Location
  • Costa Rica
    • San José
Length
4 to 52 weeks

Program Details

Compensation
Unpaid
Timeframe
Academic Year Fall J-Term Maymester Spring Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hotel
Language
English
Age Min.
19

Pricing

Starting Price
1995
Price Details
Internship Programs include:

- Airport Pick-up
- Private room with a host family
- Breakfast and dinner 7 days/week
- 1 hour/day private Spanish classes
- Internship Advisor
- Orientation and safety presentation
- Letter of recommendation
- Free office-wide WiFi and computer lounge
- Free Spanish books and materials
- Free Spanish language tutoring
- Free Tandem Conversation Program (practice your Spanish!)
- Institute is open 7 days/week, including holidays
- Emergency contact 24/7
- Free cultural activities
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Some Activities Some Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
Mar 04, 2022
May 19, 2023
35 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Maximo Nivel offers internship programs in San Jose, Costa Rica. Develop professional skills and Spanish language fluency in an international setting. International internships provide excellent work experience and build your professional network. Native Spanish immersion takes your Spanish language skills to the next level.

Internship placements include:

- Education (K-12)
- Special Education
- Micro-Business
- Human Rights
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Medical
- Dental
- Customized

Internship programs are offered as "Practicums" (4 weeks) or "Internships" (8+ weeks). Internship programs are available year round and new programs begin every Monday. with lots of flexibility to meet your needs.

Internships qualify for university credit via our School of Record

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

At Maximo Nivel, we deeply value diversity in all its forms. We maintain an open-minded approach, recognizing the significance of varied perspectives, intelligent discourse, and the transformative power of a positive mindset. We warmly welcome and respect individuals from all backgrounds, irrespective of politics, gender, gender identity, age, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Whether it’s volunteering, Spanish immersion, TEFL certification, international internships, university courses, or GAP year experiences, members of the LGBTQIA+ community are wholeheartedly invited to participate in our programs.

Impact

At Maximo Nivel, we work in close partnership with our local communities in Latin America to ensure that volunteer projects align with genuine local needs, fostering meaningful and relevant impact. We emphasize sustainable initiatives designed for enduring change, rather than short-term interventions. By promoting cultural sensitivity, we facilitate enriching exchanges rooted in mutual respect, and our commitment to local employment further integrates and supports the communities we serve.

Program Highlights

  • New internships start every Monday year-round
  • Academic credit available
  • Dedicated internship advisor
  • Internships available for 4 to 24 weeks
  • All-inclusive—Private accommodations, meals, & Spanish classes

Program Reviews

4.94 Rating
based on 16 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.75%
  • 4 rating 6.25%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.9
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.7
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 16 reviews
Default avatar
Imani
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Micro Business Intership

This was my first time being out the country since I was 5 years old and it was super fun. There where a few things that was different and through me through a loop like cold showers, not being able to flush toliet paper, walkers not having the right away, and of corse not speaking spanish well enough to have a conversation. However, the food, attractions, businesses, people, etc. was super important and amazing. I learned a lot of about Costa Rica and even some things about myself that keep with me forever. My only critique would be to not have orientation right after scholars come off a flight and tour around. I was too tired and jet lagged to catch everything that was said.

Pros
  • living with a host family so you can experience a new culture
  • Learning Experience
  • Centre is well located and has good options for food and transport.
Cons
  • difficult to get around if you do not understand the language at first
  • Cost of living - groceries and laundry + the cost of excursions is high.
  • Very few resources available at the project, so you have to work hard to create materials to use.
71 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Emilia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Customized Placement

My internship was overall an incredible experience and helped me accomplish the major goal I had for my gap year as well as prepare me for my future at University. My main goal was to become fluent in Spanish and throughout my internship, even though most of the staff and students who I worked with were able to speak English, I spent every day speaking only Spanish. It was difficult at first given the whole new set of technical vocabulary I had to become accustomed to, but everyone there was very patient and committed to my practice of Spanish. Additionally, the teachers at Maximo Nivel are truly great. From reviewing the basics at the beginning to correcting minute details later, the teaching staff has always supported me in and out of the classroom. So grateful to have had the teachers I did during my time at Maximo. This internship was also very helpful in terms of my growth and development in the career field I am most interested in. I was able to not only expand my knowldge but also apply it first hand. So, as an accepted and incoming freshman engineering student, this program was extremely beneficial. I learned and experienced so much, from working with the well-qualified and passionate staff to operating world-class machinery there. I am so grateful to Maximo Nivel for everything. From classes to my internship and everything else in between, my experience at Maximo as a whole has really impacted me.

Pros
  • Dedication to practicing Spanish
  • Experiencing the real world of engineering
  • Learning from great people and great resources
Cons
  • The daily commute to get there is very tiring
  • The pandemic affected the social environment
  • Not knowing where I was going up until my very first day
111 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Libby
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Student Teaching in Costa Rica!

I spent 6 weeks in Costa Rica learning about the culture and people while teaching at an English immersion school. The partnership between Maximo Nivel and the school was incredible! They provided me with the chance to work directly with Costa Rican students and the experience was life changing. My 7th and 8th graders were sweet, and taught me just as much as I taught them. Everyone here in Costa Rica has been welcoming, kind and always willing to help.

Maximo helped our group set up excursions to explore Costa Rica, so I visited Arenal Volcano, explored Tortuga Island, the beaches of Manuel Antonio, and much more! I highly recommed this experience and program for anyone and hope to come back again someday!

What would you improve about this program?
NA
127 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Salma
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Costa Rica Experience

I stayed in Costa Rica for 2 weeks and volunteered with Maximo in the special needs project. The special needs project is located at casa esperanza. This was a very rewarding experience due to the fact that I was able to develop a close relationship with the adults. I could tell how much they appreciated having us there. If you are working in this project, I reccommend having some sort of game `plan for the time that you are there so that you can make the most of it. They love playing bingo, so make sure to never skip that as part of your schedule. Some things you can try is cognitive games such as matching, addition, and patterns. Overall great experience! Really enjoyed my time here!

Pura Vida!!!

What would you improve about this program?
N-A
117 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sydney
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Special Needs Care- Casa Esperanza

The special needs project at Casa Esperanza is an incredible experience. The residents really enjoyed our company and we enjoyed theirs. Everyone loves to play bingo, and we spent the first hour or so everyday playing BINGO because it is their favorite activity. In addition to BINGO, they all love to color. We made a matching game with different shapes that they really enjoyed and we also did basic addition with some of them. They were always so excited to us, and sad to see us leave. Overall, the special needs project is a really rewarding opportunity and I would recommend it to everyone! I wish I had longer than two weeks with the residents, but the two weeks that I had with them were two of my favorite weeks in Costa Rica!

115 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lisa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome experience

Maximo staff were amazing with my young teenage daughter and her friend. They were enthusiastic, helpful, encouraging, organized, accommodating. They made this an unforgettable experience for all of us. Anything we needed was taken care of. The Spanish lessons were the best I have ever taken. We were able to meet so many great ticans and representational volunteers. And the costs were so reasonable.

131 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Pasquale
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Internship in San Jose, Costa Rica

I spent 15 weeks doing an internship in San Jose through Maximo Nivel.

The internship was at a relatively small NGO in the centre of San Pedro called 'Fundacion Mujer' and I believe I have gained valuable experience during my stay here. Not only will my experience at Fundacion Mujer help me with any future employment but I was able to practice my Spanish on a day-to-day basis. The work was also very rewarding as I worked on a project that aimed to aid the integration of refugees in Costa Rica.

The internship providers, Maximo Nivel, played a big role in making my 15-week-stay stress-free and enjoyable. After each day of my internship, I would return to the Maximo Nivel centre where the kind staff would show genuine interest in my day and provide any necessary help. The help would extend beyond any internship or project enquires as they would also offer advice on how to make the most of my stay by suggesting places to visit during the evenings and weekends.

Maximo Nivel did an excellent job of organising my internship and visiting me several times to ensure everything was going well. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and feel like I grew thanks to the internship and a lot of this came down to the work done at Maximo Nivel.

What would you improve about this program?
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and Maximo Nivel made it very easy for me to settle in. I had no negative experiences and as of this moment, I have no suggestions that I believe would help to improve this program.
112 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Natalie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Nutrition Intership

I spent 4 weeks taking Spanish classes and 4 weeks working with a Nutritionist.

The 4 weeks of classes were great and gave me an amazing opportunity to practice my Spanish. The classes were small, the teachers were experienced and genuinely interested in seeing you improve, and the materials provided were very useful. On top of being experienced, the teachers were very nice and kept classes interesting and fun.

Maximo Nivel was able to match me up with an internship with a Nutritionist, which was a perfect match for me as I am double majoring in Spanish and Dietetics. Being matched with an internship directly within my major was amazing because it advanced my career, and allowed me to practice Spanish within my career of interest, allowing me to improve my knowledge of both my areas of study. It was really hands-on and very enjoyable. I even got to take breaks to workout (for free!) at each of the gyms my boss worked at.

The biggest thing I learned was to keep an open-mind, ask a lot of questions, and never be embarrassed to make mistakes.

What would you improve about this program?
Lengthen classes Monday-Thursday by an hour so that students can have fridays off to facilitate and make traveling easier.
123 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hello Kirsten, interns are required to be at least 18 years of age and are typically enrolled in College or University. If you have relevant experience in the field, we might be able to customize an Internship to your goals and skills. Please email us at international@maximonivel.com and we'll be happy to help you.