Location
Multiple Locations +3
  • Costa Rica
  • Guatemala
  • Peru
    • Machu Picchu
    • Cusco
Length
12 - 26 weeks

Program Details

Activities
Hiking
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Host Family
Primary Language
Spanish
Age Min.
17
Age Max
20

Pricing

Starting Price
14500
Price Details
Program tuition is $14500, including all costs except for airfare. Airfare is estimated at $1,750, though it varies based on fuel costs. Need-based scholarships and work-study options are available. Learn more on our Financial Aid page.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation Travel Insurance
What's Not Included
Airfare
Oct 04, 2021
Sep 13, 2019
24 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Explore solutions to critical global issues in communities throughout Latin America in this 13-week program.

Our well-established gap year programs are exciting, supportive, and transformational. You will engage in fun language classes, enjoy extended homestays, and have the opportunity to work with inspiring local leaders on projects that make a difference. The result? You'll learn about things that matter to you and the world. With Master's level teachers as Program Leaders, you'll also experience mentorship and support to help you uncover your purpose and direction.

Itinerary – 13 weeks:
Orientation in Guatemala – 1 week
Unit 1: Guatemala: Environmental Justice and Sustainability – 5 weeks
Enrichment: Peru: Machu Picchu and Cusco – 1 week
Unit 2: Costa Rica: Education that Empowers – 5 weeks
Culmination in Washington, D.C. – 1 week

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Thinking Beyond Borders.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Living with host families
  • Fieldwork with local experts
  • Combine field work experiences, fascinating readings, and daily seminars to make learning meaningful
  • Daily Spanish language classes & immersion
  • Visit Machu Picchu and Cusco

Related Programs

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 22 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.8
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 9 - 16 of 22 reviews
Default avatar
Sophie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best experience of my life

TBB was the coolest experience of my life. It was so much fun and my group, including my program leaders, became a second family to me. Still TBB is definitely not a vacation, the program is very challenging and only the right fit to people who are willing to invest a lot of learning effort. If that is the case though, you will experience much personal growth through your trip, many of your assumptions will be challenged and you will come out of the experience very inspired and motivated.

60 people found this review helpful.
Zachary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South America Gap semester

Read More
What would you improve about this program?
I would feel that perhaps that Ecuador was really good and I really enjoyed everything about Ecuador. I also really enjoyed everything about Peru but I felt like we could have maybe spent one or two more days in Cuzco.

I would feel that if we had another week or like 2 weeks in Cochabamba it would have been so much better and I guess shortening the Mizque trip would have been good because while I learnt about sustainability and other things I felt we didn't really do very much in Mizque so which is the rationale behind why I feel like we should shorten Mizque but instead spend more time in CBBA. I also think that it would have been good to lengthen the program just slightly.
60 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
JJDCS
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fun with Thinking Beyond Borders in South America

Read More
What would you improve about this program?
The only thing was maybe removing one project in Bolivia.
54 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Anna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Thinking beyond borders re Krisztina Gabot

My daughter just returned from the south America semester and I was impressed at how the program was handled and what the participates accomplished. I am so glad my daughter had this opportunity. Everyone she met has helped her grow in so many ways. I know she plans to keep in touch with members of TBB and hopes to do more with them. We were able to maintain some contact as well as read a blog she established. The program really expands a student's outlook of the world.

61 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Vanessa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome Experience!

I chose Thinking Beyond Borders because I wanted to be challenged in a new way intellectually, physically and emotionally. All of these aspects were met and I had an amazing time. I was challenged to think about development and global issues in new ways and was pushed beyond my comfort zone in many circumstances. TBB offered amazing support from the program leaders and from our on site resources. Although at times I felt that our projects were not giving to the community as much as I hoped, I gained a lot from all of my experiences. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone searching to learn about development and the global world and about yourself.

57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Leah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Broadened My Perspective

I just came back and miss it already. I learned so much about development, made great friends in and out of our group, and reexamined myself in the process. The great thing about this program is that it isn't a gap year semester where go to South America and pretend to "save the world." TBB acknowledged that we would gain more than we gave and really looked at volunteering through a critical lens. I would not have gained the same knowledge if I had just gone to a school to teach English. We all asked ourselves why they needed to learn English in the first place. It was also just so fun! My host families were amazing and everyone should do the program!

What would you improve about this program?
I wish there wasn't a rule against drinking alcohol- although I understand the need for it. Sometimes it created a barrier in relationships. However I also understand the safety aspect and the fact that we were there to learn not party.
63 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Krisz
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Learned so much

At first, the main reason for me going on the program was to fill my free time for the Fall. My impression was that I would be part of a group of students that would just travel around, live with families and be involved in weekly seminars discussing readings and local issues. The program was far more than that. I came out of it with a greater understanding of what it means to be an agent of change and how much more incentive I have to pursue my goals for college. I've never been able to say that I 100% fully appreciate every experience I went through, every person I met, and all of my volunteer work that made an impact. I'm walking away from this program with much greater knowledge on what goes on outside of my world. Thinking Beyond Borders is a very special program that opened up my eyes to reality and the developing world.

What would you improve about this program?
I wish there were more accurate schedules. There were times we were told something, but didn't follow through.
63 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

TBB is Experiential Learning at its Best

Putting our barely 18 year old daughter on a plane to South America, knowing we'd not see her for 13 weeks and knowing she was going to encounter some very challenging situations, was nerve-wracking. Yet TBB exceeded expectations, providing her with a transformative educational experience. No college course could compare. The program is experiential learning at its best. The home-stays were safe and supportive; the service projects were compelling; the seminars were challenging; the program director and leaders were always communicative. Our child has grown immeasurably. We will always be grateful to TBB, and look forward to having our younger children share in the TBB experience when they are ready to graduate from high school.

46 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers