This is a phone-free program. After arriving safely in Costa Rica, students will have the opportunity to check in with parents if they wish, and then leaders will help students lock their phones. Phones will remain locked for the duration of the program. Camera function will still be accessible, but all other functions will not. As are all Putney experiences, this is a highly structured program and the on-site director will be available by phone during daily office hours if parents need to communicate with staff or their student. The Putney Student Travel office can be reached 24/7. We believe that abstaining from social media and screen time helps cultivate healthy group dynamics and positively impacts the program as a whole. Our leaders and students keep a program blog where they post updates and photos of the group’s travels each week.

During your time in Costa Rica, you can expect to participate in several different service experiences—light construction projects where you may learn to mix cement or paint a community building, environmental projects such as planting seedlings or shadowing local farmers, and educational projects such as teaching English to local children. This program is designed to provide the opportunity to learn about another culture by forming meaningful relationships with local people and undertaking a shared community service experience together. You should come to the summer with an open mind, eager to participate in new experiences and interested in exploring another culture and way of life. All students participate in each of the group’s projects on a rotating basis, and everyone lends a hand in meal preparation and cleanup. To learn more about our summer Service programs abroad, click here.

Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—learn to cook gallo pinto, interview local girls and women about gender roles in the community, or organize a community-wide soccer tournament.

Proficiency in Spanish is not required; however, students who study Spanish in school will have opportunities to practice while communicating with local people. Students who do not speak the local language will have the opportunity to learn some basic language skills.

This is a physically active summer program. Aside from community service projects, you can expect to participate in activities such as soccer, swimming, surfing, rafting, horseback riding, and hiking. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.

The Villa is a small, family-run hotel located just 100 meters from quiet Playa Hermosa. Rooms are doubles with air conditioning. There is a restaurant, a pool, a salón comunal (meeting room), and a basketball court on the Villa grounds. While in our host village, we live in a community center. Living conditions are basic but comfortable. We sleep in sleeping bags on sleeping pads on the floor. In Monteverde, we stay in comfortable cabins clustered together on a hillside with beds and hot water showers. Leaders reside with the group throughout the program.

While at the Villa, we eat meals at the adjoining restaurant and enjoy picnics by the pool and on the beach. During our stay in our host village, meals are prepared by local cooks. Students take turns helping to prepare our meals and form cooking and cleaning crews. Breakfast and lunch in Monteverde will be provided by a restaurant on the premises. Dinner will be enjoyed as a group in one of the many typical restaurants in town.