Projects Abroad High School Conservation Programs in Costa Rica

I attended the teen conservation program in Barra Honda national park. It was a great experience! It was a good mix of cultural immersion at the brief homestay and various excursions and real deal conservation work in a national park. I loved that students came in from all of the world! It was so cool to do cultural comparison! It was a good mix of education, work and time to relax and spend time together. The staff is great, super accommodating and welcoming! They also made it really easy for me to sign up even though it was later in the summer.

One thing I would say is that the program is a lot of hiking and mostly in the jungle. Also There isn't a whole lot of language immersion since it isn't expected of you to know Spanish so look elsewhere if you want serious spanish practice.

Earlier this summer, I participated in the Projects Abroad High School Special in Costa Rica: Care and Conservation. Each week of the two-week program was on an opposite end of the spectrum. The first week was spent volunteering at a San José daycare center for children, Osito Feliz. We spent much of our time painting a mural for the children as well as mentoring them. The kids taught me a lot about appreciating what we have and making the most of each day.

The next day, we traveled four hours away to the Barra Honda National Park. Coming form the urban city of Houston, Texas, the prospect of living in a jungle was a novel concept. Nonetheless, the staff was so welcoming, and they certainly made the most of their living conditions. Seeing their constant positivity and passion for their environmental projects was moving.

When I look back on my experience in Costa Rica, I wouldn't have changed it for the work. The greatest beauty I can recall from my trip is the new adventures I endured-- whether that be Costa Rican dance lessons, speaking fluent Spanish for the first time, horseback riding, or watching bats leave their caves at night. While there were certainly some difficulties in terms of living conditions, I can wholeheartedly say that my time there shaped me for the better.

So, yes. Costa Rica was not glamorous. But it was certainly life-changing. And those challenging adventures are what eventually take us on the path to the individuals we're meant to become.