Upper School Students Explore Costa Rica During New Cultural Immersion Experience

This summer, more than two dozen Upper School students traveled to Costa Rica as part of a new cultural immersion experience, where they were able to spend a week meeting and connecting with Costa Rican people and culture through community service and surfing.

Upper School Spanish teacher Margarita Castillo, Director of Athletics T.W. Johnson '92 and Head of School Mike Barclay led this year’s trip. The group’s flight landed in Costa Rica on June 10, and they all made the journey from the airport to the coastal town of Tamarindo. On the way, students had their first experience of what life is like in Costa Rica as they encountered a family of howler monkeys. The animals, which are protected by the nearby Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge, are common in the area. Students stopped to take photos and videos before settling in at their hotel, where they enjoyed watching the sun set over Tamarindo Bay.

The following day, students headed out to nearby Playa Grande to collect litter and clean the beach. The group learned that since 2000, the population of local leatherback turtles has been declining due to light pollution and waste, especially plastics. Experts expect that because of this, in the near future, leatherback turtles will stop nesting on Playa Grande altogether.

“During the beach cleanup, we talked about the importance of sustainability and conservation in Costa Rica and all across the globe,” said Jack Daniels '24, who was one of the students who participated in the Surf and Serve program. “Plastic pollution, which is largely caused by humans, severely harms the marine ecosystem. It directly harms sea turtles, who get caught in plastic pollution and unfortunately die. Some species of sea turtles are even on the brink of extinction because of this. We learned we can prevent damage from pollution by volunteering in events like beach cleanups and making sure not to leave any trash behind after traveling to the beach.”

On the third day of the group’s trip, they traveled about an hour inland to the city of Nicoya, where they visited a school and performed volunteer work, including weeding, painting and planting. Saints had the chance to talk with the Costa Rican school children and took photos with them. Before heading back to the hotel, students were able to enjoy a snack made by the mother of one of the students.

“Helping out at the school was a great time, and knowing we were supporting the community only made it better,” said Jack. “Interacting with the school children was a wonderful experience that everyone enjoyed, because they were engaged in what we were doing. NSA students who took Spanish were even able to make some conversation with the kids.”

In addition to helping out the local community, students were able to embark on some unique adventures. They spent an afternoon zip-lining, where many faced their fears while having fun with one another. Students also soaked up the sun at the pool and the hotel’s Beach Club. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a trip to a prime surf spot like Tamarindo without catching a few waves during surf lessons.

“One of my favorite parts of the trip was definitely having the opportunity to learn how to surf,” said Mackenzie Farrell '25. “The lesson was so much fun. Our instructor was super friendly and patient, and it felt amazing to learn a new skill!”

We are thrilled our students were able to enjoy this enriching experience. Thank you to Ms. Castillo, Coach Johnson and Mr. Barclay for making this trip possible!