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Sunday July 8, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Yesterday was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know
each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience! Things today are off to a great start, and we are headed to Bahia Ballena! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

Hannah Calloway, International Director

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Hello world, parents, and future students. We made it to Costa Rica and are safe and sound at home base! It was easy making friends thanks to the help of our awesome counselors. The food is amazing and don’t even get me started on the fruit, incredible. The sights are awesome and already on the fourth day we’ve done a ton of helpful community service. Also a lot of us learned to surf which was insanely fun! The trip is just getting started and I know it’ll be a great one, we’ll keep you updated!

-Written by Catie Rose McDaniel
-Photos by Bailey and Tori

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Today was amazing not only did we do four hours of service, but we also learned to salsa! The entire day was fun, while doing service, we all swapped roles and kept things interesting. It felt really good to help out and really give back to the community. Salsa was super cool and our instructor was super helpful. Talk to you soon!

-Written by Catie Rose

Friday July 13, 2018

Today we did a lot of service and it was rejuvenating. It felt so amazing to really be helping out, we all got to plant trees! After the work, we also got to play around in the river to cool off after our hard work. Everyone had an amazing time, with all the heat, the cool water was the best feeling ever! Talk to you soon.

-by Catie Rose

Saturday July 14, 2018

Today we took boats to Corcovado National Park, which hosts 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity! The park was amazing and we saw all sorts of wildlife. Bugs, mammals, reptiles, and birds of all sorts of colors. We also looked at the trees, we learned that one tree can host many different ecosystems of many different species. This is one of the reasons we are doing what we are doing, to protect these ecosystems, and see their beauty.

– Catie Rose

Sunday July 15, 2018

We walked to the whale tail of Bahia Ballena, and swam in the cool water for a bit. Only during low tide the whale tail is above water, so it was really awesome to be there and see it. We also went out into the community to play soccer with some of the local kids. I’m not good at soccer, but watching these kids play was amazing, I couldn’t keep up. These tiny kids were crazy strong and fast, they were amazing and it was humbling to play with them. We split up to play with them so the teams were mixed which just made everything better. It was incredibly fun to play with these kids and I honestly wish I could do it again.

Written by catie rose
Photos by Victoria Smith and Bailey Koch

Friday July 20, 2018

It was with great sadness that we said goodbye to everyone today. Looking back over the last two weeks we remember all of the fun, laughter and learning we experienced. The friendships made, the lessons learned and the trees planted will all continue on after this trip. The impact on each and everyone one of us will also continue to impact us in ways visible and invisible. We look forward to hearing of all the amazing change these young leaders will bring back to schools, families and communities. Everyone has departed safely and in good spirits, despite a dew goodbye tears.

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Wednesday June 20, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Today was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

-Hannah Calloway, International Director

Friday June 22, 2018

Today was a very eventful day! First we had a 20 min walk to our first service location. We split into groups and tackled a variety of projects. One group built a table, another painted plant beds, while the others transplanted trees into different bags making them ready to be planted by rivers and beaches. Then we headed to whale bay and began our first surf lessons and beach clean up. The surfing was almost as amazing as the beach views! Everyone was pretty tired after our first full day of activity that we had a quiet night at home base to end the night.

Question of the day: How did your first surf lesson go today?

Carla – ” I loved having this new experience. It was tricky learning to stand but at the end of the day, falling is more fun anyway”

Alice – ” It was pretty good. I fell a few times but you just have to learn to get back up again.”

#surfsup #rad #resforestationnation #riceandbeans

– The Student Blog Team!

Saturday June 23, 2018

Today we woke up early and had Gallo Pinto! After breakfast we had our second surf lesson were we learned to control our speed and direction on the wave. It was pretty awesome. While one group surfed the other spent their time planting trees along the beach. Then we all came back and ate lunch and took part in a GLA activity. The debate was very engaging. After that we had a cooking lesson from the amazing chefs at home base. We made and later ate empanadas and tortillas! We also watched the making of plantain chips. Then we finished the night with our casual mentor groups.

Question of the day: What was your favorite meal of the day?

Rachel Starr – “ My favorite meal of the day was dinner because we ate the empanadas we cooked ourselves and it was a really great experience, I learned a lot, and I can’t wait to go home and teach my family how to make them”

Jackie- “ My favorite meal was also dinner because we got to make it ourselves. It was a great experience because Costa Rica empanadas are different from Mexican empanadas. It was really cool learning how to make plantain chips along with everything else!”

Pura vida!!

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Today was an exciting day full of service at the home base. We carved out wooden signs to hang in the local community to provide color and excitement to trash bins. We also made trash holders that prevent dogs from getting into the trash and stop trash from spilling on the ground. We worked in the sun and in the pouring rain. To make service more fun we were surprised with a slip and slide to enjoy during the rain. After we finished an amazing amount of work we cleaned up and headed to a dance class taught by a local dancer. We got a crash course in the salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia. Overall it was a really fun and tiring day!

Question of the day: “What was your favorite part of the day?”

Anna – “My favorite part of the day was the surprise slip in slide. I am still soapy!!!”

Daniel – “My favorite part of the day was the salsa dancing! It was chill and a good release from the hard work we have been doing.”

– Written by Hailey

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today was probably the best day of the trip so far! We woke up at 5:30 so we could eat and make it to the boats by 7. We took an hour and a half long boat ride to Corcovado National Park. We saw a few whales on the way and some amazing sights. When we made it to the park we took a 3 hour long nature walk through the jungle. On our walk we saw white nosed Coati’s, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, an agouti, and so many other animal and plant species. After our walk we ate lunch at the park and boated back where we got snacks!! Everyone was very excited about the snacks! After that we just chilled the rest of the night because we were all exhausted from our long day!

Question of the day-“What was your favorite animal you saw today?”

Katherine-“I had two. The whale was so magnificent because I didn’t expect to see any so that was amazing. I also loved seeing the ants and learning about their relationship with Mother Nature.”

Luke- “I thought the whale was pretty sick, that was something I was really looking forward to seeing. So yeah that was awesome.”

Saturday June 30, 2018

Today was a fun day! We started off with an early breakfast at 6, followed by a 30 minute drive to the canopy tour. We rode 9 zip lines above the river through the beautiful trees and clouds. We headed back to home base for lunch before service by the river. Service included planting trees on the edge of the river while learning how to use new tools. We ended service with a swim in the river filled with splashing and laughter. Our day finished with dinner at the home base and mentor groups before bed!

Tuesday July 3, 2018

The last day of the program came with mixed feelings. Excitement about going home and seeing loved ones again, but there’s also sadness of leaving behind what many students already called a ‘life changing experience’ in a country with more shades of green than one could possibly count. Parting with newly made friends was difficult for more than a few.

It fills our hearts to have seen these students bond as a group, create such an inclusive, fun and supporting group culture in such a short time. We are incredibly proud of what this group has achieved; they worked so hard and with an incredible dedication that stood out to both international and local staff. And wow, how these students have grown in confidence, self knowledge, social skills and willingness to take action to protect our planet.

Thank you for taking this brave step in your leadership paths, for your willingness to learn and grow and for caring for our planet. Have a save flight home beautiful friends and a soft arrival, now that you are all safely on your way back.

May you all be inspired to follow your dreams and may they become contagious wherever you go!!

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Monday July 2, 2018

After a day full of airport runs, all students made it safely to our hotel in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Bright and early in the morning on July 3rd, we will begin our 8-hour bus ride down to Rancho Quemado. Although this ride is long, it is filled with ocean views, a visit to a famous “Crocodile River,” where, from a safe distance, we can glimpse dozens of crocodiles, and lunch at a beach side market—not to mention our first tastes of typical food! We can’t wait to make it to Rancho Quemado, in Osa Peninsula, where the community will receive us with a traditional dance from the local school children and we will meet the local staff for our program. Then, after a good night’s sleep, the real work and excitement begins! More coming soon!

Written by Lauren (International Director)

 

Thursday July 5, 2018

Since we arrived in Rancho Quemado we have gotten to know the community. We played traditional games with the children and had fun bonding playing soccer. Our first day here we toured an Organic Farm where we saw how the community grows food—we also got to taste some fresh fruit! We made homemade chocolate by grinding cocoa beans. The next day we learned traditional bracelet making and also set up cameras in the rainforest to observe wildlife and the bio-diversity of Costa Rica. We are all having a great time being together and being with the community and we can’t wait to go snorkeling tomorrow.

-Written by Peyton

Saturday July 7, 2018

Hola! Yesterday we woke up early for snorkeling and we saw five dolphins on the way! Then we also got to see a huge school of fish while we were in the water and we enjoyed fresh coconuts on the beach. This morning we ate homemade empanadas for a part of breakfast then did our service work in two groups—painting and working on a community garden. We had the opportunity to meet the man who had the idea to make the garden a space for people with different disabilities. We enjoyed playing soccer with the local people before we went to go talk to community elders, “the Abuelos.” We learned stories of how the community came to be and how life used to be. We’re having a great time so far. More updates coming soon!

-Written by Jackson

Sunday July 8 through Tuesday July 10, 2018

On the 8th of July we started by painting the new fence for the Plaza in the community center then we went on a scavenger hunt hunting for gold and even found some! It was cool learning about how Osa peninsula got its name and seeing antiques that were more than 500 years old on the artisanal gold mining tour. After the gold tour we went on a hike on a steep hill and saw a grasshopper getting eaten by a plant and also a possum!

Yesterday we painted the local library and also went horse back riding to a farm and walked in the rainforest. We all bonded with our horses. We also looked for animal tracks in the forest and saw the skin of a big snake. We can’t wait to go zip lining today!

-Written by Carla

  

Tuesday July 10, 2018

On July 10th we took an hour and a half bus ride to our destination for ziplining! We split up into two groups and saw monkeys and all types of wild life within the forest. After ziplining we went to Playa Blanca, ate lunch, and played games in the water of the Sweet Gulf. We spent the night at an interesting eco-resort and were able to meet the owner whose dream it was to make the establishment. We had a discussion about tourism and eco-tourism and which has affected the area. We realized that not all service work requires building, service requires listening.

-Written by Edwin

Wednesday July 11, 2018

On the 11th our team woke up and went to Corcovado National Park where we were greeted by the local community who lead us into the park and explained the impact of tourism in the area. Before, the area was used only for gold-mining. Inside the park we hiked through rivers and jungle to get to a natural jacuzzi. When we arrived back to Rancho Quemado again we bonded playing flashlight tag at our home base. We have spent nearly two weeks here and can hardly believe that it’s almost over! More updates coming soon.

-Written by Edwin

 

Sunday July 15, 2018

The past couple of days were very informational. On the 12th of July we went to the local dairy farm learned how in a hands on way to milk a cow in the safest possible way for the animal and how to make cheese and other products. It was fantastic! Then we went to traditional cooking classes. The local women teaching us were so friendly and grateful that we shared the experience with them, even if we didn’t make the food perfectly. We even made homemade tortillas!

Later we started service work. We built a wall there to protect the children in the community from falling into a ditch. We also continued working on the sensory garden. We mixed our own cement which has very tiring. The community was so grateful for our work and it was so special to see how we had done a start to finish project that really made an impact.

On the 13th after we finished our service work we had a farewell with the community and they brought home made crafts to sell. We were able to support the community and it was great to connect with them. We played a huge soccer game and I even scored two goals!! It was awesome seeing the whole community coming to play one big game with us and never judging us and always welcoming us.

Yesterday we flew up to San Jose on a special small plane ride and went to central market for lunch. It was a different side of the Costa Rican culture. We also stopped at an artisan market to see local handicrafts. After a night full of pizza and tearful goodbyes, were so grateful we had this adventure together. Now to the airport to come on home and share this this our friends and families!

-Written by Caroline

 

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Saturday June 16, 2018

With all of our students safely arrived, received warmly at the airport, and transported to our local hotel, we can begin to settle in and get to know each other. The day will include supply checks, ice breakers, and first tastes of Costa Rican food! We’re preparing for our journey tomorrow that will include our first ocean glimpses and a special stop at a beach side market. We cannot wait to get to our home base and start to connect with the small and welcoming community of Rancho Quemado and we anticipate a fun journey full of incredible views, getting-to-know-you games, Costa Rican trivia, and of course some rest as well to prepare for our adventures ahead!

-Lauren (International Director)

Tuesday June 19, 2017

All of us have spent the past few days getting used to our new routines in Costa Rica. After everybody arrived in San Jose, we made the 7 hour long bus ride to our new home in Rancho Quemado. Once we arrived we were given hand woven dolls as welcome gifts from the locals.

The next morning, we toured the farm on the grounds we are staying, and tried cacao face masks from beans that we ground ourselves. We also had a great time playing games with the local kids. Our third day was when we began our service. One group began painting different signs, and the other began working on a wheelchair accessible garden.

-Written by Anna

Thursday June 21, 2018

Today is the 21stof June, and we were allowed to wake up later today than yesterday’s sharp 5:00am. There was good reason for this early wake up time yesterday, because we would proceed to make about an hour journey through the jungle to emerge at a coast where we took a boat to Isla de Cañas and snorkeled in search of beautiful tropical fish and turtles. We ended up being able to spend time at the beach and had a great time together in the ocean waves. Today was spent at a local sugar cane farm where we saw how it is processed into the 3 products that locals enjoy. Following that, we saw a butterfly garden, and although it was unexpectedly infested with ants, they cleared out quickly and allowed us to appreciate the beauty the butterflies had to show us. The weather here in the Osa Rainforest is hot and humid, but the amazing local foods, fruits, plants and people totally make it worth the wet clothes!

-Written by Adrian

Saturday June 23, 2018

As we near the end of our first week at Rancho Quemado we are all as excited as ever. Yesterday we woke up bright and early to do service work around the community, followed by an unexpected 1600 meter hike…yikes! Later in the evening we all went to tour the Gold Mines and try our hands at panning for oro(gold). We found a few pieces but only the size of “mosquito eyes.” The evening began with another long hike up a huge mountain…in the pouring rain! Although it was a trying experience it was completely worth it. The view was spectacular; we got to see miles of rainforest spread beneath us, and search for jaguars and pumas on the way down (no luck!).

Today was filled with service work, hiking, and horseback riding. When we arrived back to Rancho Quemado we had a little bit of free time to play games with the locals. Some of us played soccer while others played tag with the kids. We all truly feel like a part of this community now. The day wrapped up with a big surprise birthday party for one of the GLA students (Beyla Munach). There was cake, music, and dancing! In her words it was, “one of the best birthday surprises I’ve ever had! I had no idea what the “Mystery Algo” was going to be, and everyone kept the secret so well. It’s an incredibly warm feeling to have community members and GLA students throw you a surprise party, sing you songs, and even prepare a dance just for you after only a week of knowing each other.”

Adios! Pura Vida!

Written by Sam K

Monday June 25, 2018

Today is Monday June 27th and we have just arrived back from our two day adventure out of Rancho Quemado. On the 26th we went zip-lining through the jungle and some students were able to see spider monkeys for the first time. While half of the students where flying through the jungle, the other half stayed at the lodge of the zip-line to play card games, soccer and relax until it was their turn to go. The second half of the day was spent relaxing on the beach after a nice lunch. That night we also experienced hot water for the first time in a week at the unique eco-friendly hotel in La Palma.

This morning we went on a hike to a water fall in the Corcovado National Park to swim and experience the nature around us while we supported a local-based community tourism. We then ate lunch and headed back to Rancho Quemado for dinner and a reflection journal time before an early morning.

-Written by Luke M

Tuesday June 26 through Thursday June 28, 2018

As we near the end of our stay at Rancho Quemado we wanted to savor every moment we spend here. On Monday, we woke up very early to learn about the process of milking the cows. We got to experience the old-fashioned process on how organic milk is made in the town. This experience was very special to some of the people part of the program. Later in the afternoon, we got to learn how to cook a traditional Costa Rican meal. We cooked a tortilla by hand and made picadillo with the heart of palm. This allowed us to see the behind the scene action of how our meals are made. Not to mention, the tortillas we made were very delicious! Later we continued our very tiring service work of painting and planting the garden. Although we were very exhausted, the positive impact that we made on the community makes it all worth it.

Yesterday, on our last day in Rancho Quemado we were filled with sadness as we needed to part ways. We finished up the last touches of our service work and enjoyed the last minutes of working on the garden. After we were done, the people in charge of the service work gave us short heart-warming speeches expressing their immense gratitude towards us. Later we went to the plaza, the town center, to say goodbye and play with the kids for the last time. The community artisans had their goods out on display for us to buy souvenirs from locals we had gotten to know, rather than from usual market places that are less personal. Although it was sad to say our goodbyes, we were happy to see how much of a positive impact we made to the community.

Today on the 28th of June we had to wake up bright and early to get on a small plane to San Jose. Then tomorrow we will go to the airport and say goodbye to the people we have spent two weeks with. We are truly proud of ourselves and of how much we have grown as people and also we are very excited to go back home. Hasta Luego!

-Written by THE Michelle Moller

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Thursday August 16, 2018

Bienvenidos a Playa Junquillal Session VI of Beachside Service Adventure! From all the staff here, we would like to welcome you, our final session, to your beautiful new home for the next 10 days. Playa Junquillal is located in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica – one of the largest expanses of dry rainforest in Latin America. Believe it or not, we are actually in winter here meaning it’s the rainy season. We’ve come a long way since Session I, and we are so excited to share with you all the fantastic things we’ve learned throughout the course of our program. Here’s to making these final 10 days really count!

Beachside Service Adventures is a program of GLA dedicated to service learning, which we achieve through working with local leaders to achieve goals such as environmental restoration, beach cleanup, and school beautification. We have four service projects this session, which students will break out into based on their interests and availability. Students will be assigned their mentor group, who they will spend with during service, and also at night during leadership seminars. Many of the projects have an environmental focus due to the widespread issue of deforestation in the region. Examples include ROW (Restoring Our Watershed) and VerdiAzul – which works with sea turtle habitat restoration.

Last night, students got their first taste of Costa Rica at dinner… the traditional dish called Casado! It’s comprised of beans, rice, salad, plantains and a protein such as chicken. Students settled in to their cabins at 10 last night to awake to a morning of orientation!

Today, we are getting properly acquainted through various team building activities and leadership seminars. For example, we played the classic Mosquito, Gecko, Sloth (a take on Rock Paper Scissors) as pictured below. Additionally, staff reviewed the various polices and safety protocols. However, instead of a traditional lecture style, students participated directly in this discussion by becoming experts in a certain subject – such as house rules. They shared the knowledge that they learned to other students, which allowed students to take on a leadership role and facilitate more efficient learning.

Later, we discovered our mentor groups and completed the team building activity “bucket of dreams,” which albeit frustrating at times, comes with the satisfaction of sweet victory at the end as everyone works together to retrieve the bucket (picture below). We also had a leadership seminar devoted to leadership style, and finally had mentor groups after dinner where we shared our stories of self.

From all of here at Junquillal we are so happy to have started Session VI! Pura Vida!!

Friday August 17, 2018

We started the day today with the service groups, Playa Avellanas and Pargos School heading off bright and early to the beach, to clean up trash and play soccer with the local students. Meanwhile, the Verdiazul and ROW groups spent their time sanding and painting wooden signs for various informational purposes. After a delicious lunch we traversed to a local beach, Playa Blanca, where we got to swim and soak up the sun. Afterwards, Silvia, a local leader from Junquillal, came and gave a presentation about Costa Rica, Guanacaste, and Junquillal to give us some context for this place we are calling home for these 10 days. Dinner was arroz con pollo or arroz con camarones, a local specialty. After dinner, we spent valuable time in our mentor groups discussing our most important values and how they impact our actions.

Saturday August 18, 2018

We began the day with clear blue skies and lots of sun. You might think it’s a wonderful day for vacationing, however the students were hard at work and committed to their service projects. Around 7-7:45 we ate breakfast that consisted of French toast, the usual rice and beans (gallo pinto), fruit, and fresh juice & coffee. At 7:45am the Playa Avellanas and Pargos School projects hopped on the GLA bus to their service site. There was a change in schedule for the Pargos school team. Due to the fact that today is a Saturday, the school was closed and so they joined the Avellanas group. It’s worth noting that a couple of local children tagged around with us in helping the Avellanas group. When arriving to the beach the staff and students wasted no time and gave full effort to their project. Both groups performed a massive beach clean up and planted a whopping 20 trees near the beach. There were several bags of garbage that mainly comprised of plastics at the end. From what we learned and knew, plastic that is not properly disposed of has a detrimental effect on ecosystems and beaches. When finished, the Avellanas group played a quick but thrilling game of soccer with the children.

While the Avellanas and Pargo school projects were hard at work at the beach, another group, VerdiAzul, was working hard in another beach. The group headed out of the resort around 8am and began their day making informative, attention-grabbing wooden signs. Their goal was to make signs that inform locals and tourists to preserve the beach for turtle offsprings. In addition to making those signs, they worked on planing a highly anticipated field day for the local children of the community. So stay tooned on reading future blogs.

Lastly but not the least is the ROW project (Restoring our Watershed). The group visited Centre Verde, an ecocenter, to begin work on getting seeds ready to plant. The team sanded a massive total of 500 seeds and transplanted 20 tree plants. Along the process, they were educated more about the drought and economy of the area.

These projects were just the beginning of the day and more activities awaited. After lunch, the students prepared for the visit to the eco-museum of pottery. The hour-long bus ride had some sleepy heads. When we arrived, the group separated two groups and alternate from the pottery demonstration to the museum tour and vice versa. We got to learn the process of how ceramics in the local community were made based on the Chorotega ingidenous culture. At the end of the tour, students bought many amazing and intricate ceramics that were actually made from local people but also know that the money goes to support the people. After the trip, we continued with our regular program of dinner and mentor circles. And shoutout to the leaders of the day Anthony on the blog, Coco on leading the dinner circle, Danelia on the schedule announcements, and Lina on the photography.

Pura Vida

Sunday August 19, 2018

We woke up bright and early in time for a 6:15 breakfast of eggs, bacon, beans and rice. After we ate, we got on the bus for a 2 hour ride to an area near Liberia and the Rincon de la Vieja volcano for an exciting tubing adventure! We geared up for the rapids and embarked on a 45 minute tubing excursion through the tropical dry forest. Once the tour ended we were able to see a howling monkey amongst the trees while we waited for the bus to bring us back. The mentors packed a to go lunch for us that we ate while we shopped for souveneirs in the adventure tours center. Once we got back from tubing, we had about an hour of free time that many people used to swim in the pool and then a dance team came and taught us how to dance to various songs. After that, we had dinner that consisted of delicious pulled pork sandwiches and then watched a TED talk for our leadership activity of the day about checking our assumptions and making sure we seek to learn all of the stories about a place and a people instead of just believing one thing.

Monday August 20, 2018

Hello GLA families! Today the Playa Avellanas, Pargos School, VerdiAzul, and ROW Service Groups went into the community and enthusiastically improved it in various ways. The Playa Avellanas Service group traveled to the Avellanas Beach and picked up pieces of plastic and litter. The Pargos School Service Group went to the Escuela Los Pargos and painted a mural depicting a cowboy and cowgirl wearing traditional clothing, with pottery on either side.

The VerdiAzul Service Group planted signs on the beach to prevent cars from driving on the beach where the turtle eggs are in their nests. The ROW (Restoring Our Watershed) Service Group planted sapling trees to replenish the underground aquifers which provide water to the community. Later in the day, the Students and Mentors went to the nearby Playa Negra Beach where Mentor Carlos and Travel Advisor Heather taught many Students to surf for their first time. At the end of the day all the Students and Mentors had a wonderful time surfing at Playa Negra and serving the community.

Tuesday August 21, 2018

This morning, students woke up to a breakfast filled with pancakes, rice and beans, yogurt, and a variety of fruit. We were ready to head out early for a morning full of service. Playa Avellanas went to the beach to clean up areas around mangrove trees and surrounding beaches. At Los Pargos school, the group expressed their creativity by painting a mural. They finished by playing a game of soccer with the local kids. While Avellanas and Los Pargos worked on their projects, Verdiazul and ROW were also hard at work. ROW worked on nourishing plants to better help the environment and learned about reforestation.

After lunch, we were filled with fried chicken, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. The afternoon had so much more in store for us. We learned from a fire performer, who taught us about overcoming our challenges through various activities. We also took a cooking class, learning how Costa Rican’s use corn in their dishes. After sipping some coffee and trying delicious foods, students played soccer with and against the locals before heading back to the hotel for dinner. After a make your own taco dinner, students broke off into their mentor groups to end the night.