Costa Rica: Spring Break Service Adventure
Highlights
Choose your own adventure – support meaningful community development projects or help protect an endangered sea turtle nesting beach.
- Live in a coastal village near a beautiful beach
- Volunteer on community development or sea turtle preservation projects
- Go tubing down the Rio Negro
- Engage with locals and practice your Spanish around town
- Zipline through the forest
- Enjoy the ocean via catamaran and snorkel among marine life
On This Program you will...
Experience Spring Break in a whole new way! Lend a hand on projects such as beach cleanup, community beautification, or other initiatives that improve the lives of local residents. Costa Rica is a breathtaking, culturally-rich country; however, some communities still need extra support, and your efforts can be a big help to its most vulnerable citizens. It’s not Spring Break without a bit of adventure, and Costa Rica can supply this in droves! You’ll have the chance to enjoy water sports, have fun in the sun, and participate in other activities with your new friends from all over the world.
When enrolling for this program, choose to focus on one of two tracks: General Service Track, or Sea Turtle Track. The track you choose will determine the focus of your experience and your community service projects.
Your Adventure is Just Around the Corner!
Community Service
General Service Track
On the general service track, students may work on a variety of projects determined by local community leaders based on what projects are most needed at the time of your arrival. There are many opportunities to serve the community here. For example, you may assist in environmental projects such as planting native tree saplings, or creating signs to promote environmental awareness and sustainability. You could work on initiatives within local schools, such as improving classroom infrastructure or starting a school or community garden.
Sea Turtle Track
On the sea turtle track, students will take to local beaches and participate in cleanup efforts, removing debris that can ensnare young hatchlings making their way to the sea. You’ll help local partners as they survey nesting sites and make sure they’re primed for the nesting mothers. You’ll also be assisting on night patrols with a local nonprofit dedicated to environmental protection and to increasing birth rates for Costa Rica’s threatened sea turtle species.
Immersive Learning
Living in an authentic community is a great way to learn about Costa Rican culture. Learn to dance salsa and cumbia, two traditional dances of the region. In Costa Rica, food is a huge part of their cultural identity–sample fresh fruits fresh from the tree, and try local dishes like gallo pinto or a casado. Discuss current social issues in Costa Rica, including growing environmental concerns and the importance of ecotourism. You’ll also have opportunities to practice your Spanish or pick up new words with locals in the region.
Adventure
You can’t visit Costa Rica without getting a little taste of adventure! Our location on the Pacific coast is ideal for all things ocean: Cruise along Potrero Bay on a catamaran and play in the waves. You’ll have plenty of time for fun in the sun and relaxing in the sand. Take a dip in a beautiful natural hot spring. Go ziplining over green tree canopies and whitewater tube down a wild and picturesque river.
Lodging
Home Base is an ecolodge located in a coastal region of Costa Rica known for its beautiful beaches and protected ecological areas. You’ll have access to pools and gardens. Students stay in gender-segregated rooms with roommates, and have private bathrooms and air conditioning.
Program Type
Want to use your Spring Break to help improve the lives of those who live in underserved communities?
- Work with local partners and NGOs to identify challenges facing the community
- Contribute to a meaningful service project that provides much-needed new spaces, like classrooms or playgrounds, or take part in other projects to meet local needs
- Learn how wildlife is affected by a changing planet, health care is affected by access to resources, or children are affected by available educational opportunities
- Discover unique ways that leaders around the globe are tackling challenges and improving lives
Dates & Tuition
Costa Rica
Spring Break Beachside Service Adventure
8-Day Program (General Service Track)
| 2021 Dates |
|---|
| March 13 – March 20, 2021 |
| March 20 – March 27, 2021 |
| March 27 – April 3, 2021 |
| April 3 – April 10, 2021 |
8-Day Program (Sea Turtle Track)
| 2021 Dates |
|---|
| March 13 – March 20, 2021 |
| March 20 – March 27, 2021 |
| March 27 – April 3, 2021 |
| April 3 – April 10, 2021 |
More Information
Fundraising
Tips to raise funds for your trip
Tuition Includes All In-Country Expenses Including:
- All educational materials
- Lodging
- 3 meals per day
- All in-country transportation
- Airport pick-up/drop-off
- Professional full-time staff and experts from the USA/Europe
- 24/7 Parent Support Hotline during the program
- Secondary medical and travel insurance
- All cultural activities, lectures and weekend excursions
- Pre-departure materials and support
Chat with Past Participants on Facebook
Custom Group Travel Option
Global Leadership Adventures offers open enrollment on this program to any high school student who wishes to join any of the summer session dates listed above. Students will meet other teens from around the country and the world who sign up for the same program dates and destination.
Alternatively, this program is also available as an option for custom group travel any time of the year for those looking to put together their own group trip.
GLA Custom Group Travel works with educators, group leaders, or self-led students to create a tailored experience for their specific group of 12 or more students. Select a pre-designed itinerary or select your own countries, themes, and learning objectives. GLA’s service-learning methodology is the vehicle through which students learn, grow and challenge themselves and their fellow travelers; our host communities welcome students’ energy and helping hands.
Leadership and personal growth are the core components of all of our programs, regardless of duration, destination or theme type and can be woven throughout every aspect of the experience through our intentional design as desired by the group leader. Our programs aim to ignite participants to become inspired to be the change.
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