Gap Year
Costa Rica Mini Semester | Pacific Discovery
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Costa Rica Mini Semester | Pacific Discovery
4.4
·
5 reviews
Location
- Costa Rica
- San José
- Monteverde
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety
Apr 21, 2026
Apr 15, 2026
10 travelers are looking at this program
About Program
Awaken your sense of purpose in the heart of Costa Rica. This six-week journey blends adventure, culture, and conservation in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.
Raft wild rivers, hike cloud forests, snorkel in warm waters and volunteer at wildlife sanctuaries and sustainable farms. Live with local families, learn traditional customs, and discover what pura vida really means.
Whether you're craving growth, clarity, or meaningful impact, this immersive program invites you to challenge yourself, connect deeply with others, and reflect on who you’re becoming.
With leadership workshops, intentional community, and experienced mentors guiding the way, you'll return more confident, inspired, and aligned with your values.
This isn’t just a trip, it’s a turning point.
Program Highlights
- Care for sloths and monkeys during a volunteer project at an animal rescue center
- Surf on the pristine beaches of the Pacific coast with professional guides
- Experience homestays with Costa Rican families and live like a local for a week
- Give a local school a helping hand during a community volunteer project in Tinamu
- Multi-day kayaking adventure through rainforest-covered hills and secret islets
Fall Programs Now Live!
Video and Photos
Diversity & Inclusion 💙
BIPOC Support
We understand that we have a long way to go in achieving the diversity we strive for among our students, staff, and partners. We are committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive organization, and we recognize that this requires time, effort, and resources. At Pacific Discovery, we deeply value diversity, equity, and social justice, and we are dedicated to creating educational experiences that reflect and promote these values. Our program curriculum incorporates social justice education and encourages students to explore their own identities. To further support these efforts, we offer a 'Diverse Voices' Scholarship.
LGBTQIA+ Support
All of our Pacific Discovery programs are LGBTQIA+ friendly, and our operations team have attended CIS Abroad's LGBTQ+ Allyship Training, to ensure we’re doing what we can to support this community. We provide an open and non judgemental space for students to explore who they are at this pivotal time of their life, and in our admissions process we seek information not only on a student's gender, but their pronouns and gender identity. We’re aware of the differing cultural perspectives of LQBTQIA in the countries that we visit, and can direct students to a semester location where they’ll feel the most comfortable. Operationally we ensure that our instructors use inclusive language and can facilitate conversations with students around their identity, and discuss the rooming situations with LGBTQIA+ students.
Neurodivergent Support
Our programs are designed to support students with a wide range of neurodiverse conditions while following our essential eligibility criteria. For students needing extra help, we provide personalized wellness plans . These plans include coping strategies, care protocols, and specific requirements to help them engage effectively in the program. Our instructors have access to mental health first aid resources and are well-prepared to offer strong support to students with these needs.
Accessibility Support
Our programs offer a variety of physical activities, including hiking, surfing, rafting, and mountain biking. We make sure to accommodate students with diverse needs such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic medical conditions, while working within the infrastructure of the host country and our program schedules. We're mindful of the varying levels of accessibility in the countries we visit and can help students choose a semester location where they feel most at ease.
Impact 🌎
Sustainability
Sustainability is one of the 6 core components of each Pacific Discovery program, where we educate students about the local and global environmental issues, how to travel sustainably, and have them think deeply about their impact and what they can do in their daily lives to affect change.
We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.
We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.
Ethical Impact
We make a conscious decision to partner with host communities and suppliers who are passionate about our students' participation and involvement with them being of a positive benefit to the community. We want our presence to enable positive sustainable growth for our partners and this mantra is ingrained in the fabric of our programs.
