Anacapa School Students Experience Costa Rican Culture of ‘Pura Vida’

Students and teachers from Anacapa School enjoy the natural amenities Costa Rica has to offer. (Courtesy photo)

June 20. 2024 - As part of its experiential learning programs, Anacapa School in Santa Barbara has been offering all-school expeditions in the fall and spring, primarily to domestic destinations like Zion, Grand Canyon and Yosemite national parks, Big Sur and Mammoth Lakes.

This year, however, dean of students Jacob Pepper thought out-of-the-country.

“Anacapa is known for its school trips, but to put together something that has multiple modes of travel, including international flights, and with all the unknowns of being in another country, making the commitment to take our students to Costa Rica was an out-of-the-box approach to experiential learning,” he said.

“It took a year of planning, but the eight days we spent in this fabulous country and with its beautiful people will likely be one of the most memorable aspects of these students’ careers at Anacapa,” Pepper said.

The months-long trip planning included organizing flights, getting passports, fundraising, Zoom calls, and booking itineraries. Pepper worked with Costa Rican travel agent Tom Ranieri, who operates out of Turrialba, Costa Rica, and specializes in student-focused trips.

A number of the Anacapa students had never before left the United States, and suddenly they and several of their teachers were 4,000 miles south of home in one of the most unique and biodiverse places on earth.

From trekking to the country’s tallest volcano Irazu (11,500 ft. above sea level), to enjoying authentic meals at local sodas (restaurants), ziplining, bungee jumping, river rafting on the Pacuare River, and snorkeling in the coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea, Anacapa’s students and faculty were immersed in Costa Rica’s nature and culture.

One of the most meaningful parts of the trip was a homestay. Small groups of students were paired with host families in the small town of Sitio De Mata. Students and faculty members shared meals and chores with their host families, played games with them, did their best to converse with them in Spanish, and participated in a pick-up game of soccer with the locals.

“When we arrived in Sitio De Mata, students were quiet, unsure about this part of the trip,” said Pepper. “But Anacapa prides itself in helping students push themselves beyond their comfort zone.

“Forty-eight hours later, students were lamenting having to leave their host mothers, fathers, and siblings,” he said.

“Students also had the opportunity to give back to this community by rebuilding a local bus stop, which ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the trip,” Pepper said. “They now have this wonderful connection with their host families and have continued to communicate with them after returning from the trip.”

Anacapa’s commitment to community service also saw the young travelers participate in a reforestation project, where students planted 45 new trees in an area that had been clear cut to be a cilantro farm, helping to restore the natural balance to the country’s delicate ecosystem.

“I think this trip really set the standard for what type of school we are,” said Pepper.
 
Next up on Anacapa School expeditions is backpacking and an island ecosystem adventure on Catalina Island.

“It will be tough to match the spirit of ‘Pura Vida’ (‘the pure life’) that we found in Costa Rica, but who knows?” Pepper said. “Maybe the students will demand a return trip in the spring of this year and Costa Rica expeditions will become a staple of our programming.”

For more about Anacapa School, visit www.anacapaschool.org or email Summer Foster, summer@anacapaschool.org