• Small Group Size - The average number of participants in a group is 16-20, smaller than most typical classroom sizes! Most companies require a minimum of 30! This ensures personal attention to each student. Director to Student ratio is 1 to 8.
  
• Experienced Bilingual Leadership - On-site directors are bilingual mentors and master language teachers. They serve as international moms and dads while students are abroad.  Their bilingual ability and maturity assures the safety and comfort of the group while traveling 24 hours a day.
  
• High Quality Service, Communication & Programs - SPI uses high quality hotels, transportation, and schools. Complete program information is available online. We maintain a 24-hour emergency line while students are abroad. We provide exceptional personalized pre-departure orientation and preparation.
  
• Quality Educational Methods and Excursions - Each program is run off an organized syllabus. Well planned weekend excursions and activities are designed to support US curriculum and enhance foreign language skills.
  
• Participant Screening - Our screening process ensures that we enroll mature, responsible learners. In addition to program pre-requisites, we require a recommendation from a teacher, counselor and parent.

Jeremy Goodwin
Executive Director

Hello, my name is Jeremy Goodwin and let me personally thank you for your interest into SPI programs and studying abroad.

I am proof that high school study abroad PAYS OFF! Study abroad changed my life. I became bilingual from my high school study abroad experiences, entered college nearly a sophomore, and graduated early.

As a sophomore at Westwood HS in Austin, Texas, my Spanish teachers presented me with the opportunity to study abroad in Spain. I studied with my teachers in Santander and Cadiz, Spain in between my junior and senior year. During these years I was able to earn high passing scores on each AP Spanish exam. I entered the University of Utah with 9 hours of credit from studying abroad in Spain and was honored 8 hours of credit for each AP test I took. This totaled 25 college credit hours (nearly a sophomore) before I ever went to my first college class! 

The credit I earned allowed me to spend more time studying subjects I was interested in and less time worrying about fulfilling degree requirements. It was then that I realized from my high school experiences I had not only made an investment that aided my college career but also in my future as a working adult. I naturally became a strong advocate of the life-long benefits of study abroad.  I personally have studied abroad in five different countries and guided more than 20 language immersion programs around the world.

SPI was founded to create the highest quality foreign language immersion programs with the most personalized attention to students and parents not found in other organizations. Our academic board of master teachers designs each of our programs based on first-hand experience. I thank you for your interest in our programs!

Rebecca Smith Program Director Hello, my name is Rebecca Smith and I am thrilled to be a part of the incredible SPI team! I currently work in the SPI Austin office and am happy to help students and their families through the entire study abroad process. My family is originally from England and South Africa and international travel has been a part of my life since I was little. I graduated from Westwood HS in Austin and went on to get my degree in Special Education from Texas A&M University. Some of my abroad experiences include studying in Costa Rica and doing service work in rural Honduras. I had the pleasure of leading an SPI program to San Sebastian, Spain in 2005 and have been a proactive supporter of study abroad ever since!  It is truly a life changing experience. If you have any questions or concerns as you prepare to study abroad please don't hesitate to contact me.

Rose Potter World Language Consultant & Master AP Teacher, Austin, TX “Study abroad truly changes lives.  In my 30+ years as an educator, I have seen my students and my colleagues grow from immersion programs in inmeasureable ways.  Encouraging studying abroad, and not the tours, is the best advice you can give your students as an educator.”

Betsy Arnold Academic Program Director Cy Falls HS, Houston, TX My name is Betsy Arnold and I have been teaching AP Spanish Language & Literature in the Cypress Fairbanks ISD in Houston, TX for 25 years. Since the early 1990s,I have traveled every summer with my students to Spain or Mexico. I truly believe the best way for students to retain & develop what they learn in the classroom is through total immersion into the language and culture...not the tours. After traveling with my students for 12 years I have seen my students grow immeasurably. My students that have studied abroad perform better on the AP exams and return with a maturity and confidence that helps to prepare them for not only a college setting but also a future in the working world.We are committed to selecting the most dedicated educators to lead our programs who understand the curriculum the students learn in the classroom.  Thank you so much for your interest in our programs and for your support of our mission!

Emiliano Ferreira Cultural Presenter

Sarah Neely Admissions Director As a former study abroad participant both in high school and college, Sarah brings with her a wealth of first hand international experiences. Sarah skillfully helps students and parents with the application and admissions process at the SPI Austin office.

Julie Teague Teacher Relations & Spanish Tutoring Julie Teague has been a foreign languge educator for the past 10 years.  She has traveled to numerous Spanish speaking countries and taught Spanish at both the university and high school levels.  While working on her Masters from the University of Texas in Foreign Language Education, Julie received a grant to do research on Mexican Folk Culture in Mexico City. This opportunity captivated her interests in the language and culture while exposing her to the importance of living in a foreign country. Julie lives in Austin, TX with her husband and 3 young children, each of whom Julie has instilled the importance of learning another language and culture. After an initial career teaching at St. Edwards University, she now focuses her efforts on tutoring Spanish to local students. Julie brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and knowledge to the SPI team!

Andrea Galant Communications Director Andrea Galant is a graduate from Texas State University. She received a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing. Her love for art and design led her to take extra courses in those areas as well. SPI welcomes Andrea to the team with her excitement and enthusiasm for international travel. She has traveled extensively in Western & Eastern Europe since she was a young girl and often expresses her dream to travel the world in its entirety. During college, she studied abroad in Mexico, where she immersed herself into the Mexican culture and language. Andrea’s commitment, creativity, and strong communication skills make her an asset to the SPI team.

SPI is an organization founded by foreign language teachers, study abroad advocates, and parents of students whose lives were changed by study abroad. SPI has over 20 years of educational travel experience behind it from the members of its academic board led by Master Teachers Betsy Arnold and Rose Potter.

The roots of SPI were initiated by co-founders Guy & Diane Goodwin. As young world travelers in the 1970’s, Guy & Diane met and soon later married while traveling throughout Central & South America. From an early age they gained a strong realization in their lives of the importance of speaking a foreign language and  of international travel. They made sure to instill these values and experiences in their three children.

Guy & Diane asked themselves like many parents do...
"Why has my child taken so many years of foreign language and they still can't speak the language?"

Language Immersion programs and study abroad were the answer and best investment - not the whirlwind European bus tours.

They have sent all of their three children to study abroad in numerous Spanish speaking countries and all enjoy a high level of fluency. Like Guy & Diane’s philosophy, SPI is rooted in educating students, at a young age, of the life-long value of studying language and culture through international travel.

In memory and honor of Diane’s giving and loving spirit, SPI will initiate the Diane Goodwin Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2007 to help students of all socio-economic backgrounds study abroad. Diane dedicated to her life to volunteer service and to her children. She helped and influenced many people regardless of their background.

Her love for foreign travel, her family, and her friends keep her spirit alive – as her nickname in Spanish, “Como” lives on. This scholarship will not be available until 2007.

Scholarships Coming Soon!  Scholarships will be awarded in amounts of $500.

PASF and TFLA Scholarships Coming Soon!

Rose Potter
Retired Master Teacher, Austin, TX
Master Teacher and former Eanes ISD teacher of the year.  Rose has led study abroad programs accross the world for over 20 years.

Betsy Arnold
Cy Falls High School, Houston, TX
Academic Program Director for SPI programs and Master Teacher.  Teacher of the Year Cy Fair ISD - 12 year study abroad leader veteran. Currently Betsy teaches AP Spanish in Houston.

Gloria Munguia
St. Andrews Episcopal School, Austin, TX
Master Teacher and 2000 TFLA Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.  Gloria currently teaches middle school Spanish in Austin.

MilyBett Llanos-Gremillion
Westwood High School, Austin, TX
Master Spanish Teacher and active in TFLA and Round Rock ISD's LOTE department. 

Dr. Marilyn Goodwin
Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Dr. Marilyn Goodwin has been an educator in both secondary and post-secondary schools for over 25 years.  She currently teaches both graduate and undergraduate coursework in the College of Education at Texas State University.

Rick Garcia
M.B.A., J.D. Stanford University, San Francisco, CA
A world traveler and linguist for over 30 years, Rick is currently a head manager for Washington Mutual Bank in Los Angeles, CA.

Julie Teague
Former St. Edwards Univ. & Austin Comm. College Prof., Austin, TX

Betty & Mark Wangler - Parent
Guy Goodwin - Parent
Claudia & John Bartlett - Parent
Franci Free - Parent
Cece Grimes & Rob Newton - Parent
Andrea Tijmes - Student
Kristin Wangler - Student
John Foster – Student
Kim Fox - Student

SCHOOLS REPRESENTED by SPI Participants
Westwood HS - Austin, TX
Westlake HS - Austin, TX
Austin Waldorf School - Austin, TX
Hyde Park Baptist School - Austin, TX
Anderson HS - Austin, TX
Austin HS - Austin, TX
Lake Travis HS - Austin, TX
McCallum HS - Austin, TX
Cedar Park HS - Austin, TX
Regents School - Austin, TX
St. Stephens School - Austin, TX
Highland Park HS - Dallas, TX
St. Marks School of Texas - Dallas, TX
Hockaday School - Dallas, TX
Bishop Lynch HS - Dallas, TX
Parish Episcopal HS - Dallas, TX
Cy Falls HS - Houston, TX
Cy Creek HS - Houston, TX
Cy Fair HS - Cypress, TX
Klein Collins HS - Spring, TX
Stratford HS - Houston, TX
Wichita Falls HS - Wichita Falls, TX
The John Cooper School - The Woodlands, TX
Heritage Hall - Oklahoma City, OK
Norman HS - Norman, OK
Hahnville HS - New Orleans, LA
Paxon School for the Arts - Jacksonville, FL
John Hersey HS - Mt. Prospect, IL
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School - Cambridge, MA
The Branson School - Ross, CA
La Jolla Country Day School - La Jolla, CA
La Jolla HS - La Jolla, CA
Torrey Pines HS - La Jolla, CA
University Catholic HS - San Diego, CA
Las Lomas HS - Walnut Creek, CA
Sage Hill School - Newport Beach, CA
Park City HS - Park City, UT
Skyline HS - Salt Lake City, UT
George Mason HS - Falls Church, VA
Decatur HS - Federal Way, WA
Simpson College - Indianola, IA