EcoTeach

Our group of 9 middle school students spent 8 days in Costa Rica in April. We asked our guide to talk only Spanish to the kids and he did! We also selected one student to be "leader" and one student to be "translator" each day. Our guide Eloy really utilized these students. The translator worked really hard translating for the rest of the group and the chaperones that did not speak Spanish, and the leader got to make decisions like where we would have lunch or what snacks we would buy at the supermercado. As a chaperone, I was thrilled with the personal attention we got from the EcoTeach guide and the Spanish practice each kid got.
In addition, the EcoTeach guide and driver were amazing when it came to being flexible! We were stopped by a mudslide, a fallen tree, and holiday traffic, but they found alternatives and kept it fun for the kids! Thank you EcoTeach!

For the second year in a row, I took 17 - 8th graders to Costa Rica with EcoTeach. When I travel again with students, I will go through EcoTeach. Their trips are a mix of great science education with a lot of culture and fun! Safety has never been an issue, and they make sure that all of your questions and concerns are taken care of. Also, they do a great job of communicating with parents before, during and after the trip. Their guides are well trained, funny, caring and very flexible with the daily routine. Everything is taken care of ahead of time, which allows chaperones to enjoy the trip just as much as the kids. Sometimes it feels like the number of things you see and accomplish in the short amount of time is too much, but the lack of sleep is completely worth it, and it impacts kids positively for the rest of their lives.

My 22 high school students, two co-leaders, and I enjoyed a fantastic experience with Ecoteach in Costa Rica. The guides and the bus drive were amazing. They met all our needs, and they were great with kids. We covered over 800 miles in ten days including the Arenal Volcano, the Sarapiqui Rainforest, the Sierra Talamanca mountains, and the Pacific Coast. Our students loved the zip line tour of the forest canopy in La Fortuna, the visit to the elementary school in Sarapiqui, and the white water rafting trip, but there absolutely favorite part of the trip was the home stay in La Providencia. I originally planned to lead a trip to Spain in 2018, but I decided to stick with Ecoteach's tour of Costa Rica instead!

I have done two trips to CR with EcoTeach and both trips were an amazing experience for all. The guides are knowledgable, funny and caring! They truly become friends to all involved in the trip. Student safety is always a primary concern and never once have I worried about the well being of a student traveler. What I like about EcoTeach is the trips are all about activities that a "tourist" will never get to experience. They go to remote outpost camps and tiny communities so students get a feel for not only the rich biodiversity, but also the culture of Costa Rica. My plan was to take students every two or three years. I have so many students wanting to travel, however, that I may have to go every year! Oh well. (;

We have traveled with EcoTeach to Costa Rica for the last three years. Every year the students have an amazing experience working at a turtle research station getting hands on experience with researchers. We have also visiting elementary schools in rural Costa Rica, gone to butterfly gardens, participated in beach clean ups and visited a sloth sanctuary. It isn't all work, the kids get time to play as well. If you are looking for a unique experience where kids get hands on this is the trip to go on.