Instituto Estelar Bilingüe

My whole visit with Estelar was wonderful. I came for 10 days with my high school last summer, and the institute did an exceptional job organizing our group of 19 people. Estelar was the perfect combination of service work, spanish immersion and exploration. My host family was very welcoming, warm, patient with my developing Spanish, and helpful. The day trips were incredible and beautiful and the classes were informative but also fun. I absolutely loved Club A - those kids are amazing. Overall a great trip.

My school has end of year trips where we go to different places and do hands on learning. So, Some of us decided to go to Costa Rica and take a 20 hour Spanish class at Estelar and stay in a Homestay for about a week and a half. It was amazing. Bethany who was the owner of Estelar was super great and helped us with everything. She rented buses for us and showed us all the cool places around Costa Rica. The Spanish class as well as the excursions and transportation were stellar! Definitely volunteer at Club A on Tuesdays if you go!

Estelar was the perfect combination of service work, spanish immersion and exploration for our high school group. I absolutely loved my home stay, my host mother treated me like her own child! My Spanish has improved so much in such a short space of time. The Spanish teacher was very friendly, likeable and I never felt lost. It also helped me grow my confidence in talking in Spanish. I can take everything I have learned and use it in real life context, which is awesome. Thank you to Bethany for organizing EVERYTHING! Pura vida!

The institute did an exceptional job organizing our group of 19 high school students. The homestay was the most influential and stable part for me. I highly recommend doing one, my family was kind, available, and loving towards me, even now I keep in touch with them. I really hope to go back one day. I loved my time in Costa Rica because of this school and I am so proud of the progress I made in the classes! It was easy to learn and with all of the extra events, there was never a dull moment. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Overall, the class, program and professors were incredible. Starting from the top, Bethany and her support staff have made the process of learning at Estelar a breeze. They are exceptionally responsive, professional, and approachable. I knew that if a problem arose in my 8 weeks in Costa Rica, I could bring it to their attention and it would be fixed. They take classes and your learning seriously. Upon arrival, everything is done professionally all the while maintaining a lighthearted and relaxed environment.
Although this review is designed to be for profesora Nelly, I will make comments about all of the staff. First, you cannot go wrong with any of the professors. All are immensely different but share important qualities such as patience, enthusiasm, and creativity. I looked forward to each day because of the professors. Merlin was a gifted story-teller and downright funny. Class always ended too soon (figuratively) when I was in her classes. Nelly's strength was consistency. She never wavered in her patience or effort despite encountering particularly difficult exercises or my dense brain. She was consistently supportive and inspiring. Gabriella was also an excellent professor. Her darker humor and cynicism permitted us to explore Spanish in other topics... politics, crime, corruption, and so on. I left her classes stronger in Spanish and also better informed about Latin America. All in all, Bethany has done a splendid job locating professors that are of the highest quality. I can't wait to learn from them again.
My experience at Club A was perspective changing. Despite being a cliche, working with these children reminded me that I have so much. I am sincerely grateful to Bethany for developing this experience. I would love to return one day and perhaps expand the program into 2-3 times per week.
The staff and facilities are without flaw. I was astounded at how clean the facilities were and how friendly and helpful the staff was. Again, the Institute went far beyond beyond expectations.
Senora Clarita was a wonderful woman who always put my comfort first despite going through some hard times. My room was consistently kept clean and I was provided everything I needed to sleep comfortably. Clarita washed my clothes frequently and always was interested in talking. She advised me on how to stay safe in Liberia, and would wait up if I returned later in the evening to ensure I was safe. We watched movies, cooked, and laughed together. She truly reminds me of my grandmother - immensely caring, protective, and loving.