As part of API programs, students participate in Curated Experiences designed to enhance students’ cultural immersion in their host city. One of our most beloved Curated Experience type is a category called API Gives Back, which connects students with local communities through hands-on service, building empathy, cultural understanding, and meaningful impact beyond the classroom. Here is an example from Barcelona:
Barcelona is a city built for exploring, but for API students, it’s also a city for showing up. Whether it’s a morning spent in a rural vegetable garden, an afternoon on the sidelines of a local race, or a day spent restoring a stretch of coastline, students find that some of their most memorable Barcelona moments happen off the typical tourist map, working alongside the people who call this city home.
A Taste of the Mediterranean, Grown by Hand
Students head out to a rural vegetable garden to learn eco-friendly cultivation methods firsthand, rolling up their sleeves for a hands-on agricultural session before sitting down to a farm-to-table meal built from the day’s seasonal harvest. The afternoon winds down with free time to stroll or swim at nearby Ocata beach — a full day that connects students to where their food comes from, and to each other.
Fuel the Run: Volunteer Squad
When a regional sports event comes to town, API students are part of the crew that makes it happen. From handing out bibs, t-shirts, and welcome bags to managing timing chips, water and fruit stations, and runners’ personal belongings, students get an inside look at community event logistics, and a front-row seat to the energy of race day, start to finish.
Eco-Warriors: Coastal and Highland Cleanups
Barcelona’s natural landmarks are a source of pride for the city, and students help keep them that way. Cleanup sites rotate between the Barcelona shoreline, the Besòs and Llobregat river corridors, and the Montjuïc hillsides, giving students a reason to explore the region’s landscapes while leaving them better than they found them.
The Supply Force: Food Bank Volunteers
At the local food bank, students sort, pack, and organize donations and help with distribution to families across the city. It’s simple, hands-on work with an outsized impact, a reminder of how far teamwork and a few hours of effort can go.
Teach and Inspire: Volunteering at a Primary School
In the classroom, students help young local students build their English skills through games, creative activities, and easy conversation. It’s a rewarding exchange for everyone involved: students gain real teaching experience and a genuine connection to the community, while the children get a fun, encouraging boost to their learning.
