English Outdoors: Learn. Explore. Discover.

Groups and mini-stays

School groups and mini-stays in New York City

For your school group trip to New York City, we can cater for groups of any size, any age, and any level. We tailor-make the English classes and activities in NYC according to your group’s specific needs and requirements.

“I would like to say that we are very happy with our trip. English Outdoors has responded to all our needs. You have all our trust and have done a such a great job. Our headteacher has asked me to organise the same trip next year, so see you next year guys! And thanks again!”
Group leaders from Lycée Sainte-Marie in Bourges, France (March 2023)

English classes

The course includes 15 hours per week in the morning and outside of the classroom. English classes take place in great locations all over New York – both indoors and outdoors depending on the weather. Students learn in iconic places such as Dumbo, Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, Industry City, Brookfield Place, Essex Market and many more… The city becomes their classroom! Locations have been thoroughly researched and chosen based on comfort, space, ease of access, proximity of public restrooms…

Being immersed in the life and culture of NYC adds a unique element to the classroom experience, as students are able to truly experience NYC life and culture first-hand in authentic settings. They are in the unique position to improve their English, expand their knowledge about NYC, practice their English in truly authentic NYC settings, and live like a true New Yorker!

Our academic team will be happy to tailor the classes around your group’s interests: subjects or topics covered at school, exam preparation, business topics, etc… We can also organize outdoor classes in museums or places of interest to make the classes more interactive and engaging.

Classes will be taught in small groups of up to 10 students and take place comfortably around a table, in semi-circular seating, or in a row. Everyone will get a coursebook, participate in group and pair work, and have regular homework assignments, just like in a regular classroom setting.

If the group is small (10 students or less), they can have their English classes in one closed group as long as all the students have a similar level. For larger groups of up to 50+ students, we can divide the students into small classes of different levels.

We conduct testing in advance to place students in groups according to their level. You can decide how many English classes you want per day or per week, but we recommend a minimum of 8 classes per week (= 6 hours).

US flag

US flag in Times Square

Brooklyn Promenade

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Activities

This is also tailor-made to your group’s needs and requirements so let us know what you want to see and do in NYC! If you are not sure we will suggest an initial program with plenty of typical activities and must-see places, and we can then discuss, change, and improve the program until you are happy with it.

Typical activities can include:

AND MUCH MORE!

Accommodation & meals

All of our homestays are located in Brooklyn. At EO, we spend time selecting the right families, we recruit and visit them all ourselves so we know them well and can make quality placements according to our students’ profiles and needs. A host family can be a couple with children, a retired couple, a single parent, or even a single person. Ethnic diversity is an important aspect of New York’s cultural identity, so some hosts may be of Asian, African, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern descent, but English is always spoken in the home.

In a homestay, you will be able to share the host family’s lifestyle. You will be welcomed in the home like a member of the family and will experience life in New York as part of an American family. With the Half-Board option, you will get breakfast and dinner at home every day. You will be expected to respect the family’s mealtimes and let them know if you are not able to make it one day.

This is the best option to make faster progress in English as there will be more opportunities for conversation and linguistic immersion. Lunches are taken in restaurants during excursions/outings.

Sample timetables

Book 1 week, 2 weeks or create your ideal timetable with your preferred activities:

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
AM lessons Essex
Market
Industry
City
Bryant
Park
Central Park
Field Trip
Dumbo Statue of Liberty
Lunch Pizza Tacos Pret a Manger Packed Lunch Dumbo Market Packed lunch
PM activity Washington Square Park, West Village & Little Island Empire State Building Times Square Natural History Museum Dumbo & Brooklyn Bridge walking tour Ellis Island

 

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
AM lessons Essex Market Brookfield Place Madison Square Park Governors Island Field Trip Industry City Bright Lights of the Big City tour
Lunch Burritos Pizza Pret a Manger Packed lunch Tacos Packed lunch
PM activity The Beast boat ride The High Line The Summit (NYC’s newest tourist attraction) MET or MoMA Shopping in Soho Broadway show

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