Costa Rica Rainforest & Community
Dates: 4/3 – 4/10
Location: International
Price Range: $4500 – 5000
Theme: Science & Culture
Faculty Contact: Malcom Yates
¡Pura Vida! Viajaremos juntos a la selva tropical costarricense y experimentaremos una profunda inmersión cultural, natural y lingüística. En colaboración con World Leadership School y alojándonos en el Chilamate Rainforest Eco-Retreat, pasaremos nuestros días conociendo a la gente, la cultura y el ambiente de este lugar único y hermoso. Recorreremos senderos selváticos, nos deslizaremos por las copas de los árboles en tirolesas, navegaremos por aguas turbulentas, cocinaremos y comeremos platos locales, nos revitalizaremos en reconocidas aguas termales y mucho más. ¡Pura Vida!
We will travel together to the Costa Rican rainforest and experience deep cultural, natural, and linguistic immersion. Partnering with the World Leadership School and staying at the Chilamate Rainforest Eco-Retreat, we will spend our days getting to know the people, the culture, and the environment of this unique and beautiful place. We will walk jungle paths, glide through canopies on zip lines, navigate churning waters, cook and eat local dishes, rejuvenate in renowned hot springs and more.
Immersion: We will speak only Spanish on this trip except in case of emergency.
Unplugged Policy: EPS will collect students’ phones at the beginning of this trip and return them at trip’s end. This is a firm policy of our partner organization.
Physical Activity: This trip will involve significant physical activity including (potentially) long walks, zip-line excursions, and river-rafting.
- Students and families should be aware that this experience includes:
- Full Spanish-immersion
- Hot, humid rainforest conditions and extended time outdoors in variable weather
- Physically active days that may include hiking, zip-lining, rafting, and other outdoor adventures
- Simple, eco-lodge accommodations designed for sustainability and group living
- Exposure to local foods, customs, and routines that may differ from student’s everyday experiences
- The need for empathy, reflection, and cultural sensitivity when engaging with local communities and historical narratives
Tentative Itinerary:
Day 1 – Saturday, April 4th
Mid-day arrival in San José, Costa Rica, Lunch en route to Chilamate Rainforest Eco-Retreat (CRER), Welcome dinner and Community Orientation
Learning Sessions, Stay overnight and eat all meals at CRER
Day 2 – Sunday, April 5th
Breakfast at CRER, Morning rainforest hike, Learning Sessions: Local Leadership Challenge
and Costa Rica Adventure Race with homestay families, Dinner with homestay families, Stay overnight at CRER
Day 3 – Monday, April 6th
Breakfast at CRER, Community Engagement Day 1 – Sustainable Communities, Learning Session: Building Utopia, Afternoon ethnobotany class, Dinner with homestay families, Stay overnight at CRER
Day 4 – Tuesday, April 7th
Breakfast at CRER, Community Learning Day 2 Elements, Learning Session: Community Inquiry, Possible afternoon swimming in the Rio Sarapiquí, Dinner with homestay families, Stay overnight at CRER, Optional Rainforest Night Hike
Day 5 – Wednesday, April 8th
Community Engagement Day 3, Afternoon chocolate tour, Learning Session: Circle of Questions – BEARS, Dinner with homestay families, Stay overnight at CRER
Day 6 – Thursday, April 9th
Morning visit with Maleku Indigenous Reserve with lunch, Afternoon hot springs soak in La Fortuna, Stay overnight and eat all meals at CRER
Day 7 – Friday, April 10th
Morning white-water rafting or zipline canopy tour, Learning Sessions: Candle Circle, Stay overnight and eat all meals at CRER
Day 8 – Saturday, April 11th
Morning transfer to San José for return flight