IBWISE Leadership & CAS Trip in Andalusia, Spain

The IBWISE Leadership Trip in Andalusia invites Pre-IB and Mid-IB students to live and learn in the truly charming "Pueblo Blanco" of Vejer de la Frontera in beautiful southern Spain.

Students are immersed in the rich language, culture and history of Andalusia while staying with carefully hand-picked host families.

Each morning features voluntary CAS placements with local organisations, followed by 2 hours of intensive Spanish at the La Janda Language School. Afternoons are filled with authentic cultural activities from flamenco and surfing to traditional cooking and kayaking.

The programme covers all three strands of CAS — Creativity, Activity and Service — in a fully experiential, real-world setting. Upon completion, each student receives a certificate documenting the dates, hours and description of their accomplished activities, which can be a useful addition to university applications.

The focus is on developing 21st-century skills such as collaboration, self-management, open-mindedness, and global awareness.

Students receive 10 hours per week of intensive Spanish language tuition at the La Janda Language School in Vejer de la Frontera. The dynamic teaching staff provide personalised learning in small group settings, with options tailored for absolute beginners through to more advanced speakers.

The focus is on listening, oral expression and reading comprehension — all practised in authentic, real-life situations throughout the day. Students also engage in daily CAS reflections and structured debriefs, addressing the essential learning outcomes of the CAS programme with a focus on local and global issues.

Each morning students choose from 1-2 CAS volunteer placements per week with local organisations.

Placements include: supporting a family-run organic farm; working on a local reforestation project; caring for animals on an Andalusian ranch; helping in a day centre for students with special educational needs; volunteering in an elderly residential home; and assisting in a Montessori kindergarten.

Afternoons are packed with CAS passion activities: donkey riding, trekking, flamenco dancing and music, traditional Spanish arts and crafts, cooking workshops, surfing, kayaking, photography, and weekend excursions to Cádiz and Tarifa (including whale-watching). Time for reflection and group activities is also built into the evenings.

Students live with hand-picked Spanish host families in Vejer de la Frontera on a full-board basis (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Families are carefully selected based on friendliness, hospitality, home environment, meals, location and positive feedback from previous students.

This full homestay immersion is central to the programme's language and cultural learning objectives.