Youth Leadership Pura Vida

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: San Jose

Depart from the USA. Arrive in the Costa Rican capital of San José, meet your ACIS Tour Manager, and begin to discover the country's famous Tico hospitality.

Day 2: San Jose

This morning your first leadership workshop will be at the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation (CRHF), operating since 1997 with a focus on using education as a way to fight poverty. Learn about the female founder and director's work, how her efforts and leadership have impacted one of the San José's highest risk communities and how collaborators in that community have been empowered to reach out to other areas and transfer their skills and knowledge. In the afternoon enjoy a Global Exchange at a local NGO (a non-profit, Non-Governmental Organization) focused on using soccer to engage, inspire and empower Costa Rican youth by providing tools and connections through the sport they love to cultivate leaders. This a perfect opportunity to try your Spanish conversation and soccer skills!

Day 3: San Carlos

In the morning, drive north through the cloud forest to Sarapiquí. Visit a farm for your leadership workshop with a local female leader who works with low-income farmers in her community to plant native trees that are needed to maintain the sustainability of the area’s ecosystem. Participate alongside her in a reforestation service project that will help you gain a deeper understanding of the intimate connection residents have with the local ecosphere and see firsthand why sustainability is so essential to maintaining this special environment. Then enjoy lunch at the home of a Costa Rican family, a wonderful Global Exchange opportunity where you can hone your Spanish-speaking skills and savor authentic local cuisine. Travel this afternoon to an organic pineapple farm run by a local entrepreneur. As you tour the farm with them, learn about the difference between conventional and organic farming—and why the latter is so important to the region’s delicate ecology. You’ll get a sense of the fascinating process behind growing and harvesting one of the world’s favorite tropical fruits, as well as discover interesting facts about the fruit’s history, sustainable farming practices, and its significance in Costa Rican culture and economy. Arrive later this evening in the San Carlos region, in the shadow of Arenal Volcano.

Day 4: San Carlos

Today is a full-day Global Exchange focused on comparative learning and sharing dynamics at the Maleku Indigenous Reserve, which encompasses three distinct settlements. A Maleku family will guide you on a hike through the village and forest to learn more about the ways they co-exist with the abundant natural resources around them. Then share in the preservation of their artistic traditions as with a hands-on experience, painting traditional designs on the dried fruits of the calabash tree. Later, witness an authentic portrayal by the Maleku of their present identity and the leadership hurdles they confront in sustaining their traditions within a "civilized" world. As a highlight, they will perform a traditional fire dance ceremony in their native Maleku language and dress. In the evening you will return to San Carlos.

Day 5: Guanacaste Coast

Descend out of the mountains of the country’s interior and into the tropical dry forest of the Guanacaste province. Today's leadership workshop introduces you to a young female entrepreneur who has created an award-winning program of sustainable honey production that helps to support and save the local farmers, bees, and the delicate ecosystem around them. A shared lunch together is included. Then continue your journey to arrive at the Pacific Coast.

Day 6: Guanacaste Coast

This morning, join students from a local community school for a Global Exchange focused on comparative learning and sharing dynamics in the context of sustainability and environmental responsibility. Practice your Spanish, create connections, and share approaches to caring for our ecosystems. An included lunch together will help you create long-lasting connections in education and friendship. Then the afternoon is yours to enjoy the beach or discover more of what this amazing region has to offer at your own pace. During tonight's farewell dinner, you and your fellow travelers can recap the trip's unique educational experiences, reflect on some of the leadership skills you have learned and think about how you can impactfully apply those skills upon your return home. (Please note that flight scheduling may require your last night to be spent in San José.).

Day 7: Departure

Depart for the USA.



Optional Extensions and Extra Nights:

Further immerse yourself in the culture and wonders of Costa Rica with an extra night in San José, including the services of your ACIS Tour Manager, at the beginning of your tour.