The Leadership Camp 2009 Itinerary
Day 1 (Tuesday)
Depart United States for San Jose, Costa Rica Upon arrival at the San Jose airport you will be greeted by your Rustic Pathways Staff. From here you will head over to the hotel rented out by Rustic Pathways where you will meet the other students on your trip and spend your first night. Enjoy your stay in beautiful Costa Rica!
Day 2 (Wednesday) A visit to Turrialba
Your first day will begin with a short visit to the town of Turrialba. Here the group will get a chance to visit a local school and you will have your first experience working with children in a nearby village. There will be opportunities to get to know your group through team building activities in the University park. Then head to your hotel for the night for some well deserved rest and relaxation.
Day 3-4 (Thursday to Friday) Rafting on the Pacuare river
For the next two days, you will experience the beauty and exhilaration of whitewater rafting on the Pacuare river. The Pacuare is considered one of the most beautiful rivers to raft in the world due to the lush greenery, the narrow canyons and above all, the exciting class III and IV rapids. This will be a perfect chance for the group to solidify their bonds as friends and teammates and prepare themselves for the big adventure that is still to come – leading a camp for Costa Rican children. After two full days on the river, its time to head back to the base camp and get ready for some serious planning and preparation!
Day 5 (Saturday) Leadership Camp
After breakfast, the group will participate in intensive training sessions which will give you strategies and ideas for working together and turning your ideas into a real summer camp for Costa Rican children. You will then spend the afternoon working to plan the agenda for the next week and creating the itinerary and activities that will make this summer camp a success!
Day 6-13 (Sunday to Sunday)
The next eight days will be a dream come true for the Costa Rican children joining what for some may be their first ever “summer camp.” Wake up early and have breakfast with your fellow counselors, before receiving the Tico kids every day at around 8:30am. Spend the day with the children, running various games and activities, coordinating lunch and snack times, and then saying goodbye to them at around 4.00pm each afternoon. On some days, after the camp, adventurous students may have the chance to participate in different optional activities in the La Fortuna area. In the evenings, the group will evaluate the day and prepare for the next one. Eat dinner together and enjoy a relaxing evening. On the final day there will be a chance to meet the parents and have a barbeque to celebrate the accomplishments of the week.
Day 14 (Monday) Relaxing time on the beach
After fun filled, challenging week of running a summer camp for Costa Rican children, the group of Rustic Pathways students will take off for the beautiful and peaceful beaches of the Costa Rican Pacific. These next 24 hours will give everyone a chance to enjoy the down time, take in some sun, play beach volleyball or soccer, eat seafood and enjoy a beautiful Pacific sunset. The group will stay in a hotel near the beach and will eat at local restaurants.
Day 15 (Tuesday) Heading back to San Jose
The last full day with the program, the group will head back to the capital and work on one last service effort by visiting a foundation working with street children of San Jose. You will spend you last night in San Jose at the Rustic Pathways base hotel.
Day 16 (Wednesday) Homeward bound or off to new adventures
If you are heading home, you must say your last goodbyes to your new friends and head off to the airport bright and early in the morning. If you are heading off to another Rustic Pathways program in Central America, get ready for more adventure!
*** PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary described above is typical but not set in stone as work and optional activities vary depending upon the needs of the various communities, as well as the weather. This itinerary is designed to give you a good, general idea of the day to day schedule and activities on this program but may be changed during the summer as staff see fit. Students will work hard on this program, and will probably get wet, muddy, and bug-bitten in the process. This is all part of the rural Costa Rican service experience and is a small sacrifice when compared with the positive impact this program has on local communities and on RP participants. ***
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