Costa Rica: Los Santos
Coffee and Communities: Local to Global
| Length | Requirements | Dates | Ages | Application Deadline |
Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session A | 4 Weeks |
Minimum 2 years of Spanish Passport valid 6 months after project end date Pre-departure training, online or in-person Attend Health and Safety and Project webinars in the Spring |
June 11–July 9, 2024 |
15–19 |
Local Chapters: January 16 National Chapter: April 16 |
$6,175 – National Chapter $5,175 – Local Chapters Fees include all in-country expenses Flight costs are not included |
| Session B | 4 Weeks |
Minimum 2 years of Spanish Passport valid 6 months after project end date Pre-departure training, online or in-person Attend Health and Safety and Project webinars in the Spring |
July 16–Aug 13, 2024 |
15–19 |
Local Chapters: January 16 National Chapter: May 14 |
$6,175 – National Chapter $5,175 – Local Chapters Fees include all in-country expenses Flight costs are not included |
| Session C | 9 Weeks |
Minimum 2 years of Spanish Passport valid 6 months after project end date Pre-departure training, online or in-person Attend Health and Safety and Project webinars in the Spring |
June 11- Aug 13 |
15-19 |
Local Chapters: January 16 National Chapter: May 14 |
$6,275 – National Chapter $5,275 – Local Chapters Fees include all in-country expenses Flight costs are not included |
Minimum 2 years of Spanish
Passport valid 6 months after project end date
Pre-departure training, online or in-person
Attend Health and Safety and Project webinars in the Spring
June 11–July 9, 2024
$6,175 – National Chapter
$5,175 – Local Chapters
Fees include all in-country expenses
Flight costs are not included
Minimum 2 years of Spanish
Passport valid 6 months after project end date
Pre-departure training, online or in-person
Attend Health and Safety and Project webinars in the Spring
July 16–Aug 13, 2024
$6,175 – National Chapter
$5,175 – Local Chapters
Fees include all in-country expenses
Flight costs are not included
Minimum 2 years of Spanish
Passport valid 6 months after project end date
Pre-departure training, online or in-person
Attend Health and Safety and Project webinars in the Spring
June 11- Aug 13
$6,275 – National Chapter
$5,275 – Local Chapters
Fees include all in-country expenses
Flight costs are not included
Supported Immersion with Extended Homestay
Students who are looking for a high level of independence and cultural immersion. Volunteers will spend either 3+ (Sessions A or B) or 8 weeks (Session C) in their host communities with a weekly staff visit and check-in. This project is good for people who like to do physical activity.
Receive college credit for joining this project! Learn more here.
Most meals will be home cooked typical Costa Rican food which can include a plate with meat or eggs, rice and beans, vegetables, and salad. This projects is vegetarian friendly.
Volunteers will all be together at the beginning and end of the project and will stay in dormitory-style lodging. The majoirty of the project lodging will be with a Costa Rican host family.
This project is primarily located in the central highlands, a major coffee growing region (Zona de los Santos). Rain is common in during the project and temperatures are more temperate than the costal areas, ranging from the low 60’s to the low 80’s. The terrain is hilly.
pura vida = life is good, cool
tuanis = cool
Earn 48 (Sessions A or B) or 108 (Session C) service hours while supporting local conservation initiatives.
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 2024!
Live with a host family in Costa Rica! Live like a local by participating in their day-to-day activities. This immersive experience will give you a chance to use your language skills in Costa Rica. Four spots on this project are reserved for students from Costa Rica so you’ll have the chance to make friends across borders. You’ll also dive deep into the topic of food justice, exploring how international demand for Costa Rican coffee impacts local producers and communities.
Surrounded by Chirripo National Park, the Los Santos region is well-known for its coffee quality. Conservation initiatives, community-led development, and coffee production go hand in hand. As a group, we will explore food justice with the coffee sector, including the production and processing of coffee, gender inequality within the industry, how coffee farms rely on ecotourism, and the contribution of coffee farms to environmental protection.
We will support an NGO that provides training and market connections to smallholder women farmers in remote agricultural communities in Costa Rica. Earn 48 service hours while volunteering.
You will volunteer at women-owned coffee farms and learn directly from them about the challenges of food production and adaptation to climate change, and you will contribute to a community project. Plus, four spots on this project are reserved for participants from Costa Rica so you’ll have the chance to make friends across borders. You’ll also dive deep into the topic of food justice, exploring how international demand for Costa Rican coffee impacts local producers and communities.
#Gap Costa Rica participants had a great time on their first workshop learning about sustainability and Conservation in the area of Perez Zeledon. The group learned about the interrelations of fauna, flora and funga while hiking and got to see a couple waterfalls too!
Delicious lunch served on the traditional banana leaf by the river and a little bit of rain, of course! The group experienced it all!
__________________
Los participantes se lo pasaron muy bien en su primer taller aprendiendo sobre sostenibilidad y conservación en el área de Pérez Zeledon. ¡El grupo aprendió sobre las interrelaciones de la fauna, la flora y la funga mientras hicieron senderismo y también vieron un par de cascadas!
Delicioso almuerzo servido en la tradicional hoja de plátano junto al río y un poco de lluvia, ¡por supuesto! ¡El grupo lo experimentó todo!
#gapyear #yearabroad #volunteer #sustainability #conservation
@amigos_americas
#gap Costa Rica
In the last week, Gap Year Costa Rica has been on many different adventures, including first aid training, a trip to the market during spanish class, and a dance class trying local styles of dance! 🕺
_______________________________________________
En la última semana, Gap Year Costa Rica ha estado en muchas diferentes aventuras, incluido clase de Primeros Auxilios, una visita a la feria durante la clase de español y una clase de baile para probar estilos de baile locales. 🕺
#amigosdelasamericas
@amigos_americas
#youthleaders #programabroad #gapyear #gapprogram
#Gap Costa Rica!
Last week participants had a great time playing football with local Amigos!
It was a great time to get to know people from the area, and play games together!
______________________
¡La semana pasada los participantes se lo pasaron genial jugando al fútbol con Amigos locales!
¡Fue un gran momento para conocer gente de la zona y jugar juntos!
@amigos_americas
#youthleaders #programabroad #gapyear #gapprogram
#Gap
The Gap program had a fun and exciting briefing we can’t get enough off.
The group had smores under the crescent moon, went for a folk dance event at the Cultural Center and finally met their host families!
It’s been a very eventful week for them in country!!
________________________
El programa Gap tuvo una sesión informativa divertida y emocionante que no podemos dejar de aprovechar.
El grupo hizo smores bajo la luna creciente, fue a un evento de danza folclórica en el Centro Cultural y finalmente conocieron a sus familias anfitrionas.
¡¡Ha sido una semana muy agitada para ellos en el país!!
@amigos_americas
#gap #youthleadership
#GapBridgeYear
Our Bridge Year participants have arrived and Briefing has been filled with activities and excursions to learn about Costa Rican culture.
From learning about biodiversity at the local Butterfly Garden to experiencing first hand how to process sugar cane - they are doing it all!
Stay tune for more Gap highlights as they live this journey for the next 9 months!
_______________
Nuestros participantes de programa Puente han llegado y el Briefing se ha llenado de actividades y excursiones para conocer la cultura costarricense.
Desde aprender sobre la biodiversidad en el Jardín de Mariposas local hasta experimentar de primera mano cómo procesar la caña de azúcar: ¡ellos lo están haciendo todo!
¡Estén atentos para conocer más aspectos destacados de Gap mientras viven este viaje durante los próximos 9 meses!
#BridgeYear #youthprogram #youthleadership
@amigos_americas
We say goodbye to Session C of Cartago y Caribe 🌳🌳🌸🌸🌱🌱🌊🌊✨
We hope you return home safely, thank you very much for your energy, attitude and motivation throughout the project! From Zyro, Steven, Lucy and Silvia ❤️🔥
We are the last group to leave Costa Rica this summer of 2023. Thank you all for your work
Pura Vida Mae ❤️❤️❤️🇨🇷🇨🇷🇨🇷
Le decimos adiós a la Sesión C de Cartago y Caribe 🌳🌳🌸🌸🌱🌱🌊🌊✨
Esperamos regresen bien a casa, muchas gracias por sue energía, actitud y motivación durante todo el proyecto! De parte de Zyro, Steven, Lucy and Silvia ❤️🔥
Somos el último grupo en dejar Costa Rica en este verano 2023. Gracias a todos/as por su trabajo
Pura Vida Mae ❤️❤️❤️🇨🇷🇨🇷🇨🇷
Busy days in Session C of Cartago and the Caribbean 🌳🌳🌸🌸🌱🌱🌊🌊✨
We took an exciting boat ride on the river to learn more about the biodiversity of the region. We saw many animals and learned a lot about nature. We had cooking dance and bracelets classes and also we played and painted with children from the community.
We are very excited with all our work done!!
Dias ocupados en la Sesión C de Cartago y Caribe 🌳🌳🌸🌸🌱🌱🌊🌊✨
Hicimos un emocionante paseo en bote por el río para aprender más sobre la biodiversidad de la región. Vimos muchos animales y aprendimos mucho de la naturaleza. Tuvimos clases de cocina, baile, pulseras, jugamos y pintamos con niños de la comunidad.
Estamos muy emocionados con todo nuestro trabajo hecho!!
We reached community!! Session C of Cartago y Caribe 🌳🌳🌸🌸🌱🌱🌊🌊✨
After a boat ride on the river we arrived at the community, in the last few days the volunteers have been meeting and sharing with local people, as well as supporting the community with volunteer projects such as painting and cleaning the beach. We also visit the artisan market and in the afternoon we were able to share a soccer game with Olas y Cerros project.
And the most exciting part for the volunteers, the nightly patrols in search of sea turtles to lay their eggs on the beach.
Llegamos a comunidad!! Sesión C de Cartago y Caribe 🌳🌳🌸🌸🌱🌱🌊🌊✨
Después de un paseo en bote por el río llegamos a la comunidad, en los últimos días los voluntarios han estado conociendo y compartiendo con personas locales, además de apoyar a la comunidad con proyectos de voluntariado como pintura y limpieza de playa. Pudimos compartir una tarde de fútbol con el proyecto Olas y Cerros.
Y la parte más emocionante para los voluntarios, los patrullajes nocturnos en busca de tortugas marinas de desovan sus huevos en la playa.
I had an amazing experience meeting lots of people and doing fun new activities. I always felt safe but was challenged and put into situations that helped broaden my worldview.
—Annie, Costa Rica Volunteer, 2022
Learn how to create ethical service initiatives by working with–not for–a community, engaging local organizations and partners, and evaluating the impact of your work. AMIGOS works with trusted local partners that are passionate and committed to working with our volunteers on community service projects.
Cultural humility is a process of both self-reflection about your own culture as well as learning about other cultures. You will examine your own beliefs and cultural identity and gain an understanding of how structural racism has impacted societies and the roles that communities can take to lead systemic change.
Learn, grow, and discover your leadership potential! Explore your sense of purpose and start to establish your personal goals and values through introspection and inquiry.
AMIGOS programs provide a unique opportunity to experience a new culture. Volunteers report increased fluency in Spanish after completing our program. Activities go far beyond the classroom — you’ll lead activities in Spanish, learn local slang, and increase your confidence with real-world practice. You will not believe how fast your Spanish improves when you use it in conversation every day!
Travel to must-see spots in your host country! You’ll travel as a group to experience unique destinations like volcanoes, ancient ruins, national parks, and historical sites. You’ll get to see these places from the distinct perspective of someone who has spent time in that country and learned about the culture firsthand. Plus, you’ll bond with their fellow volunteers and have fun!
AMIGOS is the industry leader in health and safety management. Our staff is prepared to help you with any situation that may arise. Each volunteer receives a personalized emergency plan, as well as support from local staff teams and a professional 24-hour On-Call Safety Team of travel specialists, doctors, and mental health specialists. A Health and Wellness Coordinator is on staff with the group throughout the duration of their stay. AMIGOS also has an established network of vetted medical clinics and hospitals throughout the region.
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