High School Summer Programs

WMI Leaders in Action

Experiential Leadership Development in Costa Rica
Leadership Community Service Program

4 Weeks

The LIA program is specifically designed for Windsor Mountain International Summer camp alumni students eager to build their skillset working with young people as students will design and run a free friendship camp in their host community.

Dates

July 3, 2024 – July 31, 2024

Ages

14 – 18

Availability

Spaces available

Group size

20 or less

tuition

$6,995
International airfare is not included in tuition. In general, roundtrip airfare (from New York, for example) can run from $900 – $1,300.

Program overview

The first words you hear when you arrive in Costa Rica may be “pura vida,” a greeting that expresses the peaceful spirit of a nation with a long tradition of democracy and a commitment to education.
Live and work with members of your host community as you gain a new appreciation for rural life and learn about the critical link between development and environmental protection. With over 20 years of experience working in Costa Rica, we’ve established deep relationships with many communities throughout the nation. This Costa Rica program is a special version of the Costa Rica program specifically designed for the Leaders in Action group from Windsor Mountain International.

Costa Rica’s warm and hospitable people, known affectionately as Ticos, inhabit an extraordinary region of the world, one replete with active volcanoes, dense rainforest, spectacular waterfalls and pristine beaches. This country’s progressive approach to conservation has protected a substantial range of its natural habitat.
Global Routes Costa Rica Map
Highschool program Leaders in action by Global Routes

highlights

Improve your Spanish as you work alongside community members on a service project or enjoy a warm meal of gallo pinto with your host community.
Dive into the heart of the Rainforest. You’ll climb giant trees, forage for medicinal plants, learn Costa Rican homestyle cooking, and zip-line.
Whitewater raft on the Savegre river, through deep canyons and lush tropical rainforest.

what you'll explore

Please note that itineraries are subject to (and likely to) change. We run unique programs, so our team refines programs each year to create the best possible student experiences.

students hiking to rainforest adventure center

Week 1

Touchdown in San José and hop on arranged transportation to one of our favorite spots in Costa Rica – San Isidro. At Valle Mirador del General, you begin your orientation led by your expert Overseas Educators. As a group, you learn about language, culture, customs, and prepare for the journey ahead. Throughout the week, you chow down on delicious fresh Costa Rican meals, develop the beginnings of lifelong friendships with your peers, and set intentions as you watch the sun set over the hills each night. After a few days of orientation, you take on your first adventure – hiking out to the Rainforest Adventure Center. On this guided hike through lush rainforest, you breathe in the fresh air far from the city center and keep your eyes open to spot wildlife. Upon arrival, you put your orientation lessons into practice as you connect with our host family at the center. Your hosts, who call this rainforest home, teach you to identify medicinal plants, climb massive trees, and make homemade Costa Rican specialties. Cool off on the summer afternoons by hiking to nearby waterfalls or taking a dip in the river alongside your rustic accommodations.

Weeks 2 & 3

Say a bittersweet goodbye to your hosts at the Rainforest Adventure Center before you hike out to grab transportation to your homestay community. Over the next two weeks, you will live in homestay families as a pair (with another Global Routes student) in a small community in Costa Rica. These homestays are the hallmark of Global Routes Leaders-in-Action!
During the day, you and your peers develop, design, market, and run a Friendship Camp for local children. You learn real counseling and camp leadership skills as you work through challenges, connect with your Costa Rican campers, and define your leadership style. As a group, you also have the chance to develop a secondary project, based on your interests and the needs identified by your hosts. Each night, enjoy bonding with your host family over shared meals, practicing your Spanish, and participating in local celebrations. Over the weekend, you take an excursion to the lodge at the base of Cerro Chiripó, the highest peak in Costa Rica!
students at final dinner in costa rica lia

Week 4

In celebration of your accomplishments, you say a tearful goodbye to your host community and travel to Uvita for a week of adventure! Stay in a guest house near the beach and learn to surf from expert guides. Swim in the ocean, whitewater raft down the Savegre River through the deep rainforest, and relax in the sunshine.

As with all Global Routes programs, we also spend time reflecting on what we’ve learned, how we can bring our newfound knowledge back into our home communities, and who we’ve become over the course of four impactful weeks.

are you ready for the adventure?

How to enroll

Take the first step here

Learn more about enrolling in a summer program below.

The Application Process

1. Submit your Application

If you’re ready to learn more about a meaningful summer program, fill out our obligation-free application to get started.

2. Optional Informational Call

Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll be offered the option to book an informational call with our team. If you’re ready to commit, move forward to finalize enrollment! 

3. FINALIZE ENROLLMENT

Ready to sign up and save your spot? Finalize enrollment by submitting your deposit and beginning the pre-departure journey!

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FAQ

Once we receive your application and reserve a space for you in the program, we provide you access to a password-protected webpage designed specifically for your program. There, we post information about passports and visas, detailed packing lists, all necessary travel information, information about your leaders, and much more! We’re also always on hand to answer any questions you might have.

Global Routes accepts students 14-18 from all over the world!  Right-fit participants are those looking for something more community-driven than a teen-tour and more culturally engaging than strictly outdoor education programs. Global Routes participants return as more confident, directed, self-aware, and adventurous global citizens with a better understanding of the unique contributions they offer their communities and the world. 

We expect you to have a positive attitude, demonstrate patience and flexibility in the face of the inherent challenges of group living in a foreign country, be sensitive to the cultures and customs of your host community, contribute to a positive group experience, and abide by the  student contract you sign on the application. No previous construction, teaching, or foreign language experience is necessary.

 

The student policies for Global Routes High School programs are: 

  1. Being flexible, patient, and open-minded in the face of new and challenging situations.
  2. Participating positively and fully in all group meetings and activities, understanding that Global Routes programs are group-based and that, at times, I may be asked to put the group’s needs before my own.
  3. Making my best effort to work and live respectfully with others within and outside the group.
  4. Maintaining group cohesion by not becoming involved in any exclusive behavior, including being part of a clique, getting involved in a romantic relationship, or isolating myself from the group.
  5. Respecting and caring for the property and equipment of Global Routes, my hosts, and my group.
  6. Forgoing the possession and/or consumption of tobacco products, un-prescribed drugs, or alcohol of any kind.
  7. Abiding by all local laws.
  8. Abiding my all safety policies set forth by my leaders and not leaving their supervision without their permission.
  9. Acknowledging that Global Routes reserves the right to dismiss, without program fee refund or issuance of community service hours – and at the expense of the participant.

Living conditions will vary throughout your program, but they will always be safe and comfortable. During orientation and final travel you stay with your group in family-run guesthouses or small hostels or hotels.

If your program includes a homestay, during the homestay portion of your program, your entire group will stay in one village where you and a partner live in a simple and rustic home, constructed of wood or cement block. When hosted, not all homes will have electricity or indoor plumbing. 

In each destination we have in-country staff who identify potential communities and  interview and select each host family. Prior to the start of your program, one of your leaders makes an additional pre-trip visit to your community to meet with village leaders, members of the project committee, and all host families. 

At other points in the program, we will find ourselves in hotels, hostels, or even camping as the final itinerary indicates.

We present all students with a certificate noting the number of completed service hours. You will complete anywhere between 40 and 100 community service hours, depending on your program. Each school determines whether or not Global Routes service hours meet their requirements. We’re happy to communicate with your school service advisor ahead of time to answer any questions they may have about your service work.

We believe that limiting technology on a program builds better connections to ourselves, our peers, and our new environments. We appreciate that cell phones can be helpful when meeting your leader or parent on travel days and therefore we permit the use of cell phones for communication on the first and last days of your program ONLY. Cell phone use is not allowed during the entire course of the program Although this can be daunting at first, most students cite the lack of phones as one of their FAVORITE parts of the Global Routes summer program!

Global Routes stays in close contact with each program and receives updates every few days. We are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to our group leaders for the entire summer, and provide regular updates via email and blog posts to parents, guardians, and mentors back home. Additionally, students will have a few opportunities throughout the program to contact home by mail, email, and phone.

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