COSTA RICA YOUTH EXCHANGE 2021 - High School Summer Spanish immersion

Let's slow-down Summer!

Creativity and confidence thrives when we are open to new people, new outlooks and new challenges. Slow down this summer, take in the breeze and follow toucans in the trees. While toasting tortillas make new friends, laugh, and feel at ease exploring yourself in a holistic place of waterfalls, horses, honey and cheese.

The Costa Rica Youth Exchange. Since 1998, our historic high school summer exchange inspires students to go beyond tourism and experience the engaging village life in the rich green hills of Guanacaste.

Hold My Spot

What about Covid?
We offer one summer session July 31 - August 16.
We have been given a "green-light" to restart our exchange by the City Council, School Directors and Ministry of Health. Our rural village is in covid recovery mode, for that reason we have shortened our sessions and subsituted home-stays with local lodges. Our partner schools and biodiversity programs will include events and activities that are 90% outdoors. Being active, adventurous and engaged will reinvigorate our collective sense of well-being!

We take care of everything

16 days / Enriching "Youth Outdoor" immersion.
100% Local - hosted by our friendly schools and partners
Onsite U.S. Director/ individual assistance.
Fully Supervised / high school appropriate.
Lodging and Meals / Village lodges, meals, bottled water to laundry.
Community Supported / Youth Peer Leadership Council

Step into our comfort zone

Youth Engagement - Arts, Music, Dance. Sports.
Embrace leadership cultivated on relationships.
Ecology, school farms, rural service projects
Healthy, engaging, village life experience.
Beginning to advance Spanish support.
Family friendly, safe, walk-able home town.
Outdoor nearby adventures on our "hammock highway".

"Organic, local adventure, nothing artificial"

"I'm coming back again,
maybe for forever" Andy T.

"Before, I was scared to speak,
now it just feels natural" Emily K.

As a parent, I wanted my son to gain some life
experience on his own, this program gave him a chance to explore and try new things while also nurturing a community connection. Carol M.

I'm not a health nut, but this place makes you feel
as though you are, the good food, outdoors, people are active and you want to be too. Jasmine B.

between two oceans - the green hills of Tilaran

Youth- Lab for Creative Engagement

On-going Projects:

Art / Music in the community
Peer to Peer sports/games
Outdoor classrooms and gardens
Trail-making between villages
Farms that benefit plant diversity.
Water trails and Monkey habitat

"So, I actually helped to re-design local signs that link each small village, its easy to miss a turn and if you do that, you miss out on meeting all the cool people that live there"