Costa Rica International Field Experience
“The Costa Rica trip pushed my limits, in the best way possible.” -- Tatum, FBRA Class of 2019 Alumna
All 7th & 8th-grade FBRA students travel to Costa Rica each year for an incredible immersion experience with three primary goals:
- cultural & language immersion
- service
- outdoor adventure
8- to 9-day trips each spring allow students to experience another culture, build their independence and resilience, foster teamwork with their teachers and classmates, and have truly unique and unforgettable adventures.
Through our homestay program, FBRA students are paired and matched with a Costa Rican family, where they have the chance to build relationships with that family, stretch their Spanish language skills, play with their pets, enjoy family meals, hang out at the neighborhood soccer pitch, go with the family to their favorite swimming hole, and so on.
Each trip immerses students in a unique ecosystem and outdoor experience:
- 7th grade: coastal ecology / surfing / snorkeling experience in Uvita
- 8th grade: rural mountain farm stay followed by a river trip on the Class IV Rio Pacuare
To ramp up for Costa Rica, our 6th graders embark on a week-long coastal ecology and outdoor adventure experience along the Carolina coast in the spring.
Year in and year out, the Costa Rica trip is what our graduates and alumni recall as the most impactful experience of their time at FBRA.
“[Our Costa Rican hosts] were just such amazing people... wherever you go they're so welcoming… I remember seeing them so happy and just being so grateful for the opportunity.“
- Jacob, FBRA Class of 2019 alumnus
“I feel like [the Costa Rica trip] created more opportunities for me, and the desire to be more outgoing and to try new things.”
- Anna Kate, FBRA Class of 2019 alumna