Darlington students, families, friends and alumni are invited to spend spring break in Costa Rica with Upper School faculty members Crystal Cleveland, department chair for the world language department, and Adrienne Forgette, media arts director and communications teacher. The trip will depart March 4 and return March 13, 2017.
This combination trip of World Languages and Media Arts will help students identify interdisciplinary connections, seek and analyze perspectives from multiple persons and cultures, investigate global interconnectedness and cultivate empathy. As the group travels throughout Costa Rica, they will be provided with educational enrichment activities in language development and media arts to supplement the daily activities.
Trip Itinerary
Each day of the trip will be packed with adventure. The group will reach their destination on March 4 and will begin touring the following day with a trip to the San Jose’/Arenal region. They’ll start the day with a coffee tour and learn how Costa Rica’s plantations produce some of the world’s best beans. They will then explore the entire supply chain of the famous Costa Rican coffee bean, from the fields where it’s grown to the cafes where it’s brewed, and discover the essential role coffee plays in the country’s agriculture and economy.
On the third day the group will depart for an adventure to remember. Behold the perfect conical shape that emerges from the green hills of Alajuela: this is the fascinating Arenal Volcano. Overlooking the San Carlos plain and the Pacific lowlands, this mile-high volcano has been active for the past 7,000 years. The group will then have the opportunity to see the volcano from a different angle on a kayaking excursion. Not only does the volcano serve as a watershed for the lake, but it also provides thermal energy for the nearby hot springs. Relax in these naturally heated pools; then, walk to the bottom of the spectacular La Fortuna waterfall.
On days four and five, the tour will take the group to Monteverde, the Green Mountain region situated near the Continental Divide that contains a spectacular range of flora and fauna in six distinct ecological zones. The tour continues into the greenery of the Santa Elena Cloud Forest, where visitors can look for the rare orchids and elusive quetzal birds that thrive in the perpetual soft mist. At this altitude, they’ll literally walk through clouds! Afterwards the group will leave a positive mark on the earth when they plant a tree together.
The next two days will be spent on the central Pacific coast where the group will have the opportunity to take an aerial tram above the rainforest canopies in the Rainforest Adventures Park. They will also be hiking a nature trail, visiting a butterfly sanctuary and taking an excursion into the Manuel Antonio National Park.
The final day will be spent in in San Jose’ where the group will go white water rafting and then have a bit of free time before the departure home the next day.
The group leaders will teach photojournalism, digital storytelling methods, and Costa Rican history to interested students prior to the trip during an iPeriod. While on the trip, students will be encouraged to document their experience in a way that creates, collaborates, and effectively communicates with superior oral and written skills. Students will be encouraged to share their photography and videos with the Darlington community upon their return through blogs and the Global Studies speaker series. After receiving digital storytelling instruction on the trip and in the iPeriod, students will be able to transfer these technology skills to create future portfolio projects or for senior capstone project requirements that may come from Darlington’s Strategic Planning decisions. If they are World Languages or Media Arts students, they can use their experience in Costa Rica to complete their spring break digital storytelling project.
Cost Details and Deadlines
The cost of the trip is $2,900 per person, which includes roundtrip airfare, all ground transportation, nine overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms, three meals per day, a licensed tour director in Costa Rica, access to WeShare - an online learning platform, a global protection plan (insurance) and entrances all tours throughout the trip.
A minimum registration fee of $95 is due to Education First Educational Tours and $195 is due to Darlington School by Oct. 1, 2016 (full cost breakdown is $2,705 to EF and $195 to Darlington school to cover gratuity and airport transportation). EF offers a variety of payment options, including an automatic monthly deduction with the total trip being paid for by Feb. 1, 2017. To register online, visit the trip website. For more information, please email Crystal Cleveland or Adrienne Forgette.
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