2026 Costa Rica - Menlo Abroad

Hi everyone, Quinn and Justin here! We are soaking up our final Sunday in Costa Rica and taking a bit of time to reset before heading into our last week. We have two more days of work ahead, followed by a trip to the Caribbean side for reflection on everything we have experienced and the connections we have built with the Chilamate community. It has been a joy to watch each student grow more connected and engaged throughout the trip. Whether through homestay stories or time spent at the work sites, it has been especially meaningful to see students slow down, sit with others, and genuinely connect. They are truly embracing all that this experience has to offer. We are excited to hear more about their time with their host families as we jump back into work tomorrow. Talk soon, Quinn and Justin

 Hello everyone, The students here in Costa Rica wanted to say hi to some people back home.  Enjoy the video.

  Hi guys, Anya and Sage here. Today we woke up early to head over to the indigenous Maleku tribe in the northern part of Costa Rica. Together as a group, we blasted music on the way there, listening to a mix of pop and country and keeping the vibes high as usual, even at 7 AM. After a quick stop for snacks, we arrived at the Maleku tribe’s land, where Elisia walked us through some of the artistic elements of his culture, as well as its origins and key components. After that, we did some traditional archery with wooden bow and arrows. Kiran was the only one who actually hit the target, and as a reward, he got to eat lunch first! It was also the chef’s birthday today, so we sang her “Happy Birthday.” We did arts and crafts on dried gourds, which they also use for bowls, water bottles, cups, and more. At the end of our visit with the Maleku people, we watched them perform a traditional indigenous ritual. The magisterial demonstration of the ritual was truly inspiring. We then headed ...

Traducido el 29 de mayo ¡Hola a todos los que están en casa! Es el blog de Jebastian con Jacob y Sebastián. ¡Soy Jacob! ¡Hoy yo y mi equipo de superhéroes regresamos a la escuela para seguir pintando! ¡Y resulta que de verdad somos súper! Todo está básicamente terminado, así que pudimos dar una capa rápida al principio y luego relajarnos con un poco de papaya y más helado casero. ¿Sabían que a algunas personas no les gusta el sabor de la papaya? Después de pintar y escuchar música del 2016, fuimos a almorzar: arroz, frijoles, verduras y estofado de res. Después del almuerzo, el súper Justin siguió ayudándonos a pintar las paredes de azul mientras nosotros empezamos a trabajar en las computadoras haciendo tarjetas de vocabulario para la escuela primaria. ¡DEFINITIVAMENTE no entramos a Instagram ni Snapchat de inmediato! Pero de verdad le pusimos mucho esfuerzo a esas tarjetas, ya que les llegarán a los estudiantes para ayudarlos a aprender inglés. ¡Ahora le paso la palabra al gran Sebas...