Leith mum launches Spanish summer camp for Scots teens to help them get off screens
A Leith mum inspired by European exchange students at Queen Margaret University is launching a week-long language camp for Scottish teenagers in Spain this summer.
Rachel Athey, 52, said she had seen first-hand the transformative impact of English-language summer schools in Scotland and wanted the same experience for her 11-year-old daughter and her peers.
The inaugural trip at the end of July will see 20 Scottish teenagers travel to San Sebastián in northern Spain for a week of immersing themselves in the country’s language and culture.
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“I work closely with the current president of the QMU student union who first came to Scotland on a language exchange,” said Ms Athey.
“She talks about it so passionately about how it changed her life, built her confidence and the friendships that she made and still has, as well as the language experience.
“I thought, I want that for my child and other Scottish teenagers too.”
She hopes the camps will help teenagers build relationships and connections abroad, as well getting them off screens during the summer holidays.
“Teenagers have a minimum of six weeks off and usually families will take a two week holiday,” she said.
“There’s lots of activities for under-13s and grandparents are more likely to take them on at that age too.
“But they’re aren’t that many options for teenagers, especially if you’re not sporty. Inevitably we rely on screens for teenagers to fill that time and boredom gap.
“Phones are allowed at our camps but I do genuinely believe that if teenagers have something better to do than go on their phones they’ll do the better thing, like being in the sea or meeting new people or exploring.”
Ms Athey travelled through France and Spain visiting numerous language schools and accommodation before deciding on Lacunza Spanish School in Donostia-San Sebastián, a small family-run language school which has been going for 60 years.
“San Sebastián is small, clean and safe - the perfect size of city for teenagers to feel quite independent but still be really safe,” she said.
“But I hope one day there’ll be many trips and options to choose from.”
Bookings are now being taken for Athena Language Camp’s Spanish trip. It is open to students aged 13-17 from across Scotland but flights will run to and from Edinburgh.
The cost of the one-week summer programme is £1,395. Flights are additional, but paid through Athena.
From 2027, Athena Language Camp will run a trip to Montpellier in France.
Each group is supported by a dedicated UK-based pastoral team, including a welfare guardian, ensuring students are safe and supported throughout the trip.