Students and Teachers Travel to Costa Rica

The group embarked on a 10-day exploration of Costa Rican biodiversity and culture. Living in eco-lodges in three different areas of the country, students immersed themselves in the welcoming "Pura Vida" spirit that permeates Costa Rican culture and its people. Each day brought with it new opportunities to engage with locals in speaking Spanish, learning about local customs and experiencing each area's incredible natural surroundings. 

The students went dolphin and turtle watching, snorkeling, whitewater rafting, zip-lining and kayaking. They also took surf and dance lessons and went swimming in volcanic hot springs.  Students also volunteered at a local community center, a service learning activity that was student-led from preparation to execution. The travelers participated in a cultural exchange at a school, explored a farm, a rainforest, and a volcano all while immersing themsevles in the culture and practicing their Spanish.  

Two rising 6th Grade students describe one of their days on the trip below.

"This morning we had an early wake-up to go milk cows and collect eggs. After a nutritious breakfast, we headed over to the Tico farm. There, we got a tour of the farm, and helped out with the chores. We learned all about how business is run on a cattle farm in Costa Rica. At noon, the farm owners kindly served us a traditional Costa Rican meal. After lunch, we played some fun games in Spanish. We also saw cows get milked from a machine, and eventually made quesadillas out of homemade tortillas and cheese. By homemade we mean we made both the cheese and the tortillas. After a long day of work, we headed back to the hotel and cooled off in the pool. We ended the day off with a wonderful dinner. We are so excited for the adventures to come!"

Welcome home Carlthorp students, Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Zurek!