Costa Rica Service

Overview

Costa Rica combines all that we look for in a teen summer service program abroad: a safe, stable country with great physical beauty, welcoming people and service opportunities where our efforts can make a real difference.

We’ll start our trip in San Isidro de Coronado, a typical Costa Rican town just northeast of San José. We’ll begin with two afternoons of Spanish instruction to refresh our skills and increase our cultural awareness. Once we’re settled in, we’ll work with a local organization, Assóciacion Excelencia Familiar, to serve at-risk youth in Coronado.

Next, we’ll travel to Costa Rica’s Pacific coast to volunteer on an agricultural cooperative. During our week on the cooperative, we will work with local children, help with farm work and contribute our efforts to finish the building of the community’s first public library.

When our work is done, we’ll travel north to the spectacular Volcán Arenal and relax in natural hot springs. On the Pacuare River, we’ll join Costa Rican guides for a two-day rafting trip, spending a night in a beautiful rainforest campground. At the end of our three weeks together, we’ll celebrate all that we’ve accomplished in this special Central American country—there is no better way to serve and explore.

“Every aspect of the trip was great!” Jessica Pomish, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Highlights

• Serve the San Isidro de Coronado community
• Volunteer at El Silencio, an agricultural cooperative
• Explore Costa Rica’s culture & language
• Visit Volcan Arenal & relax in natural hot springs
• Raft the Pacuare River

Grade

For students who will finish grades 8-12 in June 2010.

Call us (800.458.0588) to check on current availability.

Challenge Level

3 (1-10, 1 is easiest)

Start and End Location

Starts and ends in San José, Costa Rica.

Dates and Fees

3 Weeks

Sunday, June 27 to Friday, July 16
Sunday, July 18 to Friday, August 6

$4895 (airfare not included)

Itinerary

Program Start

After meeting in San José, we’ll head to San Isidro de Coronado, a small semi-rural community just northeast of the capital. Here we’ll settle into our group accommodations, spend time getting to know one another and prepare for the start of our  teen summer service work.

Group Accommodations

Our accommodations will be cabañas on the property of the Jaules Rec Center, just a short walk from downtown Coronado. Rooms will be shared among students of the same gender and cabañas will be separated by gender. Please bear in mind that accommodations in Costa Rica, while perfectly adequate, do tend to be simpler than in the United States. We’ll benefit from our proximity to downtown—living amidst the community in which we’ll work will further our understanding of the culture and enhance our ability to serve the area.

Language Learning

We’ll begin with two intensive afternoons of language immersion at the nearby Academia Tica, a top language school in Costa Rica, which will also help to organize many of our teen summer service activities.  Our classes will focus on both Spanish language and the cultural knowledge necessary to communicate and interact with local Costa Ricans during our service work. We’ll spend the day studying in two classes of no more than six students each, grouped by ability.

Volunteering in Coronado

After our afternoons of language learning, we’ll dedicate our time and energy to projects allowing us to reach out directly to the people of Coronado; we'll make a real difference while practicing our language skills and learning about the local culture. At the Asociacion Excelencia Familiar, an understaffed children's shelter, we’ll provide much needed individual attention, organize recreational activities, help students with schoolwork and assist with facility improvements.  Other possible projects include working on a community-supported organic farm and visiting with the elderly of Coronado.

Afternoons & Evenings

When we've completed our service for the day, we’ll explore Coronado, take a Costa Rican cooking class, taste the local exotic fruits and relax after a long day’s work. Each evening we’ll prepare and enjoy dinner together, and share the highs and lows of the day over dessert. In this way we'll gather each evening to look back over the rewarding day of teen summer service to the community and reenergize for the next day of outreach.

Volunteering at El Silencio

We'll travel to El Silencio, a coastal agricultural cooperative, to learn about the ways in which this community promotes sustainable and environmentally friendly farming.  We'll work alongside community members in a variety of activities and make lasting connections with the Costa Ricans who live and work there. Overland students, in collaboration with Academia Tica, will help to build and set up the first public library for El Silencio.  Our students can bring items to donate, and they will help with every step of the process from construction to painting to organizing the books.

Volcán Arenal

After 10 days in Coronado, we’ll bid goodbye to the local friends we’ve made and head off to explore more of this country’s unique natural wonders, traveling by private bus and staying in hotels or hostels. We'll visit Costa Rica's famous Volcán Arenal in the town of Fortuna, watching lava flow and exploring the countryside with its beautiful waterfalls and natural hot springs.

Rafting the Pacuare

Our last excursion will take us to the Pacuare River for two days of white water rafting with Coast to Coast Adventures (www.ctocadventures.com). A great way to end our summer adventures, we'll paddle with experienced guides through exciting rapids, enjoy hikes to secluded waterfalls and spend a night along the banks of the Pacuare.

Program End

From the Pacuare we'll return to San José for a final night together, celebrating all that we have learned and accomplished together this summer in the land of Pura Vida!

“Costa Rica Service was my fifth Overland program, and they keep getting better.  They are always different, with new challenges, people to meet and places to explore.” Ellis Gould, Winnetka, Illinois

Trip Details

Service Hours

40 hours of service.

Students: Is This Trip Right For You?

Costa Rica Service requires a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard as teen volunteers. Participants should be eager to take part in a variety of service projects and be ready for both the challenges and rewards that service work in Costa Rica offers.

One year of Spanish is recommended, but not required,  for Costa Rica Service.

Keep in mind that your enjoyment of this trip will hinge on certain factors:

1. Your motivation. Service work is not always easy—you must be motivated!
2. Your understanding that life in Costa Rica is simple and rustic!
3. Your commitment to teamwork. Overland trips require compromise, patience and selflessness. Support your trip leaders and your trip mates and you’ll find that you'll have a great experience!

“Overland did a great job of balancing work and play.” Mary Cohen, Bethesda, Maryland

Photos

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Before You Go

• Enrollment Forms
• Prepare & Pack
• Travel Information
• Mail Stops
• Helpful Reminders

Apply Now

We welcome your interest in joining Overland this summer!

To apply, please complete and sign the application on page 47 of the Overland catalog or download an application. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the application).

Please refer to page 46 of our catalog for important information you should know before signing the application.

Send your application and $795 deposit to:

Overland
P.O. Box 31
Williamstown, MA 01267

For overnight mail via UPS or FedEx, please use our street address:

Overland
63 Spring Street
Williamstown, MA 01267

Sorry, we are unable to accept applications by fax, and we do not take credit cards. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they arrive at our office and we cannot hold spots over the phone.

To learn about our admissions process, please click here.