Location
  • Costa Rica
Length
1 - 2 weeks
Need-based funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Hotel
Age Min.
14
Age Max
18

Pricing

Starting Price
2999
Price Details
Tuition is all-inclusive, with the exception of airfare to and from Costa Rica and suggesting "spending money" for souvenirs and emergencies. In addition to lodging, meals, and activities, tuition also includes pre- and post-program support; a 24/7 hotline while programs are in session; a post-program photo album; a certificate confirming community service hours, and more.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation
What's Included (Extra)

24/7 Emergency Hotline
Medical insurance

What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
Oct 27, 2023
Dec 12, 2023
75 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Join us in Costa Rica, one of the most astounding collections of ecosystems and cultures on the planet!

This 10-day service learning adventure is designed for new travelers and seasoned explorers looking to dive deep into Tico culture. Live in a tight-knit beachside community in the Guanacaste region as you work alongside local organizations to make improvements to infrastructure and assist with ongoing environmental initiatives. Learn about Costa Rica, and about yourself, through leadership activities, local speakers and cultural workshops. You'll also have the opportunity to take full advantage of this country's incredible natural beauty: enjoy peaceful beaches, lively jungle and vibrant undersea ecosystems.

Service Hours: 20
Program Theme: Leadership & Exploration

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Lend a hand on projects that support community development as well as conservation initiatives
  • Get your blood pumping with river tubing and zipline excursions
  • Learn about ocean ecology as you snorkel among brightly colored fish
  • Cook--and eat!--local dishes and learn to salsa dance
  • Practice your Spanish with native speakers or learn the basics in orientation

Scholarships

GLA IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Scholarship

The goal of our scholarship is to provide inclusion, diversity, equity and access to GLA programs.

Program Dates

Application Deadline
Program Dates
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Program Reviews

4.90 Rating
based on 81 reviews
  • 5 rating 92.59%
  • 4 rating 6.17%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 1.23%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.85
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.85
  • Safety 4.95
  • Program Selection 4.85
  • Pre-departure Help 5
  • In-program Support 5
  • Impact on Student 4.5
  • Value 5
Showing 17 - 24 of 81 reviews
Default avatar
Natalie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GLA Costa Rica- Beachside service Adventure

I had the best 10 days of my life on this trip! It was not nearly long enough and I'm going back with GLA for 21 days this year. Costa Rica is a beautiful country that GLA does an amazing job of showing to it's students. We learned so much about the culture and how to respect the way of life while there. One of my favorite lessons learned was responsible voluntourism. My service project was to help a local elementary school with a garden and murals. We cleaned out a patch in their back yard area then built garden beds. We also talked to the students about what they wanted on their walls then painted sustainability themed murals. My personal favorite activity was playing soccer with the most beautiful backdrop with local kids. Back at home base after long service days we learned lessons about leadership and service. Meals were eaten outside under the stars or on the balcony overlooking the beach. The nightly "taste of Costa Rica" dish allowed us to sample the local cuisine. Though I was there for just 10 days I made amazing friends and memories to last a lifetime.

What was your funniest moment?
One day at my service site while painting we heard a swell of noise from the tree behind the school. The child next to me said "monos". I was on my feet running for the tree before I could think. Within the limited Spanish I could remember from school the word for monkey was still in my vocabulary. My friends rushed around me and we stared at about 15 monkeys in the tree. There was even a baby clinging to its mother. I was speechless. Though the moment was more amazing than funny to us GLA students the students at escuela paraiso though it was funny. The monkeys was a weekly occurrence for them whereas all i get to see at school is birds and the occasional squirrel. With the children laughing around me and the monkeys screeching above me I realized how amazing it was that I was able to experience this different life in another country.
107 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Anita
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Empowering Rainforest Communities - GLA 2017 trip

This past summer I was fortunate enough to embark on a life changing journey to Costa Rica where I spent 2 weeks living in the rainforest doing service work. This trip taught me so much about myself and about what I want to do with my life. Global Leadership Adventures plays a big role in the impact my service trip had on me. From the moment I stepped off the plane in Costa Rica, GLA’s staff was there to greet me and they continued being incredible throughout the two weeks! After returning home from my Costa Rica trip, I have become more outgoing and stepped outside of my comfort zone so much! One tip I have for future GLA changemakers is to just let go and live in the moment. I would definitely recommend GLA to anyone who is passionate about giving back and being the change!

74 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Katherine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

He is Still Talking About It

Our 17 year old son went to GLA's Sea Turtle Initiative for spring break 2018 to help finish off his volunteer hours required for graduation and he was blown away. He'd already traveled to many countries (10+, many on his own) so we were surprised by the impact. This experience was unlike any he'd previously had in that it was very remote and he was directly involved with the local community while free from the influence of western culture.

The staff was kind, and their genuine concern for the locals and the environment was an eye-opener for our son. He has a new understanding of our impact of humans on Earth and I believe many of the lessons he learned will stay with him for life. He now reminds us to correct our daily habits with regard to conservation and recycling, talks about nature / indigenous populations / wildlife with an educated, informed opinion and sees news headlines under a new light. He is PAYING ATTENTION.

We genuinely believe this program has changed our teen's life. Don't hesitate to send yours.

What would you improve about this program?
I can't think of anything needing improvement.
88 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Christina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Initiative for Children Volunteer Experience

I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life when I went on the Costa Rica Initiative for Children program through Global Leadership Adventures. Since my sister, who is only a year younger than me, came on the trip with me, my experience was different from most of the students, who came completely alone. Still, traveling to another country with a bunch of strangers seemed scary at first, but our group got in touch before even arriving in Costa Rica (I highly recommend getting in touch before the trip- this helps with packing too) and my nerves eased after meeting our guides and other students. As soon as I sat down with my group at the airport, I was given some local cookies and added into the game of Uno. Our host, Alfredo, provided us with nice housing and fed us very well with traditional Costa Rican food and a variety of local foods, including coffee from Alfredo's own plantations to cheese from a family we met who lived down the street. We also had a lake and dock on the property, which we had plenty of time to swim at. The staff was very flexible and accommodating, such as letting my sister and I get up early and work out (we are intense athletes) before breakfast, and they even offered to take us kayaking on the lake before everyone was up. Our staff I never felt bored on the program and was happily surprised by all the activities we did, since the majority were not in the program booklet. We went zip lining, went horseback riding, rafted down a river, visited a "zoo" with tons of interesting animals I had never seen before anywhere in the States, went to a dog rescue center, went hiking, and much more. However, the friendships I made with both the other kids on the program and the local kids we hosted a summer camp for almost every day are the most valuable part of my trip. We helped clean out and repaint a local abandoned school building and we also held a summer camp for the kids where we taught them English through games and activities. I highly recommend the Initiative for Children program for anyone serious about learning Spanish or anyone who wants to become a teacher or any profession where interaction with kids is involved. I have taken Spanish in school for 13 years and this 14 day trip was the most valuable Spanish lesson ever, since I had to speak Spanish all the time to the local kids. We played soccer, did karate, did arts and crafts, danced, and did leadership activities with the local kids, and spending time with those kids and really immersing myself into another culture in a way I had never done before with my family really opened my eyes to all I can learn from different cultures and helped me realize all the different lifestyles the world has to offer. I also still keep in touch with a majority of the 20+ kids through a group chat, and I know a few members of the group flew from the east coast to California to visit other members. I cried all day in the airport when we left, where we all held hands in a circle and gave each other compliments, our nightly routine back at Alfredo's. I had not anticipated how close our group would become in just 14 days. I highly recommend Global Leadership Adventures for any teen enthusiastic about service (there are so may different programs and there will be at least one for you) and willing to step out of their comfort zone, because the experience is totally worth it.

What would you improve about this program?
Our staff was very chill and let us have a ton of fun, however they were not always consistent with the rules and showed favorites at times.
85 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Suzanne
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Satisfied Parent

The summer of 2017, I sent my twins to Costa Rica on the Beachside Service Adventure with Global Leadership Adventures and I could not be more happy that I did. Not only did they have the opportunity to grow as individuals, they grew as part of a group and established lasting connections with their peers. They had a great time and I am so glad I was able to enable their growth! Moreover, the staff was very helpful and understanding. They are very knowledgeable and settled any of my concerns over the phone and made it easy to be a parent sending their child on a life-changing excursion.

What would you improve about this program?
I would have liked for the blog to be updated a little more frequently than it was while my kids were abroad.
85 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Michor
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing

I had an amazing time on the Empowering Rainforest Communities trip to Costa Rica with Global Leadership Adventures. Everything from the wildlife to the food to the culture made a memory for a lifetime. My group did struggle with internal relationships, but we worked through hard times together, as our task was mentally and physically challenging. The climate was a rainforest, so it rained a lot... and then some. I wasn’t quite prepared for the humidity and rain, as I am from a dryer climate. But I learned to live with wet clothes. Make sure to keep money or important documents from molding.

What would you improve about this program?
More time with the locals maybe.
77 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Abby
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Costa Rica Trip

This past summer, I traveled to Costa Rica with Global Leadership Adventures. I had an amazing time! I met so many new people, experienced a new culture, and went on many amazing adventures. I would recommend this program to all high school students! I truly immersed myself in the community and grew in my Spanish skills too! I met so many amazing friends who I still keep in touch with and visit! I got to go hiking, swimming, zip lining, snorkeling, horseback riding, rafting, and more.

What would you improve about this program?
It’s already awesome :)
87 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Madison
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Costa Rica Volunteer Experience

My name is Madison and I participated in the two week animal rescue project in Costa Rica. This was an unforgettable experience of a lifetime! I learned so many new things, met amazing people and had a blast! Before deciding if I was going to go on this trip, I was extremely nervous. I had never been out of the country without my parents before. This was going to be my first time away from my family, and for two whole weeks! This fear quickly went away when I was sitting at the airport waiting for my plane to board and I saw a girl wearing the GLA shirt that I was wearing. I went up to her and we talked about our love for dogs and how excited/nervous we were to go on this trip! When we arrived in Costa Rica we were greeted with our amazing mentors! I will never forget these lovely ladies! They made me feel right at home and I felt prepared to take on the next two weeks. When we arrived at our base, some other kids and I played card games while waiting for everyone to arrive. This was a real bonding experience and we all connected so quickly. Being only 14 at the time, I was the youngest one there but everyone was so kind and included everyone in things. My favorite thing about this trip was the relationships I built with everybody. In fact, everyone on the trip made a group chat and we text each other every day on it! We have maintained a close relationship and I am so glad to have these lifelong friends. The activities we accomplished every day made me feel like I was really making a difference. We helped clean dogs at the shelter, paint fences, pour cement, and much more! After a hard day's work, the mentors took us on amazing "relaxing days". These includes hiking to a beautiful waterfall, going to a hot spring, and learning how to surf. The mentor did a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and they made sure we took advantage of every minute we had together! When we returned to the base at night after working at the animal shelter, we would have team bonding games, movie nights and game nights. These were a blast! I remember one night we were watching Moana and everyone was singing along to the songs! Also, we played charades and more fun singing games. Clearly we had a group that loved to sing very much because when we were on our long bus rides, everyone would sing karaoke together! This was an amazing trip and to anyone who is considering going, I say do it! You will not regret it and you will make lifelong memories!

49 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

This program is incredible! I was able to attend it this past summer and it gave me a whole new perspective. Some tips on saving up for the trip is to start a "Go fund me" account and asking relatives to donate money toward that for birthdays or other holidays instead of giving gifts. Also, I've started putting half of my pay checks into a savings account, which adds up really quickly! If you have...

While in Costa Rica, I felt extremely safe and so did everyone in my group! We were immediately welcomed into the country by our mentors and we found them easily after getting off the plane. In both of the places we stayed, everyone was extremely friendly and confident in what they were doing. Our trip was well planned and organized as well. I never doubted that I was safe which allowed me (and...

In my program, there were 14 girls. Although I was initially worried that there were only girls in my group, it made the trip even better! We had an amazing dynamic and all of us immediately bonded. By the end of the trip, it felt as if I had known those girls my entire life -- not just two weeks. We felt like sisters and there were many tears when we said goodbye. However, we still talk almost...

In Spanish and Service in the Osa we rotated through different projects. We painted the bleachers, helped dig the foundation for a basketball court, organize their library, help to brighten up and plant in their school's garden, and my personal favorite paint a large map of the world (as most of their maps were a little outdated). Not even the overwhelming heat could bring us down we were having...