Location
  • Costa Rica
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
Subject Areas
Agriculture Anthropology Arts Biology Conservation and Preservation Cultural Studies Ecology Economics Education Global Studies Health Sciences Hispanic Studies History Latin American Studies Life Sciences Marine Biology Medicine Natural Sciences Nursing Peace Studies Physical Therapy Political Science Psychology Service Learning Social Sciences Sociology Sustainable Development Tourism Women's Studies +19

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Host Family
Language
Spanish

Pricing

Starting Price
6000
Price Details
Includes airport pick-up, classes, books, internship placement and supervision, donation to internship organization, room and partial board (breakfast and dinner), laundry service, round-trip transportation from San José to internship sites in Costa Rica, field trip expenses etc.

Pricing varies from Summer to Semester and depending on Credit.
See website for scholarship opportunities!
Oct 23, 2024
Oct 28, 2024
8 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Costa Rica is perhaps best known for its ecological diversity and the abolition of its army. In lieu of a military, it has an "army" of teachers and healthcare workers, positioning Costa Rica uniquely in the region in terms of human development. In addition to internships in education and the public health sector, ICADS' internship program offers over 95 placements in areas of areas of environment, agriculture, development, wildlife conservation, agriculture, and women’s studies, among others.

This program prepares students for their 8 week internship by first providing a block of orientation to both help ground students in the context and issues facing this region while also improving their Spanish communication abilities through small intensive Spanish classes. (Can be for credit)

Gain hands-on experience and knowledge; live with a local family; move beyond the theory into the practice, and put your views of development and justice to the test in ICADS' internship program.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Spring or Fall Semester
  • Summer Internship
  • Total Immersions
  • Spanish Language
  • host family living

Related Programs

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 6 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.5
  • Support 4.5
  • Fun 4.85
  • Housing 3.85
  • Safety 4.35
Showing 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Default avatar
Haileigh
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Study Abroad with ICADS

I studied abroad with ICADS and spent nine weeks in Costa Rica. I really enjoyed the first two weeks spent in classes at ICADS learning about Costa Rica and practicing my Spanish speaking skills. I truly loved all of the professors I had! After the first two weeks, I began a Social Justice and Development Internship and worked with the organization, Fundación Mujer. It was a really great place for me to work and learn! The staff was very welcoming and understanding of my learning process. I'm so thankful to ICADS for listening to my academic interests and organizing the internship for me. I do wish is that I was able to continue with Spanish classes while I was doing my internship. It also would have been nice to have a few more trips organized by ICADS, but it was nice to plan some things on my own too.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Just go for it! The classes are really engaging and interesting and you'll get to hear stories from so many interesting people while you're here. ICADS encourages personal growth and makes sure that your time abroad really means something.
Pros
  • Engaging classes
  • Meaningful Internship
  • Fun trips!
50 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Molly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Shaped the rest of my life choices

Living with a host family is something I believe is critical to long-term study abroad experiences. There is truly no other way to learn about the culture as in-depth as having a host family and essentially becoming a member of that family.

The ICADS program finds incredible host families in San Jose (for the first month or so of the program) and outside the metro when students do field work or an internship. I am so glad I found this program. I still keep in contact with my host family and was so moved by my internship experience, assisting with health education on the border of Nicaragua.

My Spanish skills improved so much while in Costa Rica thanks to the intense classwork and immersion program that has been so well thought out. I wish I could go back again and again!

151 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Samuel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing

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What would you improve about this program?
The course work during the first month was more rigorous than I expected. The classes on Costa Rican history and politics were interesting, but I would have preferred to focus on learning Spanish.
153 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bobby
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

eye opening

I lived with a family in a small fishing village for most of my experience with ICADS. It was amazing. I learned from the local people how to build, fish, milk cows and tend to olive ridley turtles.

What would you improve about this program?
One of the classes I took on sustainable development before my experience living on the farm seemed a bit one sided. The class pushed non-capitalist ideas and gave strong arguments to further their point, but they did not do a great job explaining why capitalism is a good thing and how to use our current system to change things.
150 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
JBadaracco
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Internship Program Review

The Internship Program is great! As long as you are in an internship that you enjoy and are busy with it will be a great program. There is a lot of down time so is important to stay busy. It is mainly important that the internship you are participating in is what you want because it would be a very dull experience otherwise.

What would you improve about this program?
I would try to make the assignments more reasonable and not as lengthy. They were a bit extensive
145 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
ojp10
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Do Not Miss This Opportunity

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What would you improve about this program?
I would put the Nicaragua trip after the first five weeks; it came really early and I felt really freaked out being with a new host family when I hadn't really gotten used to my first one, and spending most of the days running around to new places with the ICADS students, who I hadn't really become comfortable with yet, either.
143 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers