Costa Rica Youth Exchange, a bona fide adventure in fluency and friendships.

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 immersion inspires students to go beyond tourism and experience the engaging village life in in the green hills of Tilaran, Guanacaste.

Hold My Spot

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"