Menu
Wish List
READ REVIEWS
Visit Site
Apply Now
Location
  • Costa Rica
Length
2 - 4 weeks
Program Categories
Cultural Immersion Service Learning Volunteer Abroad

Program Details

Program Type
Student Tour
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Hotel Lodge
Language
English
Age Min.
14
Age Max
18

Pricing

Starting Price
5295
Price Details
Includes all on the ground costs (lodging, food, activities, etc.). Does not include airfare.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
Oct 11, 2023
Oct 30, 2023
Wish List
25 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

During this pre-med/public health focus program, students participate in medical and public health focuses activities, shadow physicians and healthcare professionals at local clinics, as well as learn how to take blood pressure and other vital signs. Students also go on a river rafting adventure, get Wilderness First Aid and Mental Health First Aid certified, take an epic zip-line canopy tour, get surfing lessons

Community service is at the heart of every Global Works trip and, on this one, students earn 45-55 community service hours by working alongside professionals at an NGO, planning and implementation of public health campaigns, assisting in the construction of double pit latrines as well as work with local, community health educators in promoting their use and maintenance, and constructing community wash stations in public schools and communities, which reduce hygiene-related disease. No prior language study requirements are needed.

Visit Site
Apply Now

Video and Photos

Pre-Med/Public Health and Service Adventure
Learning about the pharmacy
Using a stethoscope on the intro to pre-med program
Learning to surf in Costa Rica!
Making tortillas
Wilderness First Aid course

View All Photos

Program Highlights

  • Shadow Doctors in Local Clinics
  • White Water Rafting Adventure
  • Get Certified in Wilderness First Aid and Mental Health First Aid
  • Pacific Coast Surf Lessons

Program Dates

Application Deadline
Program Dates
-
-

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 10 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.8
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.8
  • Safety 4.9
  • Program Selection 5
  • Pre-departure Help 5
  • In-program Support 5
  • Impact on Student 5
  • Value 5
Good for Students, Under 18, Groups
Showing 9 - 10 of 10 reviews
Default avatar
ksylvester
26
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Great Trip and Great Memories

Dec 8, 2012

Getting to go to a foreign country alone is always fun. I loved how the group was really small (5 boys 5 girls), so we really got to bond with the other members and the staff. The best part was definitely the homestay and getting to ski. Over the summer my spanish improved, but I did lose most of it once I got back to school. Overall though, it was extremely fun.

What would you improve about this program?
I would maybe plan out the community service a little better (lets maybe not go back to the guarani community and make sure we have a good type of paint thats not too thin when we decide to completely paint the walls of a scary house), and enforce that we speak spanish a little more forcefully (i never really spoke spanish except at the homestays)
98 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
Lay
26
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Dec 7, 2012

My stay in Nicaragua was my first experience away from home alone, and it was definitely an experience of a lifetime. The Global Works leaders were accommodating and approachable, and I was ecstatic to discover the similarities I shared with many of the other people on the trip. To this day, I am still in touch with the wonderful people in my group; we still share memories from this life-changing trip that brought us together. It was a thrill to be immersed in the rich, colorful Nicaraguan culture filled with amiable, welcoming Nicaraguans. Although there was often a language barrier, we had laughs about the misconceptions that resulted, and our leaders were helpful in clearing the misunderstandings.
During the clinical rotations, I found myself comparing the Nicaraguan practices with the procedures in the U.S., and I was amazed by the marginal differences. For example, while gauze is manually folded and sterilized in Nicaragua, it is crafted by machines in the U.S. Furthermore, before this trip, I had only heard about the poverty and resource shortages in developing countries--living in these conditions made them a reality. I truly learned to appreciate the luxuries in the U.S. that I had taken for granted my entire life such as hot showers, excellent drainage, clean water, air conditioning, technology, wifi, and our seemingly endless supply of medicine (pharmacies in Nicaragua frequently ran out of medicine, as they often received merely one shipment each month). Moreover, it was rewarding to see the community's appreciation for our service projects. I cannot express how rewarding it felt to see the community's gratitude for our contributions. The mere knowledge that I had made a difference in the community was comforting.
Witnessing these critical conditions firsthand has raised my awareness of developing countries' conditions; overall, this experience has motivated me to take action, because it is truly rewarding to make a difference in peoples' lives.

What would you improve about this program?
I would have included more pre-med-related activities, since this trip is supposed to be geared toward pre-med studies; the reforestation efforts and building of hand-washing stations were not as pre-med as the clinical rotations during the first week of the program.
75 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Michaela Flanders

Program
Costa Rica Pre-Med/Public Health and Service Adventure
Michaela Flanders is currently a high school student who enjoys dancing, writing, entrepreneurship, and volunteerism. After high school, she plans to pursue a degree in social work.
Thumbnail

Why did you choose this program?

This program is a Premed and Public Health program for high school students, so I was excited by the chance to explore the healthcare world without committing to it as a career. I also study French at school, so I immediately jumped at the opportunity to learn some of the Spanish language in an immersive environment. Lastly, I chose this program because of its opportunity to do a homestay. I am a big believer in traveling authentically - meaning that I think it's important to live like the average person who lives in your host country would. This trip let me do all three!

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Global Works assists you with virtually everything while you are in Nicaragua. Lodging, itinerary, meals - all of those are taken care of for you. However, you are responsible for getting yourself to Nicaragua (or any other country that you might travel to with GW). There are group flights that you can take if you're doing a high school age trip, and those usually leave from a specified airport in the U.S. on travel day.

You have to pay for this group flight separate from your tuition price, plus any connections you need to put you in that designated airport. If you think you could do better on your own you are also allowed to get yourself to Nicaragua via your own flight arrangements. The Global Works office does a good job answering travel-related questions for you should they arise.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Pack lots of bug spray and after-bite - the mosquitos are merciless!

I would advise potential participants to determine, for themselves, what they want out of this program before they go. I have seen people get really homesick, and it can affect how they view their experiences.

Remembering that, "Oh, I really wanted to practice my Spanish with some native speakers," or, "I came to learn as much as I could about public clinics" can help to refocus your intentions and help you appreciate how great it really is to be in Nicaragua.

Trips like these are fast-paced and immersive, and while this is what makes them so amazing, it can also be easy to get overwhelmed and lose sight of why you chose to come. Especially when you are in a foreign country with no parents or siblings for 17 days.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

For my Global Works program, it really depended on what city/community we were in and what our primary activities were while staying there. One scenario that wasn't too uncommon for our trip, though, was something like this: get up at seven with a roommate's alarm clock, dress and shower, pack your daypack, and meet up with the rest of the group in the dining area for breakfast at seven thirty.

Gallo pinto (beans and rice), fried plantains, cheese, and eggs are typically served for breakfast, and the "Leaders of the Day" tell you about the day's itinerary while you eat. Get on a bus to go into the community around eight, arriving at a local attraction such as a beach, a small business, or the house of a prominent community member who will tell you their story.

Lunchtime will be the biggest meal of the day, and the food, while not varying a ton from day to day, will be very nutritious and tasty. After, you might have time to take a short nap or hang out with your group. Then, after lunch, you will re-board the bus and go to a worksite. You will work at the clinic or worksite until dinnertime, with the occasional snack/water break.

Dinner is usually meatless but there will be plenty of it. Afterwards, you and your group play a game, reflect on the work you've been doing, or interact with the local community. Finally, the group leaders will announce a time for lights out (usually around 10:30 or 11:00 local time) and everyone will gradually start peeling off from the group to shower or read or chill in their room with their roommates. Typical room sizes are about four people each.

You crawl under your mosquito net and journal about about the day by flashlight, and eventually, when the sleepiness hits, you close your eyes and go to sleep against the peaceful lull of the crickets.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it and/or how did your views on the issue change?

I admit to not always making friends quickly - I'm a person who tends to have a small number of people whom they're super duper close with and have the rest be friendly but not "BFF"-level acquaintances. I was nervous about how I would mesh with my group socially.

The situation wasn't perfect, and there were some people who I definitely wouldn't say I bonded strongly with. But, I was able to make friends with a few people who I was rooming with during the trip, and the rest of the time I was able to just focus on getting the most out of my travel experience. This was definitely the most important part for me - I had worked hard to be here!

I know my answer to this question doesn't exactly relate to what it's asking, but I guess I would say that I just looked for things I had in common with people and was patient if we didn't become super close. Group dynamic will always vary depending on who you happen to be with, and it can't be easily controlled by the people who organize the program. This particular issue is just about remembering to be open to and considerate of everyone in your group and realizing that, if you are discouraged by a similar situation, it is only one aspect of a still once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What was one thing that surprised you about your trip, or about your host country?

I was really surprised to learn about the influence of alternative medicine in Nicaragua! Our group had the chance to visit a clinic for Eastern medicine while we were in Matalgalpa (a large city in Nicaragua) and I had a lot of fun rotating around in the interactive stations the staff set up for us.

At one, we learned about the way the clinic uses floral therapy to treat those who have experienced trauma. At another, we got to lie down and take part in a meditation - it was so relaxing a couple of people fell asleep! Each member of the group got to get a massage (as well as learn how to give basic massages) and we even got to try out acupuncture treatment as we learned about the nerves in our bodies.

Later, in our host families' community, we got to go on a hike to see beautiful medicinal plants. Overall, it was really intriguing and surprising to find something familiar while away from the U.S.!

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Francisco Di Poi

Program
Costa Rica Pre-Med/Public Health and Service Adventure
Job Title
Global Works Enrollment Adviser / Panama Director
Thumbnail

Tell us a little about Global Works and your role at the company.

Francisco: Global Works is an international travel organization that offers community service programs for high school students. Currently, I am an enrollment adviser, lead trips in Central America as well as help organize the logistics of the trips.

How did you get involved with Global Works?

Francisco: Two years ago, I saw an advertisement in Boulder, CO. They were looking for a leader with a soccer background who spoke fluent Spanish and had experience working with high school students. After my first trip which was a great success, I became an enrollment adviser for them and then became the Panama Country Director the following year. I now currently work full-time for them.

What is your international travel and community service background?

Francisco: Being born in Argentina and having moved to the U.S. when I was four, I often went back to visit family and friends from a very early age. I have always been interested in travel and have taught in Spain and backpacked around Europe as well. When I turned 17, I started coaching (volunteer) soccer at the recreational level. I then went on to volunteer at a high school where I was eventually given the Head Coach position of the Freshman team. A few years after that, I took an EMT-B course and volunteered for an ambulance service near my town in Connecticut for over a year.

What does Global Works do to prepare its trip leaders for the field?

Francisco: All of the leaders already possess a certain skill set that makes them perfect for the job before being hired. Using that base, Global Works provides many resources as well as a staff training every year for all staff members. First Aid and CPR certificates are mandatory to be a trip leader as well as fluently speaking the foreign language of the country you will be leading in. The expectations of leaders are clearly stated and identified from day one and there are many evaluations that staff members and students have to fill out upon completion of the trips in order to make them better year after year.

What makes Global Works unique?

Francisco: The diversity of the activities that are done on each trip and the blend of Service, Exchange, Adventure, and Language Immersion are part of what makes Global Works so different. Along with our stellar staff and experience running these trips, we continue to run amazing trips that change kids lives and show them a world they didn't know existed.

How do you ensure your programs are sustainable and mutually beneficial for you, the community, and the students?

Francisco: Connecting with the communities where we do our service work and finding out what their needs are is what makes these trips and experiences so beneficial for everyone involved. The blend of activities allows for students to have fun, gain a different perspective on the world, and experience things that they would never have the chance to. This makes our students more aware of how people in different countries live and enhances their perspective on the world.

Location

Location:
Costa Rica
Currency:
Costa Rican Colón
Weather:
Jan-Mar
83 F / 67 F
Apr-Jun
85 F / 69 F
Jul-Sep
85 F / 69 F
Oct-Dec
83 F / 67 F
Airports:
Juan Santamaría International Airport
( SJO )
Limón International Airport
( LIO )
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport
( LIR )

A pioneer of ecotourism, Costa Rica draws many tourists to its extensive series of national parks and other protected areas. Costa Rica began reversing deforestation in the 1990s, and they are moving towards using only renewable energy. Head to the cloud forest, relax on the beautiful beaches, or visit a coffee farm.

About Global Works

For more than 34 years, Global Works has been an industry leader in community service-based adventure travel programs for high school students and custom group trips. Much more than a vacation, Global Works international trips are the bridge for meaningful cultural exchange with people around the world. In all of our locations, we partner with...
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award

Other Programs You Might Like