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Excitement and Learning Flourished in Costa Rica

Julie Quinn Kiernan, Science Teacher and Lead Costa Rica Chaperone
March 13, 2018

Zip lining in the Arenal area near an active volcano. Costa Rica Trip: February 28-March 8, 2018

There was a buzz of excitement from the moment we set off from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport to eight days later, when 25 students led by myself, Christina DeVos, Chris Kaus, and Doug Meeker, left San Jose, Costa Rica, after an exhilarating week of service, environmental awareness, and adventure.

The annual trip started at the Arenal area, where we discovered an active volcano by zip-lining and then working nearby in a mostly immigrant school of Nicaraguans. The service at that school ended up being one of the highlights of the trip, as students really learned what manual labor means (that is, digging post holes, mixing cement, using pick-axes to break up hardened, clay soil and transporting it to level floor, erecting poles for a roof and playing with the young students during breaks). Our visit to the beautiful, natural hot springs that evening was well earned!

After visiting a national park, where we observed three species of monkeys and numerous other wild animals, we worked our way down the coast to visit two indigenous communities called the Terraba and the Boruca. From the Terraba, students learned the spiritual meaning behind chocolate and learned to open the cacao bean, grind it, and mix it with sugar to make their own drinks. They worked with the Boruca to learn their cultural crafts of yarn-dying and mask design and painting. But students mostly learned that living simply is something many cultures savor, teaching us that having plenty doesn’t always equal happiness. It was a powerful lesson for our students.

We ended our week, learning about sustainability. We were 8,500 feet high in the mountains at an off-the-grid lodge nestled in the cool cloud rainforest. We learned about medicinal plants and caring for farm animals, and also climbed up to 10,000 feet on an exhilarating hike. Again, simple living was the lesson and students were reluctant to leave after our two-night visit.

CDH travels to Costa Rica through a company called Chill Expeditions, owned by two former teachers in Pennsylvania. Over the seven years that CDH has participated in this trip, students have earned a reputation for being great people and outstanding workers.

Students:

Anna Ankerstjerne'19

Vince Berndt'19

Danny Callahan'19

Charlotte Conley'19

Ella Dickson'19

Adam Ernster'19

Wyatt Garrity'19

Jack Gunderson'19

Emma Hamilton'19

Matteo Marchio'19

Louis McGee'19