About Us

The Arcos mission is to serve as a faithful guide to the participant, as they explore and contribute to the world around them. Our vision is to accomplish this through a holistic approach to study abroad. All parts of our program contribute to the growth of the individual participant. We are the bridge, the road, and the doorway for transformative international education.

Arcos was formed by a team of study abroad professionals who had worked together as a study abroad family for many years. They literally assisted thousands of participants in their study abroad journey over a period of 15 years as the driving force behind Sol Abroad (High School division) and Sol Education Abroad (University division) from 2006 to 2020. This team came together to form Arcos under the shared vision of providing intentional study abroad programming with the participant at heart. A high-level of personalization and quality permeates all of their decision-making and program planning. The goal is always to build an experience that supports the participant on a growth journey through the highs and lows of the study abroad experience. Comfort zones must be broken down for growth and understanding to occur. The Arcos team is there every step of the way to assist in this experience and to help guide the participant toward success. The imagery of arches is very strong to us and how everything is ultimately connected. We want to connect hearts and minds through Arcos. Step through the arch as you embark on this exciting time in your life with us. We rise to meet you.

You will interact with different members of our team as you move through your Arcos journey with us. As you move from here to there your relationship with our team moves chronologically from the point of inquiry to arrival to your chosen program destination. Imagine crossing from one end of a bridge to another and the helping hands that assist you along the way. That's the Arcos Journeys Abroad Team.

Administration & Advising

The Administration and Advising team at Arcos Journeys Abroad are a group of seasoned industry professionals with decades of experience and a diverse range of backgrounds. This team is a mix of student service professionals, program directors, risk managers, and curriculum developers based in both Austin, TX and abroad. The core team worked together for upwards of 14 years at a previous, nationally-recognized study abroad organization. They bring their passion and belief in the transformative power of international education to every aspect of Arcos programs. They are the "arco-tects" behind the programs and also the advisors to help you plan your study abroad experience. You will interact with this team when:

• Inquiring about the programs

• Advising

• Maneuvering the application process

• Preparing for departure

Onsite Program Directors

As you move from the inquiry, advising, and application stages toward the role of program participant you will begin to interact and correspond with your Program Directors. Four weeks prior to your program start date you will begin to receive information from the Onsite Program Directors. This indicates the transition from beginning to work more with these team members as they prepare for your in-country programming. For those programs with a homestay component, 2 weeks prior to the start date they will send your housing details. Once at your program destination these are the individuals who will guide and assist you throughout the experience. Our programs also have assistant directors that help manage the programs, especially during the excursions and cultural activities.

Homestays

For those Arcos programs that include a homestay, the homestays are an integral part of our team. They are the eyes and ears of the program. The homestays are carefully vetted and chosen by the Program Directors and keep in very close communication to work together to prepare for your arrival and keep abreast of how you are doing during the program. The homestays and our directors have worked together in some cases for over 15 years. We organize meetings with them and make sure to connect periodically to monitor the participant's experience.

Instructors & Academic Coordinators

The instructors and academic coordinators you meet and interact with in-country are an extension of our team. We are truly partners. We are in constant communication planning and working on curriculum, program structure, and curriculum questions. Our dynamic is to work together to maintain a pertinent and fresh learning environment. For our Spanish Immersion programs, the Spanish instructors are one of the main local contacts our participants have. The instructors have a very close relationship with our Program Directors and communicate as to how the students are doing in the classroom and relay to us any issues they may encounter. We work together to support the participant academically and plan for their success.

Programming Excellence

• We plan our programs with a high level of attention and intention in order to provide a variety of experiences and learning opportunities.

• All aspects of our programs are planned with excellence as a priority. This includes providing a thorough orientation upon arrival, organizing calendars, selecting engaging cultural activities, and establishing participant guidelines.

Affordable Pricing

• It is paramount to us that study abroad be something that is reachable for everyone. We carefully analyze our programming to ensure that it is affordable and as inclusive as possible.

• In order to maintain competitive pricing, we pay careful attention to costs and are flexible in our decision-making. We ensure our programs stay affordable, while always prioritizing our commitment to programming excellence.

• We work collectively in order to make realistic and intentional spending choices, with the goal of creating study abroad programming of only the highest quality and value.

Immersive Programming

• Studying abroad is the only way to achieve the goal of immersing in a different culture and learning about it from the inside.

• From the wonderful homestays to the engaging excursions, all components of the program are intentional in order to meet our objective of ensuring our participants experience cultural immersion and personal growth while challenging themselves through the daily activities.

Meaningful Connections

• We seek to create meaningful connections between our participants, the program directors, and all of those special individuals our participants meet along the way.

• We set the stage for our participants to step outside of their comfort zone in order to meet and interact with people they would have never encountered otherwise.

Our participants embrace stepping out of their comfort zone driven by their desire to travel and learn and experience life beyond a traditional setting. An Arcos participant engages with an open mind in the new and wonderful experiences that travel and study abroad brings.

Arcos is committed to a policy of providing study abroad opportunities to all qualified participants regardless of economic or social status, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, height, weight or physical or mental disability.