Program Description | Host Family & Community | Community Service Placement | Travel | Orientations | Eligibility
Program Description
Costa Rica is one of the most popular destinations for AFS participants, with good reason. One of the most politically stable and prosperous countries of Latin America, the country is home to proud, friendly, and peaceful citizens. The natural landscape boasts world-famous beaches as well as rainforests and active volcanoes.
As a community service volunteer, you might participate in social, health, or education projects; work on an organic farm; assist park rangers at a National Reserve; or help at a botanical garden. AFS Costa Rica will work with you to find the best fit for your experience.
Accommodations will be either in housing provided by the community-based organization or with a host family.
Language
Spanish is the primary language spoken in Costa Rica.
The ability to speak Spanish is not a prerequisite for the program but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Host Family & Community
You can be placed anywhere in Costa Rica, though about 95% of hosted participants will live with families in suburban or urban areas.
Host families in Costa Rica, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to participants in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Costa Ricans
The country is home to proud, friendly, and peaceful citizens known as ticos (men) and ticas (women). They are usually conservative but they enjoy sharing their life and social activities with new people. Most Costa Ricans have a European heritage with some indigenous mixture, and there is a small indigenous minority. Ticos have a strong self-image, they are very nationalistic and proud of their country, but not in an aggressive way. They expect people to act humble and value, as they do, democracy, peace and political freedom.
Families in Costa Rica are close. The responsibility of managing the house and supervising the children typically belongs to the mother, even if she has an outside job, while the husband is usually engaged in work outside the home. Costa Rican teenagers help around the house when their studies permit, but the chores are not considered their responsibility.
Sharing is a given within the family. The sense of strictly personal belongings is not as strong as in some other countries. Siblings often use each other’s clothes and personal items without asking permission first. Private life is shared within the family, but generally not outside it.
Meals
Families in Costa Rica stick to a diet mainly of rice, beans, corn, fruit, and vegetables. Meat and fish are a healthy and integral part of their diet, so it may be difficult to find a placement for you if you are a vegetarian.
Especially during weekends, it is customary for the whole family to eat the same foods at meals together. It is a time to be enjoyed together and spent as a family. On working days, this is often more difficult, especially for families where both parents work.
Community Service Placement
The Community Service Program of AFS Costa Rica is an opportunity to integrate into the local culture and, at the same time, to contribute to the development of communities and people. Through volunteer work, you will gain an appreciation for the different needs of the Costa Ricans and help make a better living for them, while also shaing you own personal and cultural values.
As a community service volunteer, you might participate in social, health, or education projects; work on an organic farm; assist park rangers at a National Reserve; or help at a botanical garden. This is a responsibility and an opportunity for you to grow. AFS Costa Rica will work with you to find the best fit for your experience.
Upon arrival, you¹ll participate in a two-day orientation followed by ten days of Spanish instruction; then it¹s on to your host community.
Specific schedules can vary from project to project, but most require that you serve five days a week. Although most participants return to their host families daily, some projects require the participants to live onsite for extended periods.
You will have chances to meet with your fellow AFS Participants, like at the mid-stay orientation and the end-of-stay session. The last two weeks of the program are a free period for the participant's personal activities. Take this opportunity to discover the beauty of Costa Rica, discover yourself, and help others as you do!
Accommodations will be either in housing provided by the community-based organization or with a host family.
Past Placements
Here are some examples of past community service placements. The list shows possible placements, but not all projects will be available each year:
Center for Special Education- Created learning materials for children and teenagers
- Helped students with mobility issues get around the center
- Led recreational and sports activities
- Learned woodworking and helped students in the workshop with these skills. Participated in creating, sanding and painting wooden objects
- Supported the city in preparing and promoting exhibits, cultural and artistic events
- Helped in the children’s room at the public library. Responsibilities may include leading games, reading fairy-tales and helping with workshops and activities for elementary school students
- Aquaculture: Environmental monitoring, fed fish, field trips to capture animals
- Fisheries: Took water samples from boats, measured animals, entered computer data
- Red tide monitoring: Field trips to take samples, helped with sample analysis
Travel
You will receive a Travel Notification email about six weeks prior to international departure with your international itinerary and detailed instructions for how and when to arrange your domestic travel. At that point, you may book your domestic travel to Miami where you will join other AFS-USA participants for a Gateway Orientation before you travel together to San Jose.
International airfare is included as part of the tuition, but it is your responsibility to arrange your travel from your hometown to the Gateway Orientation city.
Your Arrival
After the Gateway Orientation in Miami, you and your fellow AFSers will travel together to San Jose, the capital city, where AFS staff and volunteers will be waiting for you at the airport. After a two day Arrival Orientation, you will be met by your host family or, if you are placed far from San Jose, you will travel by bus to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
Your Return
You will fly with the other AFS-USA participants from San Jose back to Miami.
Orientations
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the locally held Pre-Departure Orientation, the Culture Trek online orientation, and the national Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
These required orientations are intended to help you maximize your AFS experience, prevent culture shock and to gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding.
Arrival Orientation
This first orientation will take place upon your arrival in San Jose. This will be a two day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
Mid-Stay Orientation
One or two months in to your stay, you will have another orientation which is organized at the national level and held outside of San Jose. This will last for two days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first few weeks and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
End-of-Stay Orientation
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp at a beach resort in the weeks prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
Optional Activities
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for participants throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Costa Rica. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the participant’s expense.
Eligibility
To participate in this program, you must:
- Be within the age range upon departure (located in the ‘read more’ drop-down)
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with AFS Medical Evaluation Policies
- Have a U.S. passport at the time of application. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the program end date
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
