Middle & High School Intercultural Experiences to Costa Rica
The best and truest intercultural experience ever:
sure to be unlike anything you've done before!
Go Tico!'s Intercultural Experience strives to provide the perfect balance of true cultural immersion while exploring areas most tourists do not see: the amazing sites of the Rio Cuarto region. This program provides just enough of everything: living and engaging with the small, welcoming host community, hiking, swimming, kayaking, learning, tasting, and truly living rural life in one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica:
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Cultural & Language immersion: reside in the welcoming rural town of La Flor de Rio Cuarto, engaging in social activities with local kids and community members in Spanish. Learn how to cook Tico food with local residents and explore the produce of the region.
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Service opportunities: provide academic enrichment & English conversation practice with local students
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Regional tourism: hike at Arenal Volcano National Park, visit a butterfly garden, explore a biological reserve and the longest suspension bridge in the region, hike to epic waterfalls in the mountains, take a chocolate tour, explore the Rio Sarapiqui by boat, and kayak in the deepest lake in Costa Rica.
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Local hosts: entire trip is hosted by Go Tico! co-directors Johel Saborio Gonzalez or Sara Bembenek-Saborio
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Guardians (select trips): explore Costa Rica alongside your student, engaging in regional exploration. During meal times, join in on cooking Tico-style and participate in evening community-building sessions. Enjoy free time daily to relax and take-in the nature that surrounds you.
Watch our Middle & High School Information Session here!
Trip Registration and Pricing Details
Intercultural Programs
Dates: June 11 - 21, 2024
Registration Deadline: February 23, 2024
Min.- Max. participants: 8-12, rising 8th grade - 12th grade
To Register: submit registration packet to goticocostarica@gmail.com
Trip fee*: $3,400 (airfare & chaperone included on flight from Madison, WI region-either MSN/ORD)
(if flying from elsewhere, let us know to adjust your fee as airfare/flight chaperone not included)
Fee Includes: All meals and accommodations, all entrance fees for activities & parks, in-country transportation, airport pick up and drop off, airfare (if flying from Madison, Wisconsin region - MSN or ORD - with group ONLY)*
*Fee Does Not Include:
Airfare* to San Jose International Airport (for those not flying from Madison, Wisconsin region)**
**Go Tico! will designate specific, required arrival and departure windows to the San Jose (SJO) airport in order to coordinate pick-up and drop-off
CONTACT US NOW
REGISTER NOW for the Middle and High School Intercultural Experience or contact Sara and Johel to inquire about planning your own itinerary. As the Director of Experiences, Johel is also certified as an official tour guide by INA (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje) in Costa Rica, which makes him a great resource to consult.
Contact us through this Google Form so that we can get a little more info before helping you to choose or plan your trip!
FAQ's
Where will participants be staying?
Participants will split their time between cabins in the host community and host families in La Flor de Rio Cuarto, all of whom are either family of Sara & Johel or family friends that are very well known and have lived in the community for many years.
Who else will be going on this trip?
Go Tico! Costa Rica Co-directors Sara Bembenek-Saborio or Johel Saborio Gonzalez will be the primary chaperones on this trip, along with wonderful in-country host families and summer programming support staff
Is the community safe? The community is incredibly safe, as it is so small that most of the families have been living there for much of their lives. The people of La Flor are wonderful, kind hosts who enjoy having students stay and share their culture.
Where is the nearest medical facility? The nearest private medical clinic (open standard business hours) is 15 minutes away. The nearest urgent care facility is 15 minutes away. The nearest hospital is 40 minutes away. If need be, transportation by ambulance is available.
We heard cell phones aren’t allowed. Is that true? Kind-of….. Historically, Go Tico! has not allowed cell phones on trips to provide students with the freedom to just live in Costa Rica, interact with the community, practice their Spanish a lot, and be free from always having to be connected and reporting back on everything that happens in life. Past students have greatly enjoyed time to disconnect and immerse themselves in their experience. Another reason to avoid phones while on the trip is that scammers love to prey on parents & grandparents eagerly awaiting their kids' arrival from abroad. Social Media posts about traveling abroad allows for scammers to take advantage of family who may not be keeping as closely in touch with your student. However, we will be allowing cell phones with the requirement that all students leave them in their accommodations or check them into a cell phone basket during daytime engagement with community members and charlas. They will be available during free time and evening quiet hours.
Are payment plans available? Yes! Please reach out to us to extend your payments over several months prior to the trip: goticocostarica@gmail.com.