Summer Camp Leadership in Costa Rica

Throughout the program, students will stay at various types of locations including a jungle lodge, a ranching hacienda turned into a hotel, a basehouse and a beach hotel. The jungle lodge and basehouse are fairly rustic locations (hot water is not always available), while the hotels have more modern features. All toilets are western style.

For most of the program students will be eating traditional Costa Rican such as rice & beans, salad, beef, fish, chicken, pork or veggies and other local specialties. At the base house we will have our own in-house chef who will prepare all our meals. When away from the base, they will be eating at local restaurants and will have a variety of meals to choose from.

Yes, Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs/allergies on this program. There will be ample access to fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and grains for those who are vegetarian/vegan. As for food allergies, we are in constant communication with the vendors and restaurants who serve us food on this trip. They are very well practiced at accommodating food allergies of all kinds from mild to severe. The same goes for our chef at the base house. For Rustic Pathways, communication is the key, so please be explicit when describing food allergies. Please contact costarica@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies.

Through the vast majority of the country, water is safe to drink from the tap and has the same standards of purification as in the US. For this reason, we ask students to bring reusable water bottles in order to reduce plastic usage. For the hotel we stay in on the coast, tap water is not recommended to drink but Rustic Pathways and the hotel will provide potable water at all times.

The Summer Camp Leadership program takes place in a rainforest region, a very green, humid, and “wet” area of the country. Students should be prepared for hot, humid weather, 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and daily rain showers. However as you will find, a little downpour doesn’t stop anything in a country used to rain. In the evenings, the temperature can cool down to 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.

This program does not have any internal flights. All in country transportation is on a Rustic Pathways private tour bus.

Students are allowed to bring phones on their Rustic Pathways program, but must abide by our cell phone policy. Students will not be allowed to use their phones during community service other than taking some photos, nor at any other time where it is disruptive to the group dynamic. Students will have access to wifi for three days while planning camp, a couple of evenings while running camp, at at the last two hotels we stay in. We understand many students come with international cell phone plans, and we ask that parents discuss responsible cell phone use before the trip and direct any major communication through Rustic Pathways so students can immerse themselves in the “Rustic” experience.

All activities in this itinerary are included. Personal gifts, laundry and snacks are not.

Students will have the chance to visit a couple of gift shops, grocery stores and free time in La Fortuna town center. We recommend $150 per week to cover souvenirs and incidentals.

Students will be very active throughout this program, so we recommend bringing lots of comfortable athletic wear, preferably that can dry quickly. Please note that we will be working with young Costa Rican students ages 6-12 so students should set a good example with the types of clothing they wear; reasonable length shorts, no spagetti strap, low cut tank tops or “muscle” tanks, appropriate logos/no foul language or depictions. Additionally, we will spend a lot of time in the sun so clothes that sufficiently protect students from the stronger UV rays of Central America are recommended.

Laundry is available once during camp and the cost is $10-$20 depending on the amount of clothes. Those that will be connecting to another program may have access to another laundry service in San Jose at the end of their program for a cost of approximately $10-$20.

The service project is creating and running a summer day camp for rural Costa Rican children. The first part of the trip will focus on the actual set up of the camp, planning the logistics and details of the day to day schedule. Then students will run the camp for 6 days, about 6 hours every day with time to reflect, improve and plan for the following day.

This program requires students to work well and work hard together as running a summer camp is no small feat. Students spend a lot of time reflecting on the experience and discuss the impact they are having both on their lives and the local community. However, because of this hard work and the amazing interaction they have with the local students, it is one of the most rewarding experiences they can have! On this program, students will be able to practice their Spanish while interacting with the local kids and our staff, but will have no formal instruction.