Village Life and Service Projects: This language immersion program begins with a day of orientation in the capital city of San José, and then moves south to the Valle del General, a lush river basin surrounded by mountains and coffee plantations. There, students live for three and a half weeks in a small village, where they collaborate on community service projects with local townspeople. Past summers’ projects have included constructing a community center, painting a schoolhouse, helping farmers in the fields, and running a day camp for children. Students work side by side with village youth and elders, learning to communicate in Spanish, and using their language skills to make projects work. Organized language drills, research projects, and games conducted by the group leaders complement students’ real-life learning. During the first two and a half weeks in the village the group lives together in a small community building. Accommodations are basic and students learn about Costa Rican cuisine as they help two local women prepare the group’s meals. When they are not working on projects, students have time to explore the fascinating countryside with their new Tico friends, and are encouraged to organize evening activities such as salsa dancing lessons, games, and impromptu soccer matches. On weekends, the group travels to nearby beaches, rainforest preserves, and rivers. Friends from town come along on some of these outings, giving students further practice in their conversational skills.

Family Living: Each student joins a Costa Rican family during the third week in the village. During this homestay week, students have their first taste of full immersion in the Tico way of life. Helping around the house, playing soccer, chatting on the porch with their ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’, or buying mangoes and bread at the local pulpería, participants gain confidence in their language skills. During the day, students continue working alongside local people to complete community projects.

Adventure Travel: After the homestay, the group says goodbye to its new friends and departs for four days of adventure and exploration. Students first head to a mountain lodge located in the southern Talamanca mountain range. Here they hike misty trails in search of the rare quetzal and tapir, swim at majestic waterfalls, and help prepare delicious meals of organic foods grown on the farm. During these excursions, language learning continues as students interview local guides and wildlife experts and present their findings to the group.

Next, the group heads south to the Pacific Coast for two days on the Osa Peninsula. The program ends with a professionally guided river rafting excursion on the Pacuare River, where students ride rapids through a lush, ancient rainforest.

Students must have completed at least two years of Spanish. They are required to speak Spanish while on the program and must sign a pledge that they will do so. Participants receive a certificate from Putney recognizing 60 to 80 hours of community service upon successful completion of the program.