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Costa Rica Cultural Connections

May 21, 2021 Susan Wiadro No Comments
Student group pose with their painted Sarchi souvenirs

ACIS’ educational tours to Costa Rica are full of cultural connections. These hands-on learning activities take students’ understanding of the Costa Rican culture to the next level. Here are five of our favorites.

Costa Rican Cooking Lesson

Costa Rica Cooking Lesson Cultural Connection

In this cooking lesson groups will explore the secrets of flavorful Costa Rican cuisine. After an introduction to traditional Costa Rican food and techniques, students will join the chef in the kitchen and help prepare the ingredients, assist the chef with cooking and learn to properly garnish each dish. Groups will then enjoy the fruits of their labor and devour the delicious meal they helped prepare! Everyone will leave with recipes they can put to use impressing friends and family back home.

You can find this cultural connection on the following ACIS tours to Costa Rica:

Visit with Local Students in San Carlos

Visit with Local Students in San Carlos Cultural Connection

There is no better way to truly connect with another culture than by visiting with and talking to the locals. In this cultural connection groups visit with local students at a San Carlos school. Together they will participate in a joint activity, sharing stories and laughs, and gain an understanding of each others’ daily lives and studies. Students will have the opportunity to contrast what they learn and experience with their own lifestyle and educational system at home.

You can find this cultural connection on the following ACIS tours to Costa Rica:

Craft Workshop in Sarchí

Craft Workshop in Sarchí Cultural Connection

As the most famous crafts center in Costa Rica, Sarchí has more than 200 stores selling intricately decorated artisan creations. In this activity students will tap into the area’s history of creating brightly colored ox-carts and other furniture items during a craft workshop. A local artisan will teach the group traditional skills, techniques and designs as students craft their own small souvenir to take home. Students who participate in this workshop gain a better appreciation for the various craftsmanship they will see throughout Costa Rica.

You can find this cultural connection on the following ACIS tours to Costa Rica:

Community and Reforestation service project

Community and Reforestation service project Cultural Connection

This cultural connection is a service project with equal focus on both community development and ecological issues.  Groups will begin with community-minded projects such as painting or grounds upkeep at local schools. They will then switch to reforestation work on area farms that contribute to the local ecosystem and agriculture.

You can find this cultural connection on the following ACIS tours to Costa Rica:

Costa Rican Dance Lesson

Costa Rican Dance Lesson Cultural Connection

The lively Ticos are lovers of an extensive variety of types of music and dancing styles, many of which have African, pre-Columbian or Spanish roots. In this cultural connection, groups will learn about the rich traditions of various Costa Rican folk dances from an expert. The dance instructor will then lead the group through the basic steps and before you know it everyone will be dancing along. This cultural connection is a whole lot of fun for all students, whether gregarious or shy, and we’ve found it helps forge a strong group bond.

You can find this cultural connection on the following ACIS tours to Costa Rica:

Do any of these five Costa Rica cultural connections spark your interest? What about Sea Turtle Conservation, Folklore Shows, Tropical Farm visits, Canopy Tours… the list goes on and on. You can see all ACIS Tours to Costa Rica here. And if you’re looking for a tour that’s jam-packed with cultural connections, you may have noticed one trip name appear again and again—Insider’s Costa Rica has the most cultural connections in Costa Rica and maybe that’s why it’s our most popular Costa Rican tour.

Susan Wiadro

Susan Wiadro

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