MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVICE ADVENTURE

Fly into San José, the capital of Costa Rica, where GLA staff will welcome you and take you to our family-run Home Base in the province of Alajuela. Unwind after your journey, take a guided walk around town, and enjoy a welcome orientation and dinner.

We will start the day by finishing GLA orientation. After lunch, your community service begins! There are five service days throughout the program, which take place in the mornings and last around four hours. We will have a short introduction to your service project and get settled into a local school. Later, we’ll have Mentor Groups, and possibly another after-dinner group activity if time permits.

Today we’ll continue our service in the morning, then head back to Home Base for lunch. After lunch, get ready for a crash course in Tico Spanish! You’ll learn common words and phrases that you can use to converse with members of the local community during learning or cultural activities.

On to our first adventure day! We’ll head a couple of hours west for a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park and a day at the beach. Students can walk through the rainforest, swim in the waves, bask in the sun, and visit the local beach town with a staff chaperone.

This morning we’ll return to our service sites, continuing where we left off on Day Three. After service, we’ll hear from GLA’s own Jose on the history and culture of Costa Rica. Then explore local markets, visit a “tortilleria” to see treats being made, and taste some of the most popular food of Costa Rica.

We’ll start off with a visit to a hot spring center where you’ll be able to enjoy various pools with different temperatures and see the famous Arenal Volcano! In the afternoon we’ll go on a guided hike through the Costa Rican rainforest! Then we’ll visit a local chocolate maker for a tour where you’ll learn the origins of cacao and the process of making chocolate.

Today we return to our service sites for our fourth day of community work. Back at Home Base, we’ll enjoy lunch, leadership activities and dance the night away with local instructors who will teach us famous dances such as salsa, cumbia, bachata and merengue.

In the morning we’ll head out for a day of exciting activities! First, ziplining through the rainforest on ten different cables and fifteen platforms. Next, we’ll embark upon our second rainforest hike of the program and visit a butterfly garden. Finally, foray even higher into the sky on an aerial tram ride above the rainforest.

On our final day of service, wrap up the projects you’ve been working on and say farewell to the friends you’ve made at your service sites. Spend the afternoon enjoying a waterfall hike and then have the chance to buy souvenirs from local artisans. Later, the final Mentor groups and then a farewell dinner to celebrate your time in Costa Rica!

It’s time to say goodbye—or hopefully, hasta luego!—to Home Base and your program staff. Your GLA staff will assist with check-in and remain with your group until you’ve crossed successfully through airport security.