Language Immersion & Service Costa Rica

Overview

LIS Costa Rica offers an unbeatable combination of language study, service, cultural engagement and active exploration in a country of great natural beauty.

Daily language instruction is at the heart of each of our LIS Costa Rica programs. For four hours a day, five afternoons a week, we’ll work with native-speaker instructors to improve and expand our Spanish language abilities this summer. Outside of class, Overland’s leaders will offer additional hours of structured language immersion. Our service work with Costa Ricans provides daily conversations in Spanish and engages us with the communities we serve. A week-long homestay, a highlight for LIS Costa Rica students, offers opportunities to share meals and family life while experiencing  Costa Rican culture first-hand. Through all of these activities, and on the weekends, as well, we’ll explore the natural beauty of Costa Rica—from small rural towns to misty rainforests to unspoiled beaches. In all that we do our goal is to give each of our students the skills and confidence to approach language learning with relaxed enthusiasm while cultivating a deep appreciation for the culture and the people of Costa Rica. And we do all of this in a small, supportive, wholesome group with superlative leadership—there is no better way to learn, serve and explore!

LIS Costa Rica: Three Weeks for 7th - 9th Graders (a minimum of one year of Spanish is required)
We’ll live in picturesque San Isidro de El General and offer service to the community five mornings a week followed by afternoons developing our language skills through formal instruction.  We'll study at SEPA Spanish School in small classes, grouped by ability. The service offerings of LIS Costa Rica bring students into the lush rainforests of the Fudebiol Reserve to restore trails and aid wildlife conservation efforts, the rural Rivas community to assist with sustainable agriculture projects and Coronado where our friendship makes a difference in the lives of children at a local school. Accompanied by one of your Overland peers, you will have the privilege to experience Costa Rican family life—an unforgettable Spanish language immersion experience for teenagers— through a one-week homestay. On the weekends, we’ll explore the shores of the Pacific Coast, raft the Pacuare River and relax in hammocks at our spectacular rainforest campsite.
 
LIS Costa Rica: Four Weeks for 8th -12th Graders (a minimum of one year of Spanish is required)
This program combines a fun, supportive Overland group with four weeks of service and native-speaker, classroom-based instruction in Heredia (outside of San José, the nation’s capital city), Monteverde (located in the mountains) and Playa Flamingo (located on the Pacific Coast).  We will visit each location for a week at a time, and we’ll spend our mornings teaching and playing with young children and their mothers, beautifying neighborhoods, constructing affordable housing, restoring local schools and cleaning beaches. These projects allow us to work together to help communities while offering us the opportunity to use—and enjoy—our expanding Spanish language skills. Every afternoon, we’ll receive native-speaker instruction at Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI) in small classes that are tailored to our students’ abilities. On the weekends, we’ll raft the Pacuare River, hike in the cloud forest, tour coffee plantations and explore the white sand beaches and stunning wildlife of Manuel Antonio National Park, all while having fun in our small group and using our rapidly improving Spanish. A one-week homestay with a Costa Rican family will provide you and one of your Overland peers with an unparalleled Spanish language immersion experience. After our homestay, we’ll return to Heredia for an unforgettable week of service projects with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, a perfect ending to our work and exploration in beautiful Costa Rica.

Highlights

• Explore the communities surrounding San José, the cloud forests & the Pacific Coast
• Develop skills & confidence in the Spanish language
• Volunteer in disadvantaged communities
• Experience a one-week homestay
• Raft the Pacuare River

Grade

Language Immersion & Service Costa Rica : Three Weeks
For 7th-9th Graders: For students who will finish grades 7-9 in June 2010.

Language Immersion & Service Costa Rica : Four Weeks
For 8th-12th Graders: 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

Families are responsible for making travel arrangements to and from Costa Rica's Santamaria International Airport in San José. Overland’s leaders will be on hand at the airport to provide supervision and assistance at program start and end

Dates and Fees

LIS Costa Rica, Three Weeks:
Sunday, June 27 to Friday, July 16
Sunday, July 18 to Friday, August 6

$5595
(airfare not included)

LIS Costa Rica, Four Weeks:
Sunday, June 27 to Saturday, July 24

$6595
(airfare not included)

Itinerary

Program Start

LIS Costa Rica starts in the country's capital, San José, where Overland leaders will be on-hand to meet arriving students.

Morning Group Activities

Each morning we'll work on various service projects such as volunteering in a daycare center in Heredia or San Isidro de El General, doing trail maintenance and reforestation in Monteverde or helping with a beach cleanup at Flamingo.

 Language Classes

On LIS Costa Rica, we'll spend four hours every afternoon studying with experienced, native-speaker language intructors in small classes of three to five. Each student will take a placement test on their first day and will be grouped according to ability. We'll work on improving our grammar, vocabulary and conversational skills, and there will be a small amount of nightly homework. Improving our Spanish will help us to interact more closely with the Costa Rican people with whom we will work and serve during our mornings of volunteer work.

Homestay Families

Overland students will be placed in pairs with carefully selected, friendly Costa Rican families during the week that we spend in homestays. This week has been a trip highlight in the past, as it provides students with the opportunity to experience authentic Costa Rican life. Students will eat breakfast and dinner with their families. The one-week homestay will be an invaluable addition to our language learning.

Weekend Excursions

During our weekends in Costa Rica, we will raft the exciting Pacuare River with friendly and experienced guides. We'll hike to beautiful waterfalls and enjoy delicious meals prepared for us at our riverside camp site. We will have have the opportunity to visit one of Costa Rica's smallest and most beautiful national parks, Manuel Antonio, where we'll enjoy scenic beaches, trails and abundant wildlife.

Program End

At the end of our time in Costa Rica, we will have improved our Spanish and contributed to meaningful projects to benefit the people and land of this gorgeous and exciting country!

“Language & Service Costa Rica was the best three weeks in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.” Charlie Card-Childers, Houston, Texas

Trip Details

LANGUAGE IMMERSION: INSTRUCTION & SERVICE HOURS

LIS Costa Rica, Three Weeks:

30 hours of service
48 hours of native-speaker, classroom-based instruction
30 hours of structured language immersion

LIS Costa Rica, Four Weeks:

40 hours of service
60 hours of native-speaker, classroom-based instruction
40 hours of structured language immersion

PARENTS & STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE

Unlike most Overland programs, Language Immersion & Service Costa Rica spends a good deal of time in cities. As with every Overland program, our high expectations and basic rules apply at all times. There are no late night activities and drinking alcohol is forbidden.

Students: Is This Trip Right For You?

Language Immersion & Service Costa Rica 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 summer service work in Costa Rica offers.

Please note that a minimum of one year of Spanish is required for both Language Immersion & Service Costa programs.

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!

“The leaders and the group made me feel comfortable and confident in experimenting with my language and social skills.” Sasha Zients, Washington, D.C.

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Prepare & Pack

Costa Rica 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 Language Immersion & Service programs we travel light —we cannot emphasize this enough.  Please bring just one duffel bag and one small day pack for weekend excursions and day hikes. The dimensions of the duffel bag should not exceed 24"L x 13"W x 11"H.   We recommend checking out duffel bags from EMS, REI and L.L. Bean as guidelines for size.  The day pack should be a regular school backpack with two shoulder straps, large enough to fit a rain coat, water and snacks.  It must be worn on both shoulders (satchels and one strap bags will not be appropriate for day hikes and weekend excursions). 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.

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.
• **(For LIS CR 3 week program ONLY)** Rubber Boots. Waterproof for working in areas with mud.

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 to navigate at night (e.g. on our rafting trip).
• Small Daypack. A small pack to carry daily items in (it can also be used as a carry-on for the flight).
• Camera/Batteries/Memory Card
Optional. Interested in seeing your photographs or videos on Overland's website next year? Bring a camera with lots of pixels (10 or more) and lots of memory (4GB or more). Buying a new camera? One of our favorites is the Canon PowerShot SD960 IS digital camera.
• 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 your 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.

Admissions

Below is the Admissions Material packet and other information for Language Immersion & Service Costa Rica, 3 or 4 Weeks.

Admission Material 2010

Flight & Travel Information 2010

Program Start & End Information 2010

Language & Service Costa Rica 3 Week Release Form 2010

Language & Service Costa Rica 4 Week Release Form 2010

Apply

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.