English Outdoors: Learn. Explore. Discover.

Junior English Summer Camp



Summer JUNIOR English camp in NYC

Our Summer Teen English camp in New York is designed for 14 to 17 year olds years old. The camp includes English sessions, full board accommodation in twin rooms in a local host family (recruited by us!) or a residence in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, as well as a full schedule of supervised activities and excursions.

To immerse you in NYC life and culture, our English sessions take place throughout New York, in Dumbo (Brooklyn), Essex Market (Lower East Side), Brookfield Place (Battery Park, Industry City (Brooklyn) and Bryant Park (Midtown). Let the city be your guide!

Groups are kept small with a max of 8 people, grouped together according to level, and focus on improving overall English fluency. With small groups, you get plenty of opportunities to practice your English with experienced EO discovery guides while discussing topics and themes related to NYC. At EO, the city becomes your guide where you can practice your English in real world scenarios and learn to live and speak like a real New Yorker! This hands-on approach to your English & Tourism vacation is the best way to improve your fluency while exploring NYC. 

By choosing our Summer Teen English summer camp, you can also help the environment! You can enjoy the benefits of natural sunlight, shade, and the breeze, rather than being inside a classroom with AC and artificial light! If you care about the climate, this summer English camp is for you! 

View our Summer Juniors photo Gallery

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If you have further questions about our Summer Junior English Camp, you can also call us at +1 646-341-1219

Click here for more info on our Year-round English classes for Adults.



2024 Start Dates:

Homestay: June 30th (2 to 6 weeks), July 14th (2 to 4 weeks), July 28th (2 weeks)
Residence: June 30th (2 or 4 weeks), July 14th (2 or 4 weeks), July 28th (2 weeks)


Age Range:

13-17 years


Maximum Group Size:

8 participants


Timetable:

Monday to Friday:
9:30am-12:30pm – English sessions
2pm-5pm – afternoon activities

Saturday:
10am-5pm – full-day excursion

Sunday:
Free day with host family or afternoon activity in residence
Possibility to join optional full-day excursions


Sample Activity Program:

  Download Junior Activity Program



Closed group Junior programs:

If you are interested in booking your school group for a closed group package on our program in New York City, including English sessions, host family accommodation and full program of activities and excursions, please contact: info@englishoutdoors.org


ENGLISH & NYC DISCOVERY

There are 5 half-day excursions and 1 full-day excursion per week (except the last week when Saturday is departure day). Our activity program is designed to include the best of New York City and alternate between fun and educational outings. Summer is a great time to discover New York and our students will have the chance to take part in some real American activities to enjoy a typical summer in the city!

Mondays – Iconic locations
Walking tours of iconic NYC locations:
Brooklyn Heights/Brooklyn Bridge, High Line, Central Park

Tuesdays – Famous landmarks
Admire the view from NY’s most famous buildings:
Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, The Summit

Wednesday – Summer in the city!
Discover the world-famous Times Square, enjoy a bike tour,
or take a wild ride on The Beast boat!

Thursdays – Educational visits
The American Museum of Natural History, the MET, The MoMA

Fridays – Social outings
A fun time to do some shopping, go to Coney Island or play sports in the park.

Saturdays – Summer in the City!
Excursion to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, and a Broadway Show.

Sundays
Free day with the host families, or afternoon activity at the residence.
Possibility to join optional full-day excursions.

  Download Junior English & NYC Discovery Fact File

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ACCOMMODATION IN HOMESTAY

Our host families

At English Outdoors, we know that accommodation is an important factor to a successful trip abroad, so we spend a lot of time selecting the right families for our Summer Junior English camp in New York. They are all based in Brooklyn and the average journey time to the meeting point is 30 minutes by public transport (can be longer for some homestays).

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 factor of New York’s cultural identity, so some hosts may be of Asian or Latin descent, but English is always spoken in the home. Regardless of their background and circumstances, all our host families have in common the wish to make every student’s stay as comfortable and relaxing as possible.

The benefits of staying with a host family

Living as part of an English-speaking household is simply the best way to truly immerse yourself in the language and culture of a country. Students will be practicing the English they have learned every day with other English speakers. It is also a great chance to get to know people living in New York and share their way of life. Hosts will welcome youngsters in their home as a member of their family, and in return will expect them to adapt to their way of life (mealtimes, for example, may be different to the home country). Mutual respect is the key to a successful stay.

How does it work day-to-day?

Students stay in twin rooms with another EO student of the same gender but different nationality and share the bathroom with the family members. Breakfast is included at home every morning, then students make their way to the meeting point together by public transport. They also get back home together by public transport in the evenings. Lunch will be packed lunches prepared by the host family. Dinner is taken at home with the family every day.

Towels and bed linen are provided. It is not common for US homes to have a washing machine but in that case, laundromats are always available nearby (around $5 per wash/dry).

Host families also have the responsibility to make sure students respect their curfew and are home safely in the evening.

Junior English Summer Program - Accommodation - Summer Junior English camp in New York

Junior English Summer Program - Accommodation - Summer Junior English camp in New York

Junior English Summer Program - Accommodation - Summer Junior English camp in New York

Junior English Summer Program - Accommodation - Summer Junior English camp in New York


ACCOMMODATION IN RESIDENCE

The residence

Our junior residence is located in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn’s most central and vibrant neighborhood, only 5 minutes’ walk from one of the best views of the New York skyline from the Brooklyn Promenade.

On-site features include 24 hour security, key card entrance to residence and rooms, recreational lounges including a pool table and movie room, vending machines, and 24 hour access to I-pads in the lobby. Laundry facilities are also available for students’ use in the residence (about $5 for a wash and dry).

There is an EO leader staying on-site for the duration of the program to ensure student safety.

The benefits of staying in the residence

It is the opportunity to stay in the heart of the city, with everything close by and no subway commute! Students are just 3 minutes’ walk away from the American diner/restaurant where they have breakfast and dinner everyday, and 6 minutes’ walk away from the junior meeting point where they meet their teacher and classmates every morning.

It is the perfect location for a Summer Junior English camp in New York, giving our young students easy access to all activities taking place each day, and only one subway stop from Manhattan.

How does it work day-to-day?

Students stay in twin or triple rooms with other EO students of the same gender but different nationality, and share an en-suite bathroom. Rooms are fully furnished with beds, desks and closets that maximize living space. There is free wi-fi, cable tv, refrigerator, and microwave in all rooms.

Bed linen is provided but students need to bring their own towels.

Breakfast and dinner are served in a restaurant just 3 minutes walk away. Lunches will be packed lunches. Students make their way together by foot to the meeting point in the morning and back after the activities.

  Download Junior Summer Residence Fact File

 


SAFETY & SUPERVISION

Overview

The welfare of our students is something that we take very seriously and is at the heart of everything that we do at English Outdoors. The supervision, safety and well-being of the young people who study with us is absolutely crucial to ensuring that they have a great experience here in NYC.

 

Identification

All our students are given lanyards to wear on arrival in New York, which have the EO program information, their name, their teachers’ name and the emergency contact number.

Our leaders

Activities and excursions are led by experienced activity leaders, at a ratio of 15 students per leader. They are here to make sure the students are safe at all times during outings. The activity program is compulsory and students must attend all the supervised activities organized by the school.

Health form

A health form informing us of any allergies/treatments/diets will be sent out to the parents at the time of booking and should be returned to the school completed and signed no later than 6 weeks before the start of the course.

Host Families

We visit and meet all our host families, many of whom, have worked with us for a number of years. We want to ensure that their homes are suitable to host our young students, in terms of their safety, security, accessibility and comfort. All our host families also undergo a background check to ensure their suitability to host young students.

Student Residence

For those students who are staying at our student residence, we have live-in chaperones who are on-site 24/7 to look after our students. Students also receive an ID card on arrival.

Evening Curfew

Students have to be back in their homestay every day after the activities at 6.30pm. One of the host families’ duties is to inform the program if a student is arriving late for dinner. Students are not allowed in the evening unless their host families or chaperones (in the case of the residence) take them out or if they are given written permission to do so by their parents.

Student Welfare Officer

The EO Coordinator is also the student welfare officer and is available 24/7 in case of emergencies.


FAQs

Q: Is New York safe enough for teens?
A: Despite having a population of more than 8 million people, New York City consistently ranks in the top ten safest large cities in the United States. As in any large city, travelers should be careful of pickpockets and hustlers, but our leaders are here to guide students and give them safety tips.

Q: Where will the English sessions take place?
A: All English sessions will take place outside the classroom in places such Brooklyn Bridge Park, Dumbo, Essex Market or Brookfield place. So instead of being in a room with 4 walls, students will practice English in authentic locations and the city will become their classroom!

Q: Will it be comfortable for the students? Will there be restrooms?
A: Yes and yes! Locations have been carefully chosen based on comfort, space, ease of access, points of interest close by, proximity of public restrooms, etc. They take place in small groups of 8 maximum. Students seat around a table, in semi-circular seating, or in a row.

Q: How will the English Sessions work?
A: English Outdoors is not a traditional ESL school or class. Instead, our English sessions focus on practicing speaking, gaining confidence, and building overall fluency. Our expert EO facilitators utilize iPads, smart phones, NYC topics, and other materials to keep the English sessions engaging and the conversation flowing. Instead of doing traditional grammar exercises or book work, our English sessions focus on speaking and conversation so that you can practice your English and improve your overall fluency.

Q: What are the benefits of outdoor English sessions?
A: Since English sessions will predominantly take place outdoors throughout the city, students will naturally be immersed in NYC life and culture. With this interactive class concept, not only will students be exploring all that NYC has to offer, but this gives them real world scenarios to practice their English and live like a real New Yorker!

Q: What happens if it rains?
A: On the rare days when it rains in the morning or if it gets too hot, classes will switch to one of our carefully selected indoor venues or be taken on one of our many cultural or educational Discovery Days located in indoor locations. New York City is full of great museums and semi-secret indoor public spaces.

Q: What about the COVID sanitary measures?
A: This is one of the advantages of being outdoors: students will make the most of the space and natural airflow rather than being inside in a crowded classroom and using Air Conditioning. We recommend that each student brings a mask for public transport and a small bottle of hydroalcoholic gel to sanitize their hands as often as needed.

Q: My child has a food allergy, how will this be handled?
A: Any health and dietary requirements (allergies, special diets, medical conditions, etc…) need to be included in the enrollment form so that we can inform the host at the time of booking. Staff and families will be aware of these and take them into account at mealtimes.

Q: What if my child is homesick and wants to go home?
A: The first couple of days are often quite daunting, as students adjust to a new country and customs, a new language, and new friends. This is normal and usually goes away after they’ve settled in. If the homesickness persists, however, your child can go home but please note that no refund will be possible English Outdoors will not be held responsible for extra charges involved (change of flight, etc…). We recommend that you encourage your child to stay in New York though, as we know from experience that after the initial fear of the unknown, our students have a great time and don’t want to leave!

Q: How do I contact my child?
A: You will be provided with the address and telephone number of the host family. You will also be able to be in touch by email as all students get some free time to use the internet.

Q: Should insurance be taken out to cover my child’s stay on the course?
A: Yes, it is highly recommended that everyone has an insurance package before leaving home.

Q: How much pocket money will my child need to bring?
A: We recommend about $150 per week (already changed into dollars) to make sure they can make the most of their shopping opportunities. It may sound like a lot but students often want to purchase clothes or shoes as well as souvenirs, drinks, and snacks. Money can be given to staff or group leaders for safekeeping.