High School Community Service Program in Costa Rica | Three Villages Rural Service Project

Home to sweeping vistas of lush jungle and untamed waterways teeming with wildlife, Caño Negro is a remote – and largely undiscovered – jewel in the crown of Costa Rica’s spectacular national parks and world-renowned wildlife refuges. We’re proud to offer you the rare opportunity to live near this spectacular refuge while experiencing life in rural Costa Rica through Servicio comunitario work in three welcoming villEdad.

Lend a Hand
Based at a comfortable country house outside the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, you’ll participate in a variety of meaningful Servicio comunitario projects that benefit the neighboring villEdad of Buenos Aires, Nueva Esperanza, and Las Marias. In each of these communities, you will work with local leaders on projects ranging from building sidewalks and chalkboards for elementary schools to painting a community center. You may also tutor English in the local elementary schools and paint and refurbish the facilities in an effort to upgrade the learning environments. In addition, you may work on small-scale construction projects with local families that could include building bathrooms, tiling living rooms, and generally helping to improve the living conditions of families with limited resources..

The Wildlife
The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge protects the nesting grounds of thousands of exotic migratory birds. Cruise through the reserve’s vast waterways and look for water fowl, colorful iguanas, playful monkeys, lazy turtles, sluggish sloths, vigilant caimans
(mini-alligators), and the amazing Jesus Christ lizards. Led by knowledgeable guides, you will learn about the reserve’s array of exotic flora and fauna while gaining an appreciation for the preservation of these incredible wetlands.

Village Life
You’ll love the smiling people of Buenos Aires, Nueva Esperanza, and Las Marias and enjoy immersing yourself in the laid-back rhythm of their lives. After a day of service, enjoy a quiet afternoon cafecito, practice Spanish with a family from Las Marias, or join a pick-up soccer game with the children in Nueva Esperanza. In Buenos Aires, enjoy a traditional Costa Rican barbecue and join community members as they get together to laugh and sing rancheros. Take a boat ride through the reserve’s waterways, horseback ride in the wildlife refuge, visit a butterfly garden, or cool off in the river. Those with adventurous spirits may be able to accompany national park rangers on a thrilling caiman capture, or you may choose to learn some Latin dance moves from local experts. The true adventure
of the three villEdad is trading the fast-paced, high-tech American lifestyle for one week of service and cultural immersion in the welcoming and laid-back communities of rural Costa Rica.

Who Should Come
The Three VillEdad Service Adventure is perfect for students who are interested in immersing themselves in Costa Rica’s rich culture while working on exciting, hands-on service. You should be prepared to work hard and get dirty while participating in a variety of physically demanding yet rewarding service projects. A basic understanding of the Spanish language is helpful but not necessary, and a desire and appreciation for cultural exchange is a requirement.

For more information about this program, email us at costarica@rusticpathways.com.

THREE VILLEdad: A RURAL SERVICE ADVENTURE

Day 1 (Tuesday)
Depart the United States for San Jose, Costa Rica. All scheduled flights to Costa Rica are non-stop and escorted by a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. Upon arrival at the San Jose airport you will be greeted by your Rustic Pathways Staff. From here you will head over to the hostel rented out by Rustic Pathways where you will meet the other students on your trip and spend your first night. Good luck and enjoy your stay in beautiful Costa Rica!

Day 2 (Wednesday)
Wake up at 6:30 am for breakfast. Depart by 8:00 am and head northwest through the lush, green Costa Rican countryside. You will stop and have a Tico style lunch en route to the peaceful villEdad surrounding the beautiful Wildlife Refuge of Caño Negro. After settling into your base house a couple of kilometers outside of town, you will go on a guided tour of the village of Caño Negro and receive an introduction to the area and the service work of the days ahead. After a full day return to the house for dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 3 (Thursday)
Rise early for breakfast before heading out to work in one of the three villEdad nearby your home. You might teach English in the local elementary school and/or work on a community construction project. Then it’s on to lunch and a siesta at the base house, before you head out for more afternoon work in the towns. There may also be time to play pick up soccer with one of the village teams. In the evening you will enjoy a hearty dinner followed by chill time to get to know the group.

Day 04 (Friday)
After an early breakfast, the group will set out for a morning of service work in one of the villEdad. The group will reconvene at lunch, and you will be able to choose an afternoon’s adventure from several optional activities including horseback riding, bicycling or swimming at a local watering hole. Later, there may still be time for a game of pick up soccer with the villagers before the sun sets. Then it’s off to dinner and a relaxing evening at the homestead, or for those more ambitious students, Latin dance lessons with the local villagers.

Day 05 (Saturday)
This morning after breakfast, the group will split up with the first group working on the service projects and the second group setting out on a boat trip to explore the Caño Negro wildlife refuge. This trip will explore many of the park’s jungle covered waterways, with opportunities to see the local flora and fauna. After lunch the group will rotate activities before heading back to the base house for dinner.

Day 06 (Sunday)
Wake up early for an exciting day trip to the Rio Celeste River. After a short bus ride, you will arrive at this beautiful, protected area where you will be able to hike through the primary and secondary forest to an amazing waterfall. The Rio Celeste is named for the incredible iridescent colors of its waters, and you will enjoy spending the afternoon swimming and soaking in the turquoise pools. After a full day of fun, head back to the Caño Negro base house.

Day 07 (Monday)
The morning will be dedicated to finishing up the service projects in all three of the villEdad. You will also have a chance to visit a Turtle Conservation project organized by the community and learn how local leaders are working to protect this beautiful species. In the afternoon, visit several highlights of the area including a butterfly farm and the famous Caño Negro fire tower. Afterwards, enjoy a delicious barbeque dinner with the community as you celebrate your time in the three villEdad.

Day 08 (Tuesday)
After breakfast the group will have time to pack and say goodbye to friends from the community. Then, it’s time to board the bus and head towards San Jose. Along the way, you will make one quick, last minute souvenir stop, and then head back to San Jose for a final dinner with the group and a good night’s rest.

Day 09 (Wednesday)
A sad departure for the USA or on to more great adventures with Rustic Pathways!

*** 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. ***

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-Latin America
THREE VILLEdad: A RURAL SERVICE ADVENTURE

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
1A – Direct flight from Newark to San Jose takes approximately 5.5 hours.
Direct flight from Houston to San Jose takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
2A – Yes. All flights between Costa Rica and the USA will have a flight leader starting in both Newark and Houston. Return flights to the USA will also have a flight leader as far as Newark and Houston. Flights between Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua are also escorted by a Rustic Pathways guide. Flights from Costa Rica to Peru and Mexico will not be escorted.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
3A – Students from the United States and Canada will be automatically issued a 90 day tourist visa upon entry into Costa Rica.

4 – What Costa Rican province(s) does this program pass through?
4A- During the Three VillEdad program, students will briefly pass through provinces of Heredia and Alajuela during their travel to the Caño Negro area. The three villEdad and Caño Negro wildlife refuge are located in the northeast Alajuela province.

5 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
5A – Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (as listed above). You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Yellow fever vaccinations may be required to enter Costa Rica if you have traveled to some international destinations including Peru prior to your trip to Costa Rica. Please check the Center for Disease control website for more information.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
6A – On Tuesday afternoon students will depart from the Three VillEdad in Caño Negro. They will stay that night in Heredia at a base hotel. Wednesday morning students will meet with their new group and guides at the same hotel where they stayed and go off to their new program.

7 – How long is the drive from San Jose to this program?
7A—The drive from San Jose to the Three VillEdad in Caño Negro is approximately 4-5 hours depending on weather and other driving conditions.

8 – What is the climate in the region where this program takes place?
8A—The Three VillEdad program takes place in the north of Costa Rica, a very green, tropical area of the country. Students should be prepared for hot, humid weather in the 80s and 90s during the day with occasional rain showers.

9 - Is this a good program for students interested in practicing their Spanish?
9A—The Three VillEdad program does not include formal Spanish language instruction; however students will have multiple opportunities to practice Spanish with people from the village. Children at the local schools are especially eager to help Rustic Pathways students with their conversational Spanish.

10- What service projects will I work on and how are the projects identified?
10A- Rustic Pathways works with local community leaders to identify and prioritize the needs of each community. In the Three villEdad, students will work on small scale construction projects that will help improve community and school infrastructure. Students will also facilitate educational and cultural projects with local children and youth and be involved in environmental projects with the community. During the first two weeks of Julio, Costa Rican school children are on vacation, so students should expect to work with students in more informal environments.

11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
11A- The Three VillEdad program is appropriate for most physical activity levels. Students should be prepared for light physical activity including short hikes and some manual labor during the service projects.

12- What costs are not included on this trip?
12A—The majority of costs associated with the program are included on this trip. Students should have extra allowance money if they wish to buy souvenirs. Students should also bring extra money if they wish to purchase additional snacks or soda from the local grocery store.

13 – What are the optional activities available at an additional cost on this program?
13A-Optional activities may include:

Horseback riding: $30

Occasionally Rustic Pathways staff identify new opportunities throughout the summer that we feel will enhance the students overall experience and we will offer students the opportunity to participate at an additional cost. Optional or included activities may also be canceled at the staff’s discretion.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
14A—Students will be eating traditional Costa Rican food prepared by local women’s groups that provide catering services. Breakfast may include gallo pinto (a mix of rice and beans) with eggs and bread, fruits and cereal. Lunch and dinner will be the traditional “casados” which consists of rice, beans, salad and a meat/seafood dish.

15 - Can we cater to specific diets?
15A-Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs on this program. There will be ample access to fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and grains for those who are vegetarian. Vegan diets can be accommodated, but with a little more foresight and planning as this is not a diet commonly encountered in Costa Rica. Please know that while we are happy to accommodate alternative diets, many of the special diets common in the United States are not common in other parts of the world and travelers must be patient and understanding in having these needs be met. Please contact costarica@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies
.
16 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
16A—Tap water in Costa Rica is generally potable, and students should feel comfortable drinking the water unless otherwise advised. Bottled water is available for purchase at local supermarkets and grocery stores.

17 - What will the accommodations on this trip be like?
17A—During their time at the Three VillEdad programs, students will stay at a comfortable base house, located in the center of the different communities. Boys and girls will sleep in different rooms. The accommodations are simple but clean and comfortable.

18. What are the bathroom facilities?
18A- There are three bathrooms located in the base house. They have running water and American style toilets and showers. Hot water for the showers is not reliable.

19 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
19A – We expect a mix between boys and girls however the exact numbers vary from week to week.

20- What is the ratio of guides to students?
20A- Rustic Pathways generally strives to maintain a ratio of approximately 1 guide for every 5 students. Our guides go through a rigorous selection process including interviews with our program managers and a full background check.

21-Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
21A- Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have guides that are certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards.

22 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
22A—Students should pack enough clothes and personal items to last through the end of the Three VillEdad program. If students are connecting to another Rustic Pathways program, they will have the opportunity to do laundry in San Jose for approximately $10-$15 per load.

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
23A-Students will have limited access to internet during the program. They will be able to purchase international phone cards in Costa Rica from the guides, which can be used to call home from the public phone in the village.