Costa Rica: Pérez Zeledón
A 4-Week Immersive Program Rooted in Daily Life in Rural Costa Rica
Project Overview
Spend four weeks in the central mountains of Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica, living in a biological corridor with a host family and getting to know your host community. You’ll practice Spanish through everyday conversations, meals, activities, and service work. Volunteers will work with community members based on local priorities. Together with Local Youth Leaders participants will attend workshops to learn and volunteer in biodiversity monitoring activities, contributing to the conservation efforts that protect this richly diverse corner of Costa Rica. You’ll also spend time with local kids through daily recreational activities coordinated with the community school, building connections that go beyond the classroom. With weekly visits and check-ins from your Project Supervisor, this immersive project gives you the chance to build independence while staying connected to AMIGOS support throughout the program.
You’ll experience the region’s legacy of community organizing firsthand while learning about the conservation of a biological corridor.
Training & Preparation
Start Strong, stay confident! Immerse projects offer the highest level of independence, so training builds the skills you’ll need to thrive in community.
National Volunteers:
3–5 hour self‑paced online course (one month before departure)
3 interactive Immerse Training Webinars
Project Information (PIP) Webinar
Family member attends Health & Safety Webinar
Local Chapter Volunteers:
In‑person chapter training (Feb–May)
Short online concept quiz (mid‑May)
3 Immerse Training Webinars
Project Information (PIP) Webinar
Family member attends Health & Safety Webinar
Ready to lead, ready to immerse! Once you land, you’ll spend 4-5 days getting grounded. Orientation introduces you to local culture, daily life, and your community assignment. Project staff lead sessions on health, safety, and project activities and expectations so you feel confident and prepared before diving into the local community.
Closing strong, Carrying forward! In your final two nights, you’ll come together with fellow volunteers to reflect, celebrate, and prepare for the journey home. Debriefing helps you process your experience, navigate reverse culture shock, and wrap up travel logistics. It’s a supportive space to share growth and learn how to tell your story to family and friends.
What to Expect
Experience More, Discover Yourself.
AMIGOS projects are designed to challenge and inspire. You’ll dive into hands‑on activities, connect with local communities, live with a host family, and experience life tech‑free. Every moment builds connection, leadership, and friendships that last far beyond the program.
A look at what volunteers do in the Pérez Zeledón project.
- SERVICE
- Develop and implement a service project in your community with the Local Youth Leaders (LYLs) and community members
- Facilitate fun and educational activities, Recreos, for kids 5 days a week
- CONNECTION & IMMERSION
- Make your own daily schedule — take initiative and shape your experience
- Reconnect at Midterm — meet up with fellow AMIGOS and call home
- Practice Spanish by immersing into culture with host families
- Participate in a biodiversity monitoring workshops with the Local Youth Leaders
- Explore how local livehoods and conservation efforts sustain a vital biological corridor
- Learn about local flora and fauna and its importance in the ecosystem of the area
Volunteers develop connections with the people who make each project possible: host families, local youth, community members, partner organizations, AMIGOS staff, and fellow volunteers. These relationships are central to the AMIGOS experience, creating space for cultural exchange, shared learning, and collaborative service.
Living with a host family moves volunteers past the tourist experience, offering a genuine sense of belonging in the community. It’s the ultimate way to rapidly improve Spanish skills and build cross-cultural relationships that often last a lifetime. With 60 years of experience, AMIGOS strictly vets every household through in-person home visits, interviews, and mandatory health and safety training. Staff supervisors conduct regular check-ins and provide 24/7 emergency support.
“Everything was great, from the local youth leaders to helping partner organizations to my host family – everyone was very kind, and I felt like it made it easier to do volunteer work.”
Over the years, we have observed that volunteers who choose a full digital detox report higher satisfaction, stronger community bonds, and fewer instances of homesickness or emotional distress. Our experience, supported by emerging research on technology use and mental health, demonstrates that disconnecting from devices allows volunteers to connect more deeply with themselves, their peers, and their host communities.
Full Technology PolicyCurious about the daily experience? Explore a sample itinerary for this trip.
Safety and Support
AMIGOS prepares volunteers with health and safety training before departure and project-specific guidance during in-country briefing. Volunteers learn what to expect, how to make responsible decisions, and where to turn for support if needed.
Throughout the project, staff develop emergency plans for each volunteer and location, conduct regular risk assessments, and are available 24/7 through AMIGOS’ in-house Health and Safety On-Call System, supported by a team of medical and mental health professionals.
Cost and Financial Aid
Program fees covers all essential costs, including lodging with host families, local meals, in-country transportation, group excursions, and a 24/7 emergency support network. What’s included:
- 4 weeks of immersive programming and activities
- All meals and accommodations
- In-country transportation
- 24/7 safety and support system
- Pre-departure and training, online or in-person
What’s not included: flights, travel protection, gear.
More About Fees & FundingOur transparent, all-inclusive pricing and flexible financial aid and fundraising options maximize value for your family.
Preguntado frecuentemente Preguntas
This project is ideal for youth seeking a deep, community‑centered immersion experience. Volunteers will practice Spanish daily as they interact with host families, peers, and community members, while building independence and taking initiative in their host community. It’s especially suited for students passionate about tropical biodiversity, nature, and conservation, who want to develop meaningful relationships and contribute to service projects rooted in local priorities.
This project offers one of the deepest AMIGOS immersion experiences in Costa Rica! Volunteers spend four weeks living with a host family in the mountains of Pérez Zeledón, practicing Spanish in everyday life, and working alongside community members to carry out a service project based on local priorities and biodiversity monitoring and conservation. With more time in one community, volunteers can settle in, build real connections, and experience Costa Rica through the day-to-day life of their host community while staying supported by AMIGOS staff throughout the project.
AMIGOS has operated in Costa Rica for more than 35 years and in that time has built strong relationships with our partner agencies and host families. We are so excited to be continuing these relationships in the summer of 2027!
Yes! Receive college credit for joining this project! Learn more here.
You can earn 24 service hours on this program.
You’ll experience both group and family living. At the start, midterm, and end of the project, volunteers stay together with staff in dorm‑style lodging. For most of the program, you’ll live with a Costa Rican host family — usually with one partner or independently — in groups of 2–3 per community. AMIGOS staff provide support through weekly visits and check-ins.
Most meals feature traditional Costa Rican cuisine — plates with rice and beans, meat or eggs, fresh vegetables, and salad. This project is vegetarian‑friendly, with host families and cooks able to adapt meals to meet dietary needs.
This project is based in the central mountains of Pérez Zeledón, where volunteers experience Costa Rica’s rainy season (June–August). Daytime temperatures range from the low 70s to low 90s°F, with cooler evenings in higher elevations. Humidity is high, and frequent rain showers or downpours are part of daily life, often in the afternoons.
The terrain is mountainous and lush, with valleys, rivers, and dense forest areas that make the region a hub for agriculture and biodiversity. Trails and roads can be muddy during the rainy season, but the landscape is vibrant and green, offering a strong connection to Costa Rica’s natural environment.
Costa Rica has a lot of unique slang, here is a taste of it!
pura vida = life is good, cool
tuanis = cool
mae = dude, friend (used like “bro”)
brete = work, job
choza = house, home
AMIGOS uses an Asset‑Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, which means projects are shaped by the priorities of each community. Volunteers work alongside local youth and leaders to design and carry out initiatives that matter most to them.
Past projects have included:
Community beautification (painting, tree planting, clean‑ups)
Building shaded bus stops with seating
Creating welcome signage for communities
Developing playgrounds for children
Because projects are community‑driven, the process can take time. Volunteers are involved in every stage. This hands‑on model offers a real look at how international development works, while giving you the chance to make a lasting impact.
Ideal for volunteers interested in conservation and community life, the Costa Rica: Pérez Zeledón project offers a four-week introduction to service in Costa Rica’s central mountains. Volunteers spend time supporting reforestation and reserve maintenance, and learn how local families and community groups work with conservation, rural tourism, and biodiversity.
- Meet the health criteria for AMIGOS participation
- Receive required immunizations
- Be age 15–19 on the project start date
- Passport valid 6 months after project start date
- Complete pre-departure training, online or in-person
