High School Summer Programs

Costa Rica

Outdoor Adventure & Cultural Exchange in the Rainforest
Community Homestay, Rainforest Adventure, Spanish Immersion

4 Weeks

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. Welcome to the summer adventure of a lifetime.

Dates

Session 1: June 28-July 26, 2023
Session 2: July 7-August 5th, 2023

Ages

14 – 18

Availability

Spaces available

Group size

18 or less

tuition

$6,895
International airfare is not included in the tuition. Roundtrip airfare from New York to San Jose will be approximately $600 – $1,000.

Program overview

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.
Adventure via zip line, raft, and on foot through the rainforest. Learn from local experts and collaborate with organizations making positive change. This country’s progressive approach to conservation has protected a substantial range of its natural habitat.

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. Join the Global Routes tradition, one which dates back to over 20 years of service with a host of communities and dozens of schools in Costa Rica.
Global Routes Costa Rica Map
High School Program Costa Rica 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.

Want the day by day itinerary?

How to enroll

Take the first step here

Learn more about enrolling in a summer program below.

The Application Process

1. Submit your Interest Form

If you’re curious about Global Routes, we encourage you to start your exploration with our Interest Form. It’s obligation-free and takes only a few minutes.

2. Interview with Global Routes Staff

After submission of your interest form, you’ll be guided to book a call with a member of our team. This call is an informal “interview” to help you determine if Global Routes is the best fit for you! We’ll also happily answer any questions you have about our summer programs.

3. Accepted! Complete Tuition Payment & Enrollment

When you’re sure Global Routes is for you and you’re ready to register, you’ll simply click “Enroll Now” to register and pay your program tuition.

Global Routes High School Programs

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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 14-17  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.

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. 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. We go to new communities and work with new families nearly every year. This keeps the experience unique and special for communities and students alike. 

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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