

 

 

 

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES 

 

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES 

Throughout the term, the program will organize 1-2 activities per week for its students. Example of some of these activities are going for tapas, watching a live soccer match, olive oil farm, etc


TRIPS

We are very flexible with all the activities and will change them to meet the needs of our students.

Some of these trips could include the following:

Day trips:

Ronda

 Ronda 2ronda 4


As one of the oldest towns in Spain you'll find history around every corner in Ronda. There are traces of Ronda's origins from the Neolithic age, through the era of the Romans, the Arab age and the conquest of the ancient city by the Catholic Monarchs in 1485 through to the 19th century when Ronda was best known for the banditry in the surrounding hills and the origins of bullfighting in the Ronda bullring which still stands.

 

 

 

 

Aracena

 

 

Aracena is a small town located in the province of Huelva. The historic quarter, declared a Cultural Object, and the "Gruta de las Maravillas" are the main attractions.

The "Gruta de las Maravillas", with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, which at 1,500 metres is one of the longest caves in Spain. Inside the "Gruta" we find twelve halls and six lakes.

Córdoba

 

 

In Roman times, Córdoba had more cultural buildings than Rome. It was the capital of the province of Hispania Baetica. Remains of the Roman Temple built by Claudius Marcellus, the Roman Bridge and other Roman remains can still be seen around the city.

Córdoba was conquered by the Moors in 711, and Moorish influence can still be felt in the city. 

The most important monument in the city is the former Mosque (the 3rd largest mosque in the world).

 

 

Gibraltar

 Gibraltar3

 

Located in the most Southern point of Spain, the rock of Gibraltar occupies a strategic position at the eastern entrance to the narrow straight and guards the only exit from the Mediterranean to the wide ocean beyond. Gibraltar has been in the historical limelight for over 3,000 years.

It was during the capture of Gibraltar by the Castillians (1309-1333) that the streets of the lower town were constructed and Gibraltar became a substancial city.

Gibraltar became a British garrison in 1830 (During the War of the Spanish Succession) and was declared a colony. Since then Britain and Spain have have had many disputes over the territory.

Among its many tourist attractions one of the main ones is to visit the monkeys on the rock. Nobody knows how the famous tailless Macaques came to be on the Rock.

Itálica

 

Founded by General Publius Cornelius Scipio (he was later known as Scipio Africanus) in 206 BC next to a Turdentian settlement, 7 kilometers from Seville, It demonstrates wonderful examples of Roman architecture, mosaic work and city layouts. Italica was one of the first Roman towns in Spain. 

 

Jerez

 

 

Spend the day in a unique town where we will take you to the one of the most famous wineries we have in Spain, González Byass. Learn the process of how they make sherry wine and its history.

González Byass is one of Spain's most well-known sherry bodega. Its origins can be traced to 1835 when the business was started by Manuel María González Angel, who was subsequently joined by his English agent, Robert Blake Byass. The González family assumed sole control of the business in 1988. The firm produces the world known sherry Tío Pepe.

Not only was the Gonzalez family at the forefront of sherry winemaking, they’ve also participated in the introduction of the polo game in Spain, the first grass tennis court, the installation of the first electric lighting and running water in the plant, the first train project in Spain as well as numerous other industrial and cultural innovations.

 

Cádiz (Beach trip)

 

 

Cádiz is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in Spain and one of the oldest in southwestern Europe. The “Tacita de Plata” was founded in 1100 B.C. by the Phoenicians, a seafaring people who turned Gadir into an important trading colony where the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Visigoths and the Muslims would all subsequently settle. An open, cosmopolitan city, it sport was chosen by Columbus as the point of departure for his second voyage to the New World. The city would then become, after the decline of Seville, the port to The Indies, drawing the flow of trade with the American Continent. This frantic commercial activity then brought about an era of economic, cultural splendour, when Baroque palaces with their characteristic towers offering amazing views were built.

Havana is Cadiz! A stroll along the Cadiz sea front, from La Caleta to the Campo del Sur, will remind the visitor of the image of the avenue the Malecón in Havana, as there are many similarities between Cadiz and Latin American cities, thanks to the constant flow of people travelling between Cadiz and the New World. The cathedral in Cadiz is a good example of this influence, as are several of the manor houses and the towers with their views which grew up in the midst of old Cadiz’s cityscape during the expansion into America.

Weekend Trips: 

Madrid

 

The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and right in the center of the country, with a population of over three million people, and the home of the Spanish Royal Family.

Madrid, originally called Mayrit, was founded by the emir of Córdoba Muhammad at the end of the 9th century. During the Reconquest of Spain by the Christians, Madrid passed from Muslim to Christian hands several times, it was the origin of the mixture of cultures which characterizes the city still today.

The present location of Madrid, in the centre of Spain, was established by the king Alfonso I in 1083. 

What remains today of the distant past are mainly Baroque and Neoclassical structures, and buildings of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as “Plaza Mayor”and “Palacio Real"

Lisbon (Portugal)

ronda-2013

 

The capital of Portugal since its conquest from the Moors in 1147, Lisbon is a legendary city with over 20 centuries of History. The Alfama is one of the oldest quarters in Lisbon.

Once the launch pad for many of the voyages of discovery (notablyVasco da Gama's epic journey to India), Lisbon was the first true world city, the capital of an empire spreading over all continents, from South America (Brazil) to Asia (Macao, China; Goa, India). It is forever known as the city of the explorers.

  

Morocco (Africa)

   

 

In Morocco, we will be visiting the cities of Tangier, Asilah, and Chefchaouen.

Tangier is a city in northern Morocco. It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean of Cape Spartel.

Asilah is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact. Its history dates back to 1500 B.C., when the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade. This town has been occupied since than by the Portuguese (1471), the Spaniards (1912), and now the Morrocans.

Chefchaouen is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief twon of the province of the same name, and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue. The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress which still exists to this day, by Moorish exiles from Spain to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen. Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956

Granada

Granada is situated in the eastern part of the region of Andalusia. Its unique history has bestowed it with an artistic grandeur embracing Moorish palaces and Christian Renaissance treasures. As the last Moorish capital on the Iberian Peninsula, it also holds great symbolic value.

The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace, is in Granada. It is the most renowned building of the Andalusian Islamic historical legacy with its many cultural attractions that make Granada a popular destination among the touristic cities of Spain.

The Almohad influence on architecture is preserved in the area of the city called the Albaicin with its fine examples of Moorish and Morisco construction.

Granada is also well known for the Sierra Nevada Mountains where you can ski. This is Europe’s most southerly ski resort and it is small in comparison to other European resorts.

Lagos (Portugal)

 

 

Lagos is located in Southern Portugal in the region of Algarve and has some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. This will be a great ooprtunitty to spend a relaxing weekend on the beach. The area offers many exciting activities such as surfing, biking, sailing, etc…

 

 

   

Back to the top>>

       


PROGRAM DATES AND COSTS

Academic Year 2025 / 26

Fall Program Dates: Mid September  - Mid December, 2025
Spring Program Dates: End Jan - Mid May, 2026

Program Cost

INTENSIVE SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM: 
$13,500 (Semester) / $26,500 (Academic year) 

UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE PROGRAM: 
$14,000 (Semester) / $27,500 (Academic year)

 
Fall 2025/Spring 2026 program costs includes:

  • SAIIE full-time fees and support services before, during, and after the program
  • Airport reception and transfer to Spanish home on arrival date
  • On-site orientation
  • On site bilingual staff on call 24/7 throughout the program
  • Accommodation in a Spanish home with most meals (breakfast and mid-day meals Monday through Friday and evening meals Sunday through Thursday) and one load of laundry per week throughout the program. 
  • Program excursions and activities (Weekend excursion, as well as, Cordoba, Ronda, and Italica day excursion). 
  • Welcome and Farewell meals.
  • Spanish Language program fees that includes classes from Mo-Thur (16hrs per week) or University of Seville program fees.
  • Rowing program fees.
    - Practices from Mo-Fri (2hrs per day) throughout the year/term. Saturday practices ar optional.
    - Gym (includes erg and bike machines)
    - Regatta (Only for year long students who come with a NIE) 
  • SAIIE Transcript at the end of the course certifying the Spanish language course taken. University of Seville will issue an official certification with the courses taken if participating in their program.

Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Out-of-Pocket Costs Include:

  • U.S. Passport ($135).
  • Mandatory CISI health and medical evacuation insurance.
  • Spanish Visa (estimated at $160).
  • Airfare (estimated at $1,200 - $1600).
  • Meals not included with accommodation (estimated at $1200 per sesmester).
  • Mandatory International Student Identification Card (ISIC) ($25) – (https://www.isic.org/).
  • Transportation to practice (estimated at $200 per semester).
  • Personal Expenses (estimated at $1200 per semester)
  • Trips not included (estimated at $800 per semester) / An optional weekend trip to Morocco will be offered, as well as, a weekend trip to Portugal. 
  • Optional cocurricular activities (estimated at $800 per semester).
  • Any costs due to possible quarantine requirements due to COVID-19

 

APPLICATION DEADLINES 

TERM ABROAD   APPLICATION CYCLE OPENS           APPLICATION DEADLINE         
Fall 2024 October 1 April 15
Spring 2025 April 1 October 15
Academic year 2024/25 October 1 April 15

Missed the deadline? Please contact the program manager, Sean Chipres, to enquire about late application options. 

  

 

Back to the top>>  

  

 

INSURANCE   

Students have to get a health and medical evacuation insurance and we recommend all of our students this company (CISI): https://www.culturalinsurance.com/#cultural-insurance 

Back to the top>>

 

ACCOMMODATION

  

  • Default
  • Title
  • Date
  • Random


Back to the top>>

 



APPLY NOW 

To start your application to our program please complete the student form. For more information on the program please contact the Program Manager, Mr. Sean Chipres, at seanrc@saiie.com