Athena Language Camps: Week-Long Language Adventures for Teens (13-17)
- Partner Content
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Athena Language Camps offer week-long summer experiences for teenagers in Spain or France, combining language lessons with cultural excursions and outdoor activities. Teenagers gain confidence, independence and global awareness through carefully designed international experiences. The programme is built on the belief that language is best learned through lived experience — conversation, challenge, connection, culture… and fun!
The Inspiration Behind Athena
Founder Rachel Athey was inspired while working at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, where hundreds of Italian teenagers arrive every summer. Within days, they are practising English with confidence, forming new friendships, embracing life in Scotland, and clearly having the time of their lives. By the end of their stay, they leave more assured, independent and proud of what they have achieved.
Watching this transformation year after year prompted an obvious question: why aren’t similar immersive experiences available for teenagers growing up in the UK? Unable to find an equivalent in Scotland, Athena was created in response.
Creating a Meaningful Experience
It also felt like the right time to launch the programme. Today’s teenagers grow up in a world dominated by AI, social media and constant digital stimulation. These tools offer incredible opportunities but can also be overwhelming. Athena provides something increasingly rare: meaningful, real-world experiences that help young people develop confidence and independence away from screens.
Benefits for Busy Professional Parents
Athena also recognises the practical challenges for busy families during the long summer holidays. Keeping teenagers engaged, safe and stimulated while balancing work and other commitments can be tough. Athena is designed to be a win on both sides: a guilt-free week for parents and an enriching, confidence-building experience for teenagers.
Safety and Supervision
Safety is central to every Athena programme, supported by Rachel’s decade of experience leading large-scale events — including overseas challenges — for a major UK charity. Camps are delivered in partnership with established, in-country language schools with decades of experience and strong safeguarding records. Teenagers are accompanied from Scotland and throughout by Athena guardians, and stay in secure, supervised student-style accommodation. Clear structures, supervision and communication ensure participants are supported at every stage, giving parents confidence while allowing teens the freedom to explore and enjoy the experience safely.
Summer 2026 Program
For summer 2026, Athena will offer week-long immersive language experiences in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain (Montpellier, France is on a waitlist).
The programme includes: return flights from Edinburgh, seven nights’ accommodation, all meals, 18 hours of Spanish classes, cultural excursions and outdoor activities — all delivered through one simple payment.
Athena's Mission
Rooted in Scotland and shaped by real experience, Athena is building a reputation for thoughtful, ethical and impactful education. It exists to help young people step confidently into new environments, form meaningful connections, and return home with skills and self-belief that stay long after the summer ends.
