Program Overview

Overview

This education abroad program is designed to provide students with the opportunities to examine the principles and practices of ecotourism in action through a 10-day ecotourism experience in the world-renowned ecotourism destination in Costa Rica. Emphasis is placed on the role of sustainable tourism development strategies in minimizing the environmental and cultural impacts of tourism, while also promoting the economic development of host communities in these tourism destinations. In this course, students will engage in reflective reading, writing, and discussion about the ecotourism industry in Costa Rica, while exploring the diverse ecosystems of Costa Rica through a series of homestays and adventure-based activities throughout the education abroad experience.

Program Details

Students will backpack through the cloud forest of Los Quetzales National Park and along the headwaters of the Savagre River valley, whitewater raft on the pristine rivers of Costa Rica, and surf on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. Students will also learn about sustainable agriculture and practice their Spanish while immersing themselves in Costa Rican culture and daily life through a series of homestays during the experience. In addition, students will have opportunities to view flora and fauna unique to the climate of Costa Rica and Central America, including monkeys, iguanas, sloths, tropical birds, and more.

Be Prepared

Participants will be highly engaged in physical activities throughout the program, including long hikes and whitewater rafting. Participants will need to sign an additional waiver acknowledging the risks associated with the strenuous nature of this course.

Living Arrangements

Participants will live in homestays with Costa Rican families. Students will be provided with breakfast and dinner each day in the homestay. These meals will be traditional Costa Rican cuisine where students will have the opportunity to help with meal preparation.

Program Dates

TBA

Academics

Students will earn a total of 3 credit hours

• REC 4560: Ecotourism Destinations

Cost

The program fee for this program includes:

• Student accommodations
• Meals
• Excursions
• Transportation to all related activities
• Welcome and Farewell Dinner
• International Health Insurance In addition, to the program fee, students should plan for 3 credit hours of tuition, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs.

Eligibility and Requirements

This program is open to all undergraduate students with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

• Students who will be on probation at any point during the program for a conduct offense that took place less than a calendar year from the program start date may not study abroad.
• Participants must have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent (e.g. GED) by the start date of the program to be considered for eligibility.
• Students enrolled in College Credit Plus (CC+) are not eligible for study-away programs.

Application Requirements

As part of the application, interested individuals will need to submit:

• Personal Statement: A 1-2 page typed essay describing your interest in this program, why you want to participate, and any other overseas experiences.
• Contact information (name)
• DARs

Entry and Exit Requirements

US Citizens are required to have a valid US passport when traveling outside of the United States. US citizens will not need a visa or other special documents to enter the country for the length of this program. Please also note that visa requirements may vary if you plan to stay in the country longer than the program dates or travel to other countries during or after the program.