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		EarthConnect allows teenagers to travel during the summer throughout the awe-inspiring country of Costa Rica with the purpose of exploring personal connections to the Earth and our roles in protecting it. Experiences in this breath-taking tropical setting allow for building community and growing an environmental consciousness. EarthConnect groups encounter the beauty of the rainforest, meet local people, and participate in enriching and important community service projects. EarthConnect was created from our desire to lengthen and intensify the experiences of our shorter EcoClassroom programs. In three or four weeks, participants are able to spend more time connecting with the diverse cultures and ecosystems of Costa Rica while building a unique traveling community.




	EarthConnect July 7 - 28, 2009 Activities This active experience includes hiking, family homestays, Spanish immersion, whitewater rafting, kayaking, boating, ziplining through the canopy, horseback riding, and meeting indigenous peoples, as well as community service projects. Check out our Itinerary Highlights for more examples of how we will spend our three weeks together. Participants Each group consists of up to 15 high school students entering grades 10-12, from all over the US and Canada. Previous experience with outdoor activities, Spanish language or adventure travel is encouraged but not required! We only ask that participants be willing to work together in a group and try new things.

Cost: $4275 (not including airfare)

Click here to see Itinerary

Hike through the Rainforest
Get to know the flora and fauna of this gorgeous yet threatened habitat. Visit popular parks and remote wildlife reserves throughout this ecologically diverse country.

Live with a Local Family
Experience life in a warm and welcoming Costa Rican home. Our homestays will not only acquaint us with the wonderful people of rural Tres Equis, but will also allow you to practice and enhance your language skills and make new friends.

Ride the River Rapids through Lush Rainforest
Stay overnight on the banks of the Pacuare River! Enjoy two unforgettable days of white water rafting on Class III and IV rapids. This scenic river slices through virgin rainforest, plunges through mountain gorges, and drops the most beautiful waterfalls right alongside your raft!

Visit Our Remote Beachfront Center for Sustainable Living and Education
Our private center at Punta Mona (Monkey Point) provides an exercise in sustainable living in a gorgeous and remote setting. Spend the day harvesting fruits and vegetables from the organic gardens and helping with cooking, if you like. Swing from a hammock, ride sea kayaks through a mangrove-lined lagoon or create arts and crafts from natural materials. Keep a lookout for the dolphins that live in these waters as you return by boat to the town of Manzanillo after a fun-filled day.

Engage in Community Service Projects
Provide service to local host communities while exploring the balance of giving and receiving. Past projects have included beach clean-ups, planting gardens and painting murals at local schools, helping with building and planting projects at the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve, and volunteering at a Womens Cooperative Farm.

Learn about Indigenous Culture
While hiking through the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve with a native Bribri guide, learn about the culture and customs of the Bribri People, one of the few remaining indigenous groups in Costa Rica. Visit the Iguana Farm, and learn about this community's efforts to save the endangered green iguana from extinction. Learn about their deep connection to the forest and the environmental threats to their way of life. A native lunch is served with all ingredients coming from the Reserve!

Learn Spanish
Learn Spanish by speaking and listening in an experiential setting, no matter what your level is! We will participate in an intensive language program in Tres Equis, while we are living with our host families. We'll take what we learn there, and practice it as often as possible throughout the trip, guaranteeing that everyone will gain confidence in the use of their Spanish!

Zip through the Canopy
This exhilarating experience allows you to sail through the treetops of the canopy and over the trails far below. Expert guides assist you in this exciting journey through the different layers of the temperate forests and explain the orchids, bromeliads and exotic birdlife that surrounds you.

Refresh Your Spirit at Breathtaking Waterfalls
Hike through forests to hidden waterfalls where invigorating pools await.

Taste Local Cuisines and Rare Tropical Fruits
Everywhere we go, meals will reflect regional specialties and locally grown crops. Delight in fresh fruits not readily available in North America.

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