Environment & Culture in Costa Rica - Study Abroad in 2025
Imagine waking up to the calls of howler monkeys and mist rolling in before you trek into the cloud forest. You’re not in Littleton, Colorado, anymore! At its heart, the Central American country boasts an epic landscape that is home to nearly 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Discover how fragile these endangered ecosystems are as you travel through different rainforest preserves and unearth dazzling displays of color and sound.
The Biology, Geology, Photography, and Spanish programs will collaborate on this unique Study Abroad experience. Students will foster intercultural competency, communication, and learn, compare, and contrast approaches and methodologies while furthering their education, career exploration, and personal growth. While on tour, each program includes intentionally designed components:
- Guided Learning: Instruction will be provided through experiential and high-impact practices, immersion, and hands-on learning via guided intercultural visits, workshops, and tours led by local guides and educators.
- Engagement: Students will engage with the Latinx community and regional organizations to gain deeper insight into the local culture, and diversity to build a broader network.
- Faculty-Led Time: Faculty will help connect the group activities and cultural experience to each area of study so that students can connect their personal growth to their educational and career goals. When students return, they will prepare final projects, and presentations, and exhibit an art show reflecting their experience.
This collaboration of programs is open to all current, graduating and alumni students. We partner with EF Tours on custom trips allowing us to hand select our tours and educational experiences. Everything is included in the tour price including flights, ground transportation, hotel with a private bath, all meals, travel insurance and a full-time local tour director.
“The Study Abroad Program through ACC made me feel comfortable traveling out of the country for the first time, the program provides the necessary support for such adventures while simultaneously giving each student the independence to experience these new places through their own perspective. The classes that are a part of the trips spend time making sure each student is prepared before traveling and continues supporting us during and after the trip. Traveling with a wide range of programs allows us to learn from one another by spending time together while sharing our fields of study and different perceptions of the world around us. We made new business and educational connections through each other as well as long-lasting friendships."
~MM, Amsterdam and Berlin 2022
Our trip will include, the towns of Los Chiles & San José, the capital of Costa Rica. A visit Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, and will we see the Arenal Volcano, one of the largest active volcanoes in Costa Rica. Take a canopy tram ride and zip line (optional) over the treetops of Santa Elane Cloud Forest Reserve. Explore a local hot spring, Manuel Antonio National Park, and a Butterfly Pavilion. Go one a crocodile boat ride. Visit a local coffee plantation and plant a tree at EF’s reserves. Take part in our Costa Rican Fiesta Night and savor a buffet of traditional local fare as you enjoy marimba music and entertainment by a local dance troupe.
Discounts, Fundraisers and Scholarships
We have several early enrollment discounts until December 2023. $200 off the travel price, the 10 students will receive and extra $200 off and if you have ever traveled with EF Tours before, even middle or high school you get an extra $100 off! We also have several fundraisers each semester to help you pay off your trip. Some scholarships are available, and we are working on getting more!
“Traveling abroad had always been a long distance dream of mine. However, it seemed to be a completely out of reach experience because of the cost, until I heard about ACC's Study Abroad Program. Through the program the students have the ability to raise money for their trips through a variety of fundraisers which helped make my long distance dream more in reach. I volunteered for every fundraiser available and was able to raise enough money to nearly fund the entirety of two trips abroad. These fundraising opportunities not only helped me raise money, they were also a great time to meet other students on the trip and get to know each other before traveling together.”
~Madi 2017 & 2021, London and Italy
EF Tours provides low-cost payment plans. Register for $95 to lock in the price and reserve your spot.
Visit the Study Abroad webpage to read testimonies, view inspiring videos and photos from past trips.
To learn more about this trip, discounts, fundraising, scholarships and more contact trish [dot] sangelo [at] arapahoe [dot] edu.