Meadowbrook’s 8th grade class makes a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Costa Rica. The Costa Rica cultural exchange is the culmination of a Meadowbrook education, combining elements of leadership, community, discovery and diversity within a 10-day journey.

Part of the 8th grade global studies curriculum, the Costa Rica cultural exchange enables students to connect with people from another culture, recognizing both similarities and differences. Students challenge themselves physically and mentally through activities unique to the region, community service efforts and self-reflection. Students also explore the science and transformative wonders of the rain forest.

This incredible trip inspires and empowers our students with a passion they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Our students have experienced...

Adventure - Ziplining through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 100 feet above the ground, relying on both teamwork and trust.

Discovery - Studying the ecological wonders of the Costa Rican rainforest, including many of the living creatures unique to Costa Rica at the Butterfly and Insect Gardens.

Confidence - Riding horseback to the Continental Divide through the Costa Rican rainforest.

Reflection - Discovering their own quiet space within the rainforest to think and write about their experience.

Participation - Witnessing first-hand how cheese is made from cows they help milk.

Technology and Industry - Visiting the Dole Banana factory where they observe, from beginning to end, Dole's process for distributing bananas, a major export for the country.

Challenge - Hiking to a fully self-sufficient, organic farm in Punta Mona, where they learned about sustainable living, perma-culture, and the region's lifecycle.

Responsibility - Visiting the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve where they are taught how to use herbs and plants for natural cures and the importance of protecting endangered species.

Friendship - Meeting, in person, their pen pals from a local school, greeted with songs of welcome and skits.

Sportsmanship - Playing soccer with their new friends and realizing that the rules remain the same all across the globe.

Leadership - Participating in community service projects to help support the communities they visit.

Every year, without exception, students tell us that the Costa Rican experience changed their lives. School-based travel lowers barriers and creates pathways for better understanding among cultures.