ISB’s French and Spanish Language Immersion Program captures the best of language learning and summer fun! ISB Summer’s staff is comprised of experienced, talented, and creative educators. Small group sizes (assigned by age) of up to 18 children and 2 to 3 counselors (based on the number of kids in a group) help each group build strong bonds and allow for personalized learning and attention. ISB’s warm and welcoming atmosphere makes the Summer Program a great experience for children of all language levels. Beginners grasp the rhythm of the language, learn songs, and build daily vocabulary. More advanced speakers enhance their skills by learning new vocabulary and using the language with their peers.
ISB’s Summer Language Immersion Program is open to rising Pre-K 4* through rising 5th Grade students.
*Children must be 4 years old by September 1.
Our program is suited for beginners and native speakers alike. The target language (French or Spanish) is incorporated into the routine of the day, and many new words and expressions are introduced based on the theme of the week. At the end of each week, families will receive a newsletter and photo album sharing the week’s adventures and highlighting the target vocabulary. We welcome a weekly residency with the Brooklyn Seeds Gardening program, as well as a weekly residency with the music-filled fitness program with Zing! For Kids.
Session 1: Sand, Rocks, and Sparkles
(Monday, July 3-Friday, July 7; Closed July 4)
In this shortened holiday week, we open summer with sand and seashell globes, slime and volcano-making, water games, and science fun with metal detectors and minerals! Grades 1 and up will take a field trip via chartered bus to the American Museum of Natural History to visit the Hall of Gems and Minerals.
Session 2: Sharks, Starfish, and Otters
(Monday, July 10 – Friday, July 14)
What do sharks, otters, and starfish have in common? They are all keystone species that play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. We will learn in French and Spanish about these cool creatures and take an all-grades trip via chartered bus to the New York Aquarium. Do you know what else is a keystone species? Honey bees. All children will explore the importance of bees and native plants with Brooklyn Seeds’ onsite visit.
Session 3: Raptors and Rodents
(Monday, July 17 – Friday, July 21)
Delve into the world of prey and predator and examine the fascinating life of animals that are right here in our midst. With target vocabulary in French or Spanish naming different birds and yes, rodents, we will learn about the comeback of raptors in New York City and how these mighty predators can help reduce our rat population. We will also learn about what smart creatures rats are. The week will be filled with amazing on-campus assembly visits from wildlife rescuers of raptors, rodents, and probably a few other creatures who will make appearances!
Session 4: Voyage Around the World
(Monday, July 24 – Friday, July 28)
This week, we will celebrate the human species by celebrating culture through song, story, and food from Spanish and French-speaking countries around the world. Our talented counselors will bring their own diverse cultural heritages into our space to share and enjoy.
2023 Program Prices:
Session 1 (July 3 – July 7; Closed July 4): $600
Session 2 (July 10 – July 14): $750
Session 3 (July 17 – July 21): $750
Session 4 (July 24 – July 28): $750
Please note there is a non-refundable registration fee of $25 per session.
Early Bird Discount: 2% off the total cost of summer session registrations purchased through March 15, 2023.
Sibling Discount: Receive 2% per child per session when 2 or more siblings are registered.
Multiple Session Discount: Register for 2 or more sessions to receive 2% off your total.
Registration for ISB Summer takes place online via Popsicle. Create your account, enter your child(ren)’s information, and then choose your desired program sessions. Get started now!
At ISB Summer, children are a part of engaging and language-rich activities, including arts & crafts, group games, sports, cooking, music, drama, and story-time. Playing outside is also a key part of the summer experience! Daily recesses are scheduled in ISB’s play yard and local parks. Daily activities are always unique, but each day has one thing in common: the groups are always busy having fun!
Sample Schedule
8:30-9:00am – Early Drop-off
9:00am-9:15am – Arrival & Morning Greeting: Circle Time, Discussion of Activities
9:15am-10:15am – Group Activities (arts & crafts, music, cooking, drama, athletics, etc.)
10:15am-10:30am – Snack (bring snack from home)
10:30am-11:15am – Outdoor Recess
11:15am-12:00pm – Group Activities (arts & crafts, music, cooking, drama, athletics, etc.)
12:00pm-12:30pm – Lunch* (bring lunch from home)
12:30pm-1:15pm – Trip to St. Mary’s Playground (Pre-K 4 students have nap/quiet time after lunch)
1:15pm-3:15pm – Group Activities (arts & crafts, music, cooking, drama, athletics, etc.)
3:15pm-3:30pm – Clean-up, Farewell & Dismissal
3:30pm-4:00pm – Extended Day
The Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program at ISB is designed to introduce rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to the world of being a summer program counselor in a language immersion setting. CITs will work alongside a summer teaching team, developing leadership and collaborative skills. Training dates will be scheduled prior to the start of the program.
Successful CITs are:
CIT Program Fees: $300 per session.
After completing registration, CITs will be required to complete a questionnaire about their summer goals, interests, and language learning background. Please note that there are a limited number of CIT positions available each week.
Register here
The Intern program at ISB is designed for ISB graduates who will be in high school in the fall (rising grades 9-12). Interns will work alongside a summer teaching team, developing leadership and collaborative skills all while practicing their French and/or Spanish. Training dates will be scheduled prior to the start of the program.
Successful Interns are:
Yes! Our summer Language Immersion program is open to all students who are entering Pre-K 4 through 5th Grade in the 2023-2024 school year. Please note that rising Pre-K 4 students must be 4 years old by September 1st.
We welcome children from all language backgrounds in our Language Immersion program, ranging from those who may speak the language at home to those who are being exposed to the language for the first time. Our aim is to have kids so engaged in various activities (cooking, singing, movement, arts, etc.) that they don’t realize they’re gaining familiarity with a new language. Repetition, paraphrasing, songs, and group routines are used to build children’s comfort, comprehension, and motivation in the target language. Our counselors work to provide a full immersion experience during the program, though there are circumstances that will warrant English being spoken, to ensure that all participants understand the message (for example, for issues regarding safety or social-emotional concerns). We want children to feel comfortable and cared for, so our counselors will also make sure children who do not have the language background know that they are understood even if they don’t speak the target language. Each child will also partake in our two weekly residencies (one hour per residency per week) which will be conducted in English. The amount of language progress made over the course of the program varies from student to student. In the past, those with no prior language exposure have made gains in their comprehension and expression, using simple phrases with teachers and peers and comfortably participating in classroom activities and routines, and more advanced speakers have gained more fluency with thematic vocabulary.
Not at all! Our program is open to children of all language backgrounds. We aim to have kids so engaged in various activities (cooking, singing, movement, arts, etc.) that they don’t realize they’re building language skills. Our teachers design activities and experiences around the weekly theme, in order to systematically expose children to new vocabulary and to foster real-world use of the target language. For children who already have some exposure to the language, we find that meeting new French- or Spanish-speaking peers and teachers can be a great motivator to put their language to use.
We follow our cutoff date fairly strictly. If your child does not meet the September 1st cutoff date for rising Pre-K 4 students, please contact the ISB Summer Team (summer@isbrooklyn.org) to discuss your specific situation.
Our summer team is composed of both ISB teachers and seasonal staff, many of whom work in other schools or with other educational organizations during the year. All staff have deep backgrounds with the language they work in and are passionate about language immersion.
We limit our groups to no more than 18 students with 2 to 3 instructors (based on the number of kids in a group).
Registrations that are canceled before May 31, 2023, will be refunded less the non-refundable registration fee of $25 per session. Registrations that are canceled between June 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023, will be refunded less the registration fee and 25% of the program cost. No refunds will be issued after June 20, 2023. If ISB is forced to cancel a program or a session, families will be refunded all payments made including fees.
Have more questions? Please contact the ISB Summer Team at summer@isbrooklyn.org.
The ISB Summer team is a vibrant group of individuals dedicated to the well-being, learning, and growth of children. We will begin hiring for Summer 2024 in early Spring 2024.
