COSTA RICA
THE INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN
Make an impact on the next generation of Costa Rican youth through infrastructure improvements and cross-cultural exchanges at local schools.
Program Overview
Join this program and get hands-on experience with impactful projects that directly benefit Costa Rican youth. We’re located in a serene, authentic local community, where your primary focus will be revitalizing local schools through structural improvements and refurbishments. You’ll also spend time learning about local life, trying traditional foods, and learning traditional dance in a group lesson.
After your rewarding service work, dive into Costa Rica’s natural beauty with thrilling activities like ziplining, river tubing, hiking, lake kayaking and soaking in volcanic hot springs. Opt for the 21-day experience to add more excitement to your adventure by exploring the region’s natural beauty, visiting an organic farm, taking on the challenge of whitewater rafting and enjoying a two-night beach excursion with a catamaran ride.
On GLA’s Costa Rica: The Initiative for Children program you will:
- Volunteer on infrastructure projects at rural schools
- Discuss critical community issues
- Experience Costa Rica’s rainforest canopy on a zipline and hike to a waterfall
- Tube down Rio Arenal and relax in hot springs
- Learn about the culture through cooking, dancing lessons and a coffee workshop
- Take a hike to view one of the world’s largest volcanic craters, the famous Pas Volcano National Park!
- Enjoy a whitewater rafting adventure and take a two-day overnight excursion to the beach for a catamaran ride and snorkeling (21-Day Program only)
Program Menu
COSTA RICA
THE INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN
Sample Itinerary
Let’s take a sneak peek at what your program experience might look like this summer! Please note that the order of activities may differ for each program session. The details provided here represent a general outline of what you can anticipate, though community service projects and activities are subject to change based on the needs of our local community partners, cultural celebrations and traditions, weather conditions and the specific requirements of the student group.
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive in San José, Costa Rica, where GLA staff will greet you at the airport. We’ll then drive to the nearby Home Base, where you can rest before enjoying your first Costa Rican dinner.
Day 2: Orientation & Introduction to Costa Rican Culture
We’ll start with GLA orientation, get to know each other, and learn key aspects of Costa Rican culture, including basic Spanish phrases!
Day 3: Travel to Service Community
Today, we’ll head north to our second Home Base near San Carlos, a rural area surrounded by farmland and scenic views. We’ll learn about the local way of life and meet the property owner, a GLA partner for over 10 years. The property was designed for GLA students to stay close to their volunteer work. After settling in, enjoy the afternoon relaxing at the lake, with paddle boards and kayaks available!
Days 4-7 (14-Day Program Students) & Days 4-8 (21-Day Program Students): Community Service & Adventure
Service begins! You’ll work at a local school or community center, helping improve infrastructure alongside community members and students. Depending on the needs, you may maintain gardens, build a greenhouse, refurbish classrooms, or handle repairs. Local schools lack strong government support, particularly for infrastructure. It’s vital to create safe, inspiring spaces for students and staff. After morning service, we’ll return to Home Base for lunch, then spend the afternoons exploring the area with cultural activities like a cooking class, pineapple farm tour, and dance lessons!
Days 8-9 (14-Day Program Students) & Days 9-10 (21-Day Program Students): Adventure Day!
Go river tubing on the famous La Fortuna waterways, relax in hot springs, and enjoy stunning views of Arenal Volcano. You’ll also have time to explore La Fortuna and learn about its history. Students in the 21-day program will also experience an exciting white-water rafting adventure!
Days 10-12 (14-Day Program Students) & Days 11-14 (21-Day Program Students): Community Service Continued
We’ll continue service at local schools, likely interacting with children during recess through soccer and games. Students will join a milk and cheese workshop and continue with the leadership curriculum, focusing on personal goals.
Day 13 (14-Day Program Students): Ziplining & Farewell
After a final breakfast and saying goodbye to our Home Base host and local staff, we’ll head back to San José, with an exciting ziplining adventure along the way!
Day 14: Departure Day for Our 14-Day Program Students
Alas, it’s time to exchange goodbyes with the students departing on the 14-day program where GLA staff will send them off from San José.
Day 15: Final Service Day for 21-Day Program Students
On our last day, we’ll wrap up the service projects and say farewell to the connections made at the schools. There will be a final reflection on the service learning experience before packing up to depart for the Pacific coast tomorrow!
Days 16-17: Beach Excursion
After exploring Costa Rica’s inland for the past couple of weeks, it’s time to head to the famous Guanacaste region for an overnight stay. We’ll relax near the beach in Tamarindo, soaking up two days of sunshine. Enjoy an ocean catamaran ride with the chance to snorkel and spot vibrant fish and other marine life.
Day 18: Back to Robledal
Start your day with a fresh Costa Rican breakfast, then enjoy some beach time before we drive back to our Home Base at Hotel Robledal to wrap up our amazing 3-week Costa Rican adventure.
Days 19-20: Ziplining, Final Goodbyes & Farewell Dinner
Our time in Costa Rica is coming to an end! We’ll embark on one final ziplining adventure through the lush rainforest, followed by a closing ceremony to reflect on our experiences. The day will conclude with a farewell dinner.
Day 21: Departures
After breakfast and final goodbyes, we’ll head to the airport where GLA staff will check students in for their journey home. ¡Adiós!
Program Map
14-Day Program
21-Day Program
COSTA RICA
THE INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN
Community Service
Work at a school or community center, where local children spend much of their day. Alongside school and local leaders, collaborate to improve site infrastructure and conditions, and learn about the challenges and opportunities children face in the community. Depending on the community’s needs when you arrive, you might maintain gardens, build a greenhouse for growing food, refurbish a classroom or work on repairs.
Though interactions with local schoolchildren may vary from session to session, your dedication to these projects is crucial. When opportunities arise, we play soccer or lead English games to foster interaction with local students and help them improve their English skills.
Hands-on Learning
Costa Rica is known for its leadership in environmental protection and educational initiatives, yet development challenges continue to impact its youth. During your stay, you’ll gain valuable insights into these ongoing issues as you visit some of the communities and farms that surround the rural town of Santa Teresa, located north of San José in inland Costa Rica. The students in the schools where you’ll volunteer come from families who work on these pineapple and livestock farms. While you’re here, you’ll connect with local school children, ask questions and learn what it’s like to grow up in Costa Rica. These meaningful cross-cultural interactions encourage mutual learning, fostering language exchange and shared inspiration.
Adventure
Balance your meaningful community service experience with the adventurous side of Costa Rica! Visit Juan Castro Blanco National Park and hike near the world-famous Arenal Volcano. Relax in hot springs and follow a local guide who shares insights about the area’s traditions, history and nature. Wind your way through the farms and enjoy the unhurried pace of life. Explore the country by water on kayaking and tubing expeditions. Follow that up with an incredible ziplining expedition through lush tree tops. You’ll even have a chance to spend the afternoon swimming in your very own private lake behind Home Base!
Exclusive to our 21-day program, you’ll experience an epic whitewater rafting excursion on the Aguas Bravas river, and an ocean catamaran ride and snorkeling adventure.
Lodging & Meals
This program is based in Alajuela province, in the small rural community of Santa Teresa. Home Base is an all-wooden lodge surrounded by pineapple and sugarcane farms. There are three lakes near the property where students can swim, kayak and enjoy the exclusive, sprawling grounds. Students will stay in gender-segregated rooms with roommates.
The food at Home Base reflects the traditional dietary staples of Costa Rica—simple, fresh and healthy, featuring delicious, locally-grown fruits.
COSTA RICA
THE INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN
Dates & Tuition
14-Day Program
2025 Session Dates
July 12 – July 25, 2025
Program Details
21-Day Program
2025 Session Dates
June 13 – July 03, 2025
Program Details
Tuition Includes All In-Country Expenses
Airport pick-up/drop-off
In-country transportation
Lodging
3 meals per day
Professional full-time staff and experts
24/7 parent support hotline during program
Secondary medical and evacuation insurance
Cultural activities, lectures and excursions
Pre-departure materials and support
Educational materials
An application fee and $600 deposit are required
to hold your spot on-program.
Backed by our 5-Point Safety System™
GLA HOME BASE:
SAFE & SECURE LODGING
CARING SUPERVISION &
EXPERT LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
SAFE
TRANSPORTATION
HEALTHY FOOD
& PURE WATER
24/7 SUPPORT &
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Recommended by Students and Parents
“I felt as though I got a better view of the world as a whole and am now able to appreciate how fortunate I was growing up on a deeper level. Additionally I now understand how lucky I am to be able to help others and am inspired to utilize it more.”
Brooke L. | Student | 2024
COSTA RICA
THE INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN
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