High School Student Exchange Programs in Mexico

The overall experience with Arcos has my top rating 10/10! The benefits from this immersive experience are undeniable. My daughter was able to experience life in the beautiful city of Oaxaca, Mexico with a wonderful host family who provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. This was such a cultural gift! Trust the process and enjoy!

With Arcos, communication and proper expectations were set from the beginning. I am very pleased with the entire Arcos Journeys Abroad team. All of the pre-departure documentation made preparation extremely easy. I am grateful for my son's increased confidence in his ability to be independent and know how to follow a calendar schedule.

My daughter had a great experience and is already making plans for next summer with friends she met in Oaxaca. Our daughter usually prefers joining activities with a friend and was excited to go on this adventure solo. She met new friends she's kept in touch with and plans to visit. Highly recommend!

Arcos provides a robust program with a great diversity of experiences. I think the best aspects for my child were the ability to feel independent as a traveler in another country, the opportunity to connect and bond with the host family, the chance to explore and enhance her language skills (through classes and just being out in the community), and the array of cultural experiences. Definitely read all the materials sent before the trip! The packing list was especially helpful. My daughter's host family was absolutely wonderful. She really felt at home with them, to the point that she felt sad leaving at the end!

My daughter did the Oaxaca, Mexico program with Arcos. Very well done by everyone on the Arcos team. The greatest benefits of this program are gaining cultural exposure and practicing Spanish speaking skills. Let go…let your child experience the program with limited contact so they can be fully connected and present.

This was a great opportunity for my daughter in which she was able to have a unique cultural experience. I can say that her Spanish skills have definitely increased. I also appreciated the college credit which she received from the University of Oaxaca, which is rare for a high school program. We are very appreciative. Thank you Arcos!

The program support from Arcos Journeys Abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico was all great. The pre-departure materials we received were exactly what we needed to prepare. My high schooler learned a lot of Spanish and explored a really interesting area of the world. Do it!

Arcos provides a great opportunity to be immersed in the culture and for your child to improve their Spanish and see how others in the world live. Arcos as an organization has my top rating for their coordination, staff, and availability. The pre-departure guidelines and packing list were excellent.

This program was excellent! The Arcos directors were very good. I really liked my teachers, and the homestay family was very kind. I highly recommend this experience to future students—it is the best way to spend your summer! Remember to wear sunblock and a hat.

The directors were communicative, amiable, and always available. My homestay with Marycarmen and Jorge was wonderful; they were incredibly loving and supportive, even assisting me at a doctor's appointment. Future students should definitely try to speak Spanish the entire time. The benefits of experiencing the city and time with my host family made this program truly worthwhile.

Antonio was a great director and very nice! All the teachers were amazing and it was good having a break in between classes. My homestay with Irma was wonderful; she was considerate and her food was amazing. This program dramatically improved my Spanish and independence. It's 100% worth it and a great growth experience!

The directors were fun and knowledgeable, and classes offered great content with nice teachers. My homestay host was wonderful, cooking the best food and offering kindness and humor. While adapting to a new language and environment was challenging, the benefits—like feeling inspired by local culture and making lasting connections—were immense. Oaxaca will always feel like a second home.

My Arcos directors were friendly and helpful; they taught me a lot about Oaxacan culture and life skills. My teacher was patient, focusing on repetition to expand my vocabulary. I adored my host mom—she was fun and welcoming. My biggest challenge was speaking Spanish, but the overall experience of gaining a new perspective and learning about history and culture was well worth it.

Thank you to Arcos and the directors for making this possible and setting up all the events, and for being such kindhearted people. My homestay family was amazing and I definitely recommend them for future programs. Be sure to get plenty of sleep to be ready for the busy days. The benefits, such as getting more comfortable speaking Spanish, were invaluable.

The Arcos directors were fantastic, eager to show us the city and happy to help with anything. The classes had a great curriculum, and hearing the language from a native speaker was a plus. My homestay with Christina was amazing. While navigating the city was a challenge, exploring, meeting new people, and learning the culture made for incredible memories.

This is an excellent program! Prepare for sore legs from walking, but embrace every moment. The challenges of walking everywhere lead to the benefits of living a different life and gaining comfort in speaking Spanish. It's awesome to experience new things and thrive in a whole new country and lifestyle.

The directors were very kind and welcoming, and my homestay was extremely safe and pleasant. This program offers great benefits, like learning Spanish and encouraging personal growth by stepping out of your comfort zone. I made many friends and highly recommend this valuable experience!

I highly recommend the summer Arcos program in Oaxaca, Mexico that I did! I advise practicing your Spanish speaking skills for the homestay. While talking with the host family was a challenge, the experience was overall beneficial and I'm glad I did it.

Antonio was an incredible director—funny and great with everyone. The classes were excellent; I loved my teacher and appreciated the easy option to switch to a harder class. My homestay, Martha and Alvero, truly felt like family. I made lifelong friends and significantly increased my Spanish knowledge. Be open to meeting people and apply yourself to the language.

The program classes were really enjoyable, and our teacher made the learning experience fun and engaging. My homestay was fantastic; our host mother was so kind and understanding. A great tip for future students is to relax and not stress—everything will be fine! The biggest benefit I gained was a wonderful feeling of worldliness. I wholeheartedly encourage any future students to apply to Arcos.