If you are reading this, then you are a member of an elite group—and we don’t mean “the literate.” You’re a student preparing for a semester abroad. You’re taking a gap year to save the trees, the whales, or the dates. You’re an 80-year-old woman who has devoted her life to egg-laying platypuses and what the hell is up with that. In short, you’re a traveler, not a tourist; like any good spy, you don’t just observe your surroundings—you become an active part of them.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to study, volunteer, or work abroad as laid out in the dossier—er, chapter—below. We leave the rest (when to go, whom to bring, and how many changes of underwear to pack) in your hands. This message will Zself-destruct in five seconds. Good luck.
Between centuries-old Charles University, the newer Anglo-American University, and a variety of international programs, your biggest challenge will be choosing where to study. Those already fluent in the language can enroll directly with other Czech students in Prague’s universities; if your Czech doesn’t go much farther than politely ordering a Pilsner, there are plenty of language programs to bring you up to speed as well as a number of English-speaking study-abroad programs. Almost all programs provide accommodations, although not all are conveniently located to your classes. (Think waking up in Prague 12 for 9am Econ in Prague 2.)
Universities
Because few international students arrive in Prague with a background in Czech, most study-abroad programs are conducted in English. But if you dream of mingling with real live Czech students or even taking classes in Czech, don’t despair: many programs allow you to cross-register at Charles and the Anglo-American University.
International Programs
American Insitute for Foreign Study (AIFS)
9 W. Broad St., Stamford, CT 06902, USA
+1-800-727-2437; www.aifsabroad.com
The AIFS Prague program is at the Collegium Carolinum (that’s Charles University for those of you not fluent in Latin). The majority of courses cover Czech or Central European topics, with a particularly large literature selection. The program also includes local daytrips and excursions to Poland and Vienna.
i Dorm housin, meal allowance, and airfare included. 
Semester $14,375-14,695 depending on USA departure city. 3-day excursions to Poland or Vienna $295.
Council on International Exchange (CIEE)
300 Fore St., Portland, ME 04101, USA
+1-207-553-4000; www.ciee.org
Dream of impressing a cute stranger by claiming to be a screenwriter or filmmaker? CIEE’s program through the Prague Film and Television School of the Performing Arts (FAMU) let’s students produce short films or write screenplays at one of Europe’s oldest film schools (earning you extra points with the ladies/fellas for being a European-trained filmmaker no less).
Includes apartment or dormitory housing with CIEE participants and local students or a homestay. Meals not provided. Min. GPA 3.0. Semester $18,400.
Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA)
2005 W. 14th St., Ste. 113, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
+1-800-266-4441; www.gowithcea.com
If “promiňte, kde je toalety?” (“excuse me, where is the bathroom?”) is about as far as you get with Czech, then CEA’s program at the Anglo-American University in Prague may be your perfect match. All courses are taught in English and students share apartments with other CEA participants. For those seeking more cultural immersion, CEA offers various volunteer and internship opportunities in the local community as well as numerous excursions within Central Europe.
Housing and excursions—but not meals—included. Semester $10,995, academic year $20,495; summer session $3,495-5,095 depending on course load.
Lexia International
4 W. Wheelock St., Ste. 8, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
+1-800-77-LEXIA; www.lexiaintl.org
Lexia’s program with Charles University lets students engage in an independent research project. Other than intensive language courses, students are involved in seminars directly relating to their chosen topic. Frequent contact with professors means that your new drinking buddy could be a world-class expert on Czech literature.
Tuition includes room and board (either dorm or homestay). Semester $14,750; full year $25,550; summer $7250.
Czech Studies Programs
Is your most overused adjective “Kafkaesque”? Do your friends groan every time you drag them to yet another screening of Closely Watched Trains? Ditch them for a semester of Czech studies with other likeminded Czechophiles.
Travelers may spend up to 90 days total in any of the 25 Schengen countries (including the Czech Republic) without a visa. Those studying for a semester or longer will need a student visa. Apply through your local consulate. Student visas take at least 60 days to process, so it’s a good idea to apply as soon as you’ve been accepted into a program. You will need two recent passport photographs, a valid passport (not a photocopy), a photocopy of the passport’s data page (the one with your photo), a letter of acceptance from your study-abroad program, an affidavit confirming a clean criminal history, proof of income and accommodations in Prague and travel medical insurance, and a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope. Student visas cost $130. For the most update visa information, see the Czech embassy’s webpage, www.mzv.cz/washington/en, where you will also find a list of consulates.
Council on International Exchange (CIEE)
300 Fore St., Portland, ME 04101, USA
+1-207-553-4000; www.ciee.org
CIEE’s Czech Area Studies Program has courses in everything from Czech cinema, art, and literature to political science and history courses dealing with the Czech Republic and its neighbors. There’s even a course entitled “Living and Learning in Prague,” which teaches you to extract the maximum Czech-ness from your study abroad. Internships and volunteer positions with local organizations through CIEE are yet another way to immerse yourself in the culture. A two-week orientation with intensive language training gives students a chance to get their bearings before regular classes begin.
Tuition includes either homestay, dormitory, or apartment housing. Does not include all meals. Excursions within the Czech Republic included; optional excursions to Berlin, Krakow, and Vienna cost extra. Semester $14,000, full year $25,700; 3-week summer session $3150, 6 weeks $6200.
School for International Training (SIT)
PO Box 676, 1 Kipling Rd., Brattleboro, VT 05302, USA
+1-888-272-7881; www.sit.edu/studyabroad
Study abroad at SIT’s Art and Social Change program and you’ll spend the last four weeks of your semester working on an independent study project. Students spend eight weeks taking courses and living with Czech families before embarking on a 10-day tour of Central Europe to complete their projects.
Students are recommended to have taken courses in the desired field of enrollment, but it is only required of creative writing students. Semester $15,039. Homestay accommodations and board $3704.
Language Schools
As renowned novelist Gustave Flaubert once said, “Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to.” While we at Let’s Go have absolutely no clue what he was talking about, we do know that the following are good resources for learning Czech.
Charles University Institute for Language
Albertov 7/3a, 128 00, Prague 2
224 918 775; www.ujop.cuni.cz
Charles University’s language institute is especially convenient for study-abroaders already spending most of their class time on campus.
Intensive class €610; evening €322; full semester €1785.
Czech for Foreigners
Dukelských hrdinů 21, 170 00, Prague 7
777 048 000; www.czechforforeigners.cz
Want to learn Czech, but too lazy to leave your boudoir? Czech for Foreigners also offers individual lessons in which the tutor comes to you for no extra charge in addition to large classroom lessons. Classes generally run three months and accommodate novices and advanced speakers alike.
Group classes 5400 Kč. Individual lessons vary. Contact info@czechforforeigners. cz for updated rates.
With one of the highest orphans-per-capita rates in the “developed” world, Prague has plenty of opportunities to work with its tiny and adorable citizens, although you’ll have to inquire at specific orphanages upon arrival. If you’re more of a green thumb, environmental work can be found just outside the city in the breathtaking Czech countryside. Otherwise, international organizations offer volunteer placements doing all kinds of work.
Earthwatch
256 Banbury Rd., Oxford, OX2 7DE, UK
+44 1865 318 838; www.earthwatch.org
Looking for a (legal) acid trip to complete your European journey? Earthwatch operates in the Jizera Mountains just outside of Prague, working to reverse the damage caused by acid rains from Europe’s coal plants. If collecting water samples and catching fish is a bit too outdoorsy for you, test and record the samples collected by fellow volunteers in Earthwatch’s indoor lab. At the end of the day return to the 200-year-old farmhouse you all share for a three-course Czech meal.
Includes housing in a double room and meals. 15-day placement £1495.
Community and Cultural Outreach
Arda
Londýnská 30, 120 00 Prague 2
272 701 387; www.adra.cz
Help reunite orphaned children with their biological family members, distribute clothing to the poor, or assist those leaving prison to start their lives over. You’ll also get the opportunity to mingle with the Czech volunteers who make up the majority of workers.
Must be somewhat fluent in Czech.
Concordia International Volunteers
19 North St., Portslade, Brighton, BN41 1DH, UK
+44 012 73 422 218; www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk
Concordia has the advantage of being a large enough non-profit (over 2000 projects worldwide) to provide volunteers with room and board in the Czech Republic as well as pre-departure and in-country support. Projects range from helping refugees and orphans to restoration of castles or setting up free music festivals.
Projects generally range 2-4 weeks. Room and board included. Registration fee £150.
Inex
Varšavská 30, 120 00 Prague 2
222 362 715; www.inexsda.cz
At these workcamps (somewhere between summer camp and an actual job), volunteers clean up national forests, help out in local community centers, and document Czech historical sights. After-hours activities like campfires and group sing-alongs will fulfill all of your sleepaway camp fantasies.
i Sessions last 2-3 weeks depending on project. Accommodations provided and include cabins with kitchen access to cook meals. Friendship bracelets optional.
Finding a job in Prague used to be as easy as the ABCs—as long as you could recite them in English. Although English teachers are still in demand, travelers need a work visa and will compete with EU citizens who require far less hoop-jumping on the part of employers. For the most part, internships are the best bet for those looking for work, although if you’re willing to do a little footwork upon arrival, businesses in tourist areas often love native English speakers.
Long-Term Work
If you can find yourself an employer willing to sponsor your visa, you’re in luck. Otherwise expect competition from those with EU citizenship.
Teaching English
Jobs teaching English are some of the few you may be able to find on your own via online and bulletin board postings. TEFL certification nearly guarantees you a job with a school or business, but less formal teaching jobs (private lessons in a cafe or a home perhaps) can also be found for those without certification.
Caledonian School
Vltavská 24, 150 00 Prague 5
For those of you needy folks searching for both a TEFL certification and a job, look no further. The Caledonian School offers quick certification classes (less than four weeks long!) and guarantees a job teaching at their school to those who pass. They also offer free Czech lessons to students.
Course €1200. Apartment accommodation with private bedroom and shared kitchen and bathroom facilities additional €350.
915 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80246 USA
+1-303-785-8864; www.bridgetefl.com
From full TEFL certification courses to basic English grammar review sessions, Bridge offers plenty for the savvy English teacher-to-be. Job placements are included in the cost of the full certification course. Bridge also offers headhunting services for those already certified.
Courses range from $95-1995 for full certification. Job support and placement fees range
from gratis to $1595 depending on previous course enrollment.
Spevacek Education Center
Namesti Miru 15, 120 00 Prague 2
222 517 869; www.spevacek.info
SPEVACEK sends English teachers to businesses around Prague. Classes are generally in the mornings and evenings, giving you lengthy lunch breaks to explore the city, do a bit of shopping, or recover from the previous evening’s festivities. Spevacek also provides travel allowances and Czech lessons.
TEFL certification required. 1 year of teaching experience recommended.
Au Pair Work
Tell people you’re a nanny and you’re Fran Drescher. Tell them you’re an au pair and you’re living the life: an elegant pied-à-terre, beautiful children with European manners, and time left over to meet a handsome stranger. While we can’t guarantee a movie deal—or even well-behaved children—working as an au pair in Prague definitely has its perks in the forms of compensation and picturesque surroundings.
Great Au Pair
1329 Highway 395, Ste. 10-333, Gardnerville, NV 89410 USA
+1-800-935-6303; www.greataupair.com
Great Au Pair is the au pair’s craigslist: families post individual listings with information about their children, requirements for their au pair, even pictures of their families. So go ahead—find yourself the family with the cutest kids, most vacation time, or least amount of household chores.
Apply for a work visa at your local Czech consulate. Processing time for employment visas is 90-120 days, so be sure to submit your application well in advance. You will need two recent passport photographs, a valid passport (not a photocopy), a copy of the data page (the page with your photo), and a completed application for a long stay visa. You will also need a notarized copy of a work permit, confirmation that your employer applied for the work permit, and proof of accommodation using original documents either in Czech or with accompanying Czech translation. Finally, you will need an affidavit confirming a clean criminal history as well as proof of travel medical insurance, a visa application fee of $130 (cash or money order only), and a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope. For the most up to-date visa information, see the Embassy of the Czech Republic webpage at www.mzv.cz/washington, which also lists regional consulates.
Internships
If you’re willing to pay, a variety of organizations will set you up with an unpaid internship in Prague. Some even provide accommodations for an additional cost. Many study abroad programs also have internship options for course credit, which can be convenient if you’re already enrolled. Although pricey, such programs offer the security of a guaranteed job upon landing in the Czech Republic; to strike out on your own you’ll probably have the best luck approaching businesses in person upon arrival.
Multicultural Center Prague
Vodičkova 36, 116 02 Prague 1
296 325 345; www.mkc.cz/en
Party planners wanted. Interns at the Multicultural Center in Prague help to design, set up, and execute cultural events all over the city. Both international and Czech students are hired by the organization, and internships range from a brief summer interlude to a year-long session.
Interns must be fluent in either English, German, or French. Accommodations not provided.
330 E. Maple Rd., Ste. 188, Birmingham, MI 48009 USA
+1-248-686-2225; www.panrimo.com
Panrimo’s internship placements range from photojournalism to museum conservation work, all handpicked for you based on an initial interview. Interns then have a whole list of customizable add-ons, from airport pickups to hot spring excursions, that come at additional fees.
Placement fee $2490. 8-week shared apartment $1600, single apartments $2000.
World Education Group
+1-704-461-8480; www.worldeducationgroup.com
If American media has left something to be desired, why not try a bit of Bohemian broadcasting? World Education Group offers internships with various radio and TV stations in Prague, in addition to a variety of NGO and governmental organizations. Czech lessons are available, and all internships are considered “English-friendly.”
Dorm or shared housing provided. Required 2½-week intensive Czech course. Internship $3995.
Short-Term Work
Legal short-term work can be hard to come by. Employers often do not wish to petition for a work visa when another able EU candidate is available. English language skills will be your biggest asset; search for jobs in the tourism industry, particularly hostels, restaurants, and lower-end hotels that do not require experience. Use websites like www.expats.cz with job databases as jumping off points when looking for a job.
Tell the World
If your friends are tired of hearing about that time you saved a baby orangutan in Indonesia, there’s clearly only one thing to do: get new friends. Find them at our website, www.letsgo.com, where you can post your study-, volunteer-, or work-abroad stories for other, more appreciative community members to read.