Enrollment is now open for 2025! Apply today to reserve your space.
Today was our first full day in La Fortuna! Yesterday was mainly a travel day, but we did get to have a cooking class for dinner! We also all got to meet our host families yesterday, and all of them are super friendly and welcoming. The houses are all very close together, and are connected by…
This morning we went over to the station and picked up trash on the beach. We learned from Juan that beaches in Costa Rica are full of trash from all over the world because their labels are in several different languages. After retrieving the trash we sorted it into reusable bottle caps, bottles, cans and everything…
As I write in this hammock, I am internally happy. The stringed lights shine down yellow streams of bliss and reflect upon the white ceilings and pillars. I feel peace at this very moment, knowing that today exhibited success in learning about the beautiful people of Bastimentos and in befriending the children playing in the…
OK today was a fun day. We woke up at 8 am, had breakfast (these delicious pancakes), and got on a boat to go snorkeling. The boat ride there was so nice and breezy, and when we reached the first stop (which was a beach), the water was incredibly clear and clean . There was…
Today is day five. This morning we began our day with a hike to Wizard Beach. One of the most memorable things we saw along the trail were all of the ants carrying food for their colonies. Arriving at the beach, only slightly bitten by ants, we were greeted by soft sand and the sight…
Today we started off the day with breakfast in the hostel in San Diego. Then we walked to the “museum of us” and saw an exhibit about the history of the US-Mexico border. We learned about how border policies negatively impacted the indigenous community (O’odham tribe) in the area and the surrounding environment. Then we…
We went to a children’s shelter in the morning to spend some time and play with kids. While we were there, we played bowling and Loteria (Mexican bingo), as well as making paper airplanes and drawing with them. Despite there being somewhat of a language barrier, the kids were understanding that we were not…
On Monday, we went to a shelter to serve food to migrants, deportees, and homeless people in Tijuana. We got to speak with a few of them and listen to their stories about their journeys in reaching Tijuana. Afterwards we went to Maria’s office and got to ask questions to Haitian migrants, a deported U.S….
Since our arrival in Tijuana, we have had many experiences that showed us a new perspective. On the first night we witnessed countless recently deported immigrants who were seeking a new place in the world to feel at home after being forced to leave theirs. The next morning we traveled to “friendship park” were we…
-Day 12 of the Trip- On July 1st, 2024, the group woke in the remote Andean community of Cancha-Cancha. This community, which is only accessible by a hike, is so small it has no school of its own. A cloudy sky contrasted the incredible starry sky of the previous night. After close to a week…
Today we settled a little further into our routine with the community. Our service today was planting native trees in some gardens as well as the forest surrounding the village. Some of the species of trees we planted are medicinal while others provide fruit. After our work was done we walked to a community member’s…
Moral Courage Today was our first full day in the community that we will work with for the next 3 days. Our service projects today involved fixing and painting the stands next to their soccer field, painting school buildings and painting their water tower. We worked alongside community members and (attempted) to have conversations…
Continuing on the theme of animal restoration, we paid a visit to RAREC (Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center). We walked through the property and learned about different animals rehabilitated in enclosures spread throughout the jungle. Our group favorite animal was the mini anteater, Maki. We moved on to the enrichment projects for the different animals….
Waking up to the dogs barking and pigeons happy outside me and Emma’s window was a gentle reminder that I was far from home. I immediately got my personal journal, book and camera, and headed straight for the rooftop restaurant at our hotel. I wasn’t the only person who wanted to be up there first…
To begin our field study in Peru, we explored the beautiful city of Iquitos! After fueling up at the hostel (The Jungle Hostel), we headed out into the city on Tuk-Tuks (motor powered bike taxis), our first stop being the city’s main market. The sensory experience was unmatched, with smells coming from left and right,…
Today the group and I went to “Cristobal” and I would describe the first day with the kids as beautiful chaos! The boat ride was about 30 min long and we were all pretty tired prior to our arrival. Nevertheless, the kids’ energy and curiosity was extremely contagious- there was not one dull moment with…
Last night was the long-awaited homestay. I had been looking forward to it for a while and was really excited the day of. I was a little disappointed to learn that I was not with one of my friends and instead with Jim. However, it was a very lovely experience for the both of us….
– I saw an ostrich today and that’s enough to make me happy. Oh yeah, and I swam for the first time in 3 years. -We got to swim in the most beautiful oasis that no one would expect to be there! – I really wanted to see a rhino today and was disappointed that we did…
Eight AM consisted of hojaldres and roosters. I awoke wrapped in both blankets and aromas, of the ocean, the humid island air, and, of course, the hojaldres. The smell of the hojaldres eventually pulled us out of our beds and down the stairs to where Louis was busy cooking. “My favorite breakfast” I commented, not…
It has been the greatest of honors to be entrusted with your students this summer. I know you’ve been missing them at home, and soon will have them back with stories, souvenirs and suntans. This was the first year we (Ade and Matthew) worked with SStS and the first year that we’ve met the wonderful…
For the first time in the last two weeks, the group yesterday had a traditional ¨tourist day.¨ We took a boat tour of Marino Ballena National Park and saw the four principal beaches of the park. Along the coast was a stretch of cliffs with huge caverns. Many of the caverns were large enough for…
Today we had pancakes for breakfast. That’s all that really matters but I guess we did other things as well. Doctor K took us to one of her Kach kids who now is an adult and owns a fabric store. It was a tiny little store off of a busy road. All of us who wanted…
This day is one that I don’t seem to have finished processing. Although today wasn’t the most eventful, it was filled with reflection. I see it as the end of an experience that I will hold very close to my heart. I woke up with the mindset that I would take in as much as…
It’s crazy to believe that we are just over halfway through our trip. It has been an incredible trip, and one I am very grateful to be on. I have made so many new connections with people not only in our group, but also the people we have met here in Meru. Today we went over…
On Day 6, we helped out at an urban farm in the upper ninth ward named Farming NOLA. They grow fruits and vegetables for the community and provide donations to Common Ground Relief for their food bank every Saturday. At the farm, we helped Josh and Scott water plants, pick figs, pull weeds, and clear…
Today our group went to The Green Project, where we took an informative tour led by Erin, the project manager. While we were there we learned about the importance of reduce, reuse and recycle and how that played in with the local community. The Green Project is a warehouse and store open to the public…
Today, our group woke up bright and early and prepared to go into the swamp. We had an early breakfast and then headed on our hour and a half drive out to the launch point on the lake. We split into groups on boats full of bags filled with California Bullrush. They scattered our groups…
Today, we spent most of the day at the Common Ground Relief(CGR) nursery planting baby cypress trees. It took us about 3 hours to finish all of the work which was very quick, and we planted over 300 Cyprus trees. After our work, we went back to the clubhouse to get ready for the Juneteenth…
The border itself has a power that manifests itself differently for all who view it. It was the parting thought Alex left us with as we said our goodbyes drenched in the San Diego sunset. For him, the border will always be magical realism before his eyes, a piece ripped out of Gabriel García Marquez’s…
Around 8:30, we drove rental cars 30 minutes to the Border Wall, near Chula Vista and Tijuana. Before reaching the Border State Park, we read an article titled “Desecration” by Paulina Velasco. It detailed issues surrounding the history of Friendship Park, its Covid-19 closure, and its recent destruction by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Valasco…