Seattle Language & Culture Institute: Residential Program

The Seattle Language and Culture Institute is an opportunity for international and U.S. students, ages 13-17, to take part in an unforgettable global experience in Seattle, Washington. The residential program is designed for students who live outside the Seattle area. The program will take place in Seattle.

Unfortunately, the 2020 program has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to resume the SLCI in Summer 2021.

Program Details

overview

The Seattle Language and Culture Institute offers students an intensive cross-cultural learning experience and help them to make friends from the U.S. and around the world. Students who will already have housing in Seattle can register for the Day Program instead of living on campus.

Each day, students will take part in global leadership classes customized for their English language level; cross-cultural workshops; collaborative projects between English language learners and native English speakers; and afternoon excursions to explore the beautiful city of Seattle and the Puget Sound region. In addition to the daily activities, students will also take part in an American camp experience and visit Mount Rainier. International students will spend one night with a local host family.

Program Goals

Participants in the SLCI should expect an intercultural experience, leadership-building, and English language practice in a cross-cultural context. As a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage students in cross-cultural experiences, this program includes many opportunities for participants to practice communication skills, meet others, and share their own experiences and perspectives.

Participant eligibility

Students must be age 13-17 during the program; we are not able to accept participants over the age of 17. Participants should have had at least two years of English instruction and should have at least some conversational ability in order to be able to participate fully in the program.

group enrollment

At this time, we are accepting group enrollment for a maximum of 10 participants per group on a limited basis. Please contact Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org for further information about requirements and prices for registering a group. All participants, even those coming with a group, must individually complete the registration form.

Tuition Prices

Residential program tuition: $2100 per individual student

Tuition includes: All housing (12 nights in University of Washington residence halls and 2 nights in a local homestay), all meals, activity entry fees, transportation, and classes. Flights to the United States and costs associated with visas are NOT included and are the responsibility of the participant. At this time, we are unfortunately not able to provide scholarships to residential participants.

Students should plan to arrive in Seattle on the first Saturday of the program and depart on the last Saturday. We are not able to provide housing outside of these dates; students who arrive earlier and leave later will need to arrange their own accommodations.

Payment

Payment can be made either online via credit card here or with a bank transfer. For information about bank transfers, contact Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org.

Once your registration form and payment has been received, FIUTS will provide your participant with a letter that confirms registration in the program.

Important Dates

Payments due: May 15
Flight Information due: June 15

Cancellation policy

If you need to cancel for any reason before May 15, total camp registration will be refunded minus a $50 administrative fee. Cancellations on or after May 16 will receive a 50% refund.

Please note that if you have paid for the SLCI but are unable to attend for reasons related to your visa, you will be refunded the full tuition amount regardless of when you need to cancel.

Visas

Please note that FIUTS does not handle international travel arrangements or provide visas for entry to the United States. Please contact your local US consulate or embassy for up-to-date details of entry requirements to the United States.

The Seattle Language and Culture Institute provides both educational instruction and recreation for short term visitors, and as such, participants should apply to visit the US on a B-2 visitor visa. Using this visa, participants are permitted to enroll in any course of study less than 18 hours per week and to travel within the US for tourist purposes. FIUTS does not issue I-20 forms, but will work with you to provide proof of program admission and participation as necessary to apply for travel documents (we are only able to provide proof of admission once the participant's registration and payment has been received). We recommend that you make an appointment for your visa interview as soon as possible. More information is available here.

Medical Insurance for International Students

Health insurance is required for all international participants. FIUTS offers individually enrolling international students the option of including their insurance plan as part of the program fee for the duration of the program dates. The cost is $40 and can be included in your program fee payment to FIUTS. The insurance provided through this option is the International Medical Group Patriot America Plus visitor’s travel insurance (more information about this insurance is here).

You are also welcome to purchase this insurance yourself, or choose any insurance that works well for you. Please note that the insurance provided by FIUTS will only cover the SLCI program dates, so if the student will be in the United States beyond those dates, we recommend purchasing other or additional insurance. Once you have purchased insurance please send a copy of the insurance card to Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org.

Airport Transportation

Groups and individuals should send their detailed flight information (date/time, airline, and flight numbers) to Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org as soon as possible; we will arrange for transportation to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Please note that we are only able to provide airport transportation on the first and last days of the program.

Housing

Students will stay in same-sex shared rooms in the residence halls on the University of Washington campus. Please note that housing is only available during the program dates; we are not able to arrange housing outside of these dates. Participants arriving before the first day of the program or departing after the last day will be responsible for their own housing.

Homestay

All international participants will do a two-day, two-night homestay with a local host over the weekend. Some participants will be placed individually and some will be placed in the same household as one or more other participants (FIUTS will match participants with hosts based on shared interests and taking issues such as pet allergies and dietary preferences into consideration). Hosts are chosen through a careful selection process.

Some hosts are older, some younger, some are families with children, some are retired couples and some are single. All hosts come from a wide range of national, cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Host families reflect the diversity of the United States. They have different lifestyles based on such factors as education, salary, geography, and religion. What they have in common is an eagerness to welcome international visitors into their home and to share their lives with you for a short time. The homestay is a wonderful opportunity to learn about local culture and practice your English.

Program Structure

Students will spend each morning in classes. Class options include:

Global Leadership for English Language Learners: This class engages students in learning spoken English by exploring topics in leadership styles and skills, cross-cultural communication, and global issues. Students will be in a class with peers of similar English language ability. Classes focus on developing students’ speaking and listening skills, and building confidence in communicating with others in English.

Global Leadership for Fluent English Speakers: This class is designed for students who are able to communicate in English with a high level of fluency; most members of the class will be native speakers from the greater Seattle area, but international students are welcome to join the class as well if their English proficiency is high enough to participate comfortably in class discussions on complex topics. Students in this class will explore topics in leadership styles and skills, cross-cultural communication, and global issues.

Please note that on several morning during the program, classes will combine and students will work on collaborative projects in small groups that mix English language learners with native speakers - so students in the English language classes will have plenty of opportunities to learn alongside native speakers!

Classes will have up to 15 students. We will assess students' language ability on the first day and place students in classes appropriate to their level. Classes are taught by experienced, certified instructors and focus on giving students an opportunity to improve their spoken English and listening comprehension skills.

In the afternoons, local and international students will come together to eat lunch and to enjoy a fun excursion. The afternoon excursions give international students a chance to experience the Seattle area and practice their English. Excursions include trips to the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Gas Works Park, Greenlake, a Mariner's baseball game, a volunteer service project, and more.

Daily Schedule

This year’s program schedule will be available soon. Please note that the schedule is subject to change. Registered participants will receive the detailed, finalized schedule prior to the start of the program.

Questions? Contact FIUTS Manager of Education Programs Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org.