THE PROGRAM
Immerse yourself for six weeks during the summer in the town of San Isidro, Costa Rica through Spanish-language courses and Latin American Studies courses.

On this program you will take classes from a private institute called Costa Rica Study Abroad. CRSA has been designing study abroad programs for U.S. students for over 20 years. You will take classes from Costa Rican professors with other UW-Eau Claire students.

THE LOCATION
During the program you will be living in the town of San Isidro de Heredia, located in the province of Heredia. This lovely town is about 9 miles, or 35 minutes by bus, from downtown San José, and is surrounded by the magnificent cloud forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.

It has a small, charming downtown area with an appealing semi-rural feeling and a delightful climate, maintained by a cool mountainous breeze all year long. It is still a very dynamic little town with people out an about walking everywhere. Don´t forget to bring your comfortable walking shoes to explore the vicinity!

HOUSING & MEALS
During the program you will be living with a host family, which offers an excellent opportunity for you to learn about family life in Costa Rica, meet locals, and practice your Spanish on a daily basis! 

Accommodations are arranged with carefully selected host families. In general only one student is placed per family; in all cases, you will have your own room. Your host family will provide you three meals a day.

Past participants report that the informal learning with their family was as important as their classwork to their academic experience. In the words of a past student, "I was so glad to live with a host family rather than in a hotel or dorm. It was a great cultural experience."

ACADEMICS
To learn about eligibility requirements, academic offerings, and the academic calendar; click here: Academics - Costa Rica Summer

COST
Below you will find more information on program costs: Summer 2013



 

PHOTO GALLERY
Want to see more pictures? Click here!

STUDENT LIFE
Students in Costa Rica often meet friends through their host families.  Other ways students have gotten involved are by joining gyms, taking dance or cooking classes, and attending events at local universities nearby.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE
"Costa Rica was a fantastic program. I feel it is much strong because you live with host families. It forced me to learn the language and experience the culture in a way that I would not have if we stayed in a dorm setting." -Nicole

VOLUNTEER
Volunteering during study abroad is a wonderful way to get involved in the local community, make meaningful relationships, and improve your Spanish-language skills. While in Costa Rica, you may volunteer for 2, 4, or 6 hours a week. When considering volunteering during study abroad, it is important to note that it represents both a time commitment and a commitment to the organization. Also, volunteering abroad requires you to take imitative. The more you are willing to invest in the experience the more rewarding it will be!

Below you will find a list of possible areas in which you can volunteer during your time in Costa Rica:

EXPLORE COSTA RICA!
Academic field trips will introduce you to a few of the many faces of Costa Rica.  In the past two program excursions such as a field trip to Samara Beach and a trip to the Irazu Volcano have been included in the program. Also students have taken trips to San Jose City and to Heredia City.

HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, read the application instructions on the How to Apply Page. Then return to this program brochure page, and click the 'apply now' button at the top of the page.