Situated between Europe and Asia, Turkey is in a unique position to highlight some of the best qualities of both. The beautiful Mediterranean coastline mixes with mountain ranges and farmlands. In more suburban and urban areas you will be delighted by skylines shaped by a mixture of modern and Ottoman architecture and find colorful markets filled with ceramics, fabrics, handicrafts, exotic spices, rich Turkish coffee and an energetic game of tavla (backgammon board game).
Soccer is the most popular sport in Turkey to watch and to play, but it won’t be hard to find friends interested in volleyball, basketball, bicycling and swimming. Movies, picnics and gathering at friends’ homes also occupy teen’s time outside of school.
You will arrive in Turkey in September, while the summer weather will still be lingering, the scorching heat of August would be gone. This is a great time to experience Turkey for the first time. After a short Arrival Orientation you will travel to your local communities to meet your host families. In Turkey school year begins usually in the second week of September and the fall semester ends in the 3rd week of January. There is a 1-week Fall Break in November.