Language & Service Costa Rica

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This is one of our favorite programs - we love it because it offers a variety of service opportunities in a beautiful country that is fun to explore. The key to preparing for this program is to keep it simple; this information is designed to help you do just that. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Preparing for the Demands of Your Trip

Service, language learning and cultural understanding require dedication, selflessness and hard work. Begin your preparations for a great summer now by organizing your luggage, clothing and gear. As the summer nears, stay active and fit through sports and exercise. The more you prepare, the more you will enjoy your program. Then once your program starts, commit yourself wholeheartedly to your group and all of its activities.

Special Health Requirements

All Overland students must be current on their tetanus vaccinations. Overland advises students traveling to Costa Rica to consult with their family physician for information about protection against Hepatitis A and Malaria. Our Costa Rica programs spend some time in regions indicated by the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) as areas that are affected by Malaria.  Please check with your physician for recommendations for Malaria prevention for your child.

Luggage

On Costa Rica programs we travel light—we cannot emphasize this enough.  Please bring just one travel backpack and one small day pack (*see specifications below*) for weekend excursions and day hikes. Experience has shown that this is the only way to go (there will be lots of walking). Dimensions of the travel backpack should not exceed 22"H x 14"W x 9"D if used as a carry-on, however it may be larger if you plan to check this luggage at the airport.  We recommend travel backpacks from REI, EMS and LL Bean. Use your day pack to carry essentials on the plane (but do not use this bag as additional luggage space). Be sure to tag all items with your name, address and phone number. If you are checking your travel pack as luggage, ask the airline to bag it for you. This will help protect the pack.

• *Travel backpacks should store between 2500-4000 cubic in. We recommend the following kinds of backpacks from REI, though anything similar will work perfectly!
• www.rei.com/product/762485
• www.rei.com/product/747515
• www.rei.com/product/747520
• *Day packs—a regular shoulder strap backpack will work just fine, large enough to fit a rain coat, water and snacks—however it must be worn on both shoulders (satchels and one strap bags will not be appropriate for day hikes and weekend excursions).

Packing for Your Program

Please stick to the following guidelines when packing for your program; your group will have access to laundry on a weekly basis. In many of the places we visit, it is culturally inappropriate for girls to wear short skirts, short shorts or spaghetti-strap tank tops; this clothing can bring unwanted and possibly unpleasant attention. Please pack accordingly. Be sure to bring comfortable clothes that can get dirty, paint-splattered and worn while volunteering.

Clothing

• Tennis Shoes or Sneakers. Comfortable shoes to wear all day while volunteering and on day hikes.
• Sandals or Flip Flops. Tevas, Crocs, Chacos or similar with a heel strap for rafting trip.
• Waterproof Raincoat. Must be waterproof- summer is rainy season!
• Fleece Pullover or Sweatshirt. One only.
• Comfortable Shorts or Skirts. Two; one pair of shorts must be suitable for day hikes.
• Long Pants. Two pairs; one sturdy pair for volunteer work, one for evenings.
• Shirts. Five short-sleeve shirts or tank tops. Two of the short-sleeve shirts should be synthetic. One long-sleeve shirt.
• Underwear. Seven pairs.
• Socks. Five pairs.
• Pajamas. One pair.
• Bathing Suit. One only.

Gear & Miscellaneous

• Valid Passport. Also bring a photocopy of the inside front cover of your passport and leave another at home.
• Student ID. Current school identification (if you have one).
• Spanish-English Dictionary. Small travel size.
• Toiletries. All travel size.
• Beach Towel (medium size) & Quick-Dry Towel (optional- for rafting trip).
• Water Bottle. Any kind, to stay hydrated out in the sun.
• Leather Work Gloves. One pair.
• Sunglasses & Hat. With visor (e.g., baseball hat).
• Sunscreen (SPF 30+), Chapstick (with SPF protection) & Insect Repellant.
• Flashlight and/or headlamp. Some accommodations do not have electricity and require flashlights navigate at night (e.g. on our rafting trip).
• Camera & Film. Optional.
• Spiral Notebook & Pen. For class.
• Journal. Optional.
• Pictures From Home & Small Gift for Your Homestay Family. To share with your family: something unique to the U.S., your state or hometown (e.g., local t-shirt or maple syrup).
• Community Donation Items. A few items of second hand clothing (for children or adults), arts & crafts material (e.g., markers, paint brushes, construction paper), or you favorite children's book (in Spanish).

Note: Please do not bring any type of knife or multi-tool (e.g., Swiss Army Knife, Leatherman).
We do not permit personal electronics on our programs (for example, cellphones and iPods). We do, however, allow students who fly to their program to carry a cell phone while traveling; on arrival, Overland's leaders will collect all cell phones for the duration of the program and return them for flights home. Perhaps, a better option would be to bring a pre-paid phone card so that the leaders do not have to carry cell phones for the duration of the program.