At The New Century School, Service is a Core Value, and, throughout the year, students take on various initiatives toward their service-learning goals, from intra-campus projects to broader, community service–oriented endeavors. To really bring home what service learning means, though, every other year, TNCS students get to experience how their efforts can have farther-reaching impacts.

Costa Rica, Here We Come!

On April 6th, TNCS Head of School Erika Johnson, along with Alexis Watson, TNCS Director of Student Support, accompanied nine 7th- and 8th-graders on their wonderful, amazing, long-awaited capstone trip to Costa Rica! This was the fourth such international service-learning trip, with the very first happening in Puerto Rico in 2019, followed by Costa Rica in 2020, and back to PR in 2022. Ms. Johnson is the first TNCS Head of School to chaperone the trip, but, recognizing the weighty responsibility of students traveling abroad, she felt it necessary to ensure their safety and guide them through the experience as well as to represent the school.

For many of the students, this trip marked significant firsts: first time out of the country, first time with passports, and the first time traveling without immediate family. It was a wonderful way to develop responsibility and independence. “At times, students were overwhelmed with the logistics of it all,” said Ms. Johnson, “like navigating immigration, where they had to stand in line and show their passports and other documents. Understanding how important all those documents are and being serious in the moment when asked questions by officers, all of those things became very real. That was a big revelation for them.”

Activities and Adventures

Their trip comprised 5 days in Costa Rica, bookended by a day of travel coming and going. The group arrived in San José and then drove to Arenal, a place bursting with natural beauty and adventure. Their visits also included Puntarenas on the Pacific Coast (there was a lot of criss-crossing the country by bus—a 4-hour ride!)

Their itinerary, planned by Explorica, was absolutely packed with exciting activities, including hiking up a volcano, horseback riding, ziplining, kayaking, and swimming in the ocean. They walked between 15,000 and 20,000 steps each day! The service-learning aspect came in the form of community service work at a local nature preserve (Manuel Antonio National Park), which meant clearing the brush from the road so it didn’t catch fire and then cause a threat to the resident animals.

Said Ms. Johnson: “I knew from experience that Explorica would provide that necessary level of care and professionalism. Our local guide, Raquel, was amazing. She took care of the logistics so I could focus on caring for students. She managed our busy schedule, which allowed me to make sure that students needs were met.” As Ms. Johnson described it, throughout the trip, every moment was maximized, from early morning wake-up calls to late-night reflections. “It rained the first 4 days,” she said, “but we did not miss a beat. It’s a tropical climate, and rainy weather is expected—‘la pura vida’!”

“Students were overjoyed with being in the tropical environment because it was just stunning. On a hike up the volcano we stopped in our tracks at the sounds of a howler monkey. Iguanas ran across our paths and snakes stared at us from the trees. They loved it all.”

Hablando Español

Beyond the thrill of adventure, one of the primary purposes of the middle school capstone trip is to use one of the languages students have been learning throughout their academic careers at TNCS in an authentic/immersive environment. Consider this box checked! Said Ms. Johnson:

It took a day or so for students to really jump in and use their Spanish continuously. But, as they exercised those muscles, their confidence grew. My Spanish improved, too, because I was trying to model using it. My Spanish is limited, so it was nice when they corrected me or explained something. That was helpful, especially when we were at local restaurants. One of my favorite aspects of this trip was seeing students realize that speaking Spanish is a skill and a talent. That really strengthened their confidence in their own personhood.

Reflections and Transformations

The trip fostered personal growth all around. Students not only learned to rely on each other for support, and discovered the fun and value of speaking Spanish in an authentic environment, but they also gained a deeper appreciation for shared experiences. This latter discovery is all down to Ms. Johnson, who, for the first time in a TNCS capstone trip, made journaling a part of the trip. She passed the journals out at the airport prior to departure and asked students to write about five things they each want to accomplish on the trip. (Final reflections on the trip in its entirety were due a week after returning to TNCS.) Once back at school, they can visit classrooms to share with younger students what they learned on the trip.

When we don’t incorporate those kinds of activities, it’s a missed opportunity for the bonding and even for their own appreciation for what has happened to them internally. I think those are some of the ingredients of that special sauce that make group dynamics work. It takes some intentionality to achieve what we’re trying to get out of the trip. So, each day students journaled about their experience, and I think the ability to reflect on what they did that day allows them to solidify memories and carry that information forward.

Journaling happened daily and was freestyle apart from the beginning and ending prompts from Ms. Johnson. This not only helped students gain insights into their experience, but it also infused the trip with deeper meaning. Ms. Johnson made sure that layer of meaning shone through in other ways as well: “On the last day, students had two activities: one was a recorded thank you message to their family and the second was that I made a little book from Ms. Watson, and each student wrote a thank you note to her.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Johnson herself participated in some reflection as well. She also had goals, both as an educator and as a traveler, all of which she accomplished:

My first goal was to learn something new about each student. Another was conquering the zip line—you can’t come this far not to do everything. Others were to see a sloth (I saw five, including a baby—they were so cute!); lay out in the sun, which I love; and last but least was to eat fresh mangoes.

As for her favorite parts of the trip, Ms. Johnson again approaches that wearing both her personal and her professional educator hats.

My favorite part when I’m in tropical places is always watching the sun go down. It was so lovely with the waves and the palm trees and the quiet. Seeing the students overcome challenges was also memorable. They might have started off saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’ but to hear them say, ‘I did it’ by the end was really special.  Additionally, the trip was transformative for the students in that they have a different appreciation for each other. I don’t think it’s possible to have shared experiences and not see each other.

Ms. Watson also shared some reflections. “My favorite experience was ziplining!” she said. “To be amongst nature in that way was truly breathtaking. To be in the middle of the tropical forest flying is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget.” As for goals, she says:

My goal was to support students in trying new things and following through with all the amazing adventures we went on. I believe they received a newfound piece of their independence along with a sense of cultural understanding of traditions and customs outside of their own. Our students were able to see how other people do some of the same tasks they do in a different way. I believe they were able to see that the world is so much bigger than what is in their backyard, and to me that is the joy of international traveling. In supporting students, I was able to explore new things myself and partake in new adventures as well.

Student Perspective

Immersed was able to convene briefly with the students to learn about the experience from their points of view. While some clear themes emerge, it’s also true that their experiences were unique—each student got something a little different out of it. It’s eminently clear that this trip was deeply meaningful to them. Their responses cover their favorite part of the experience, what most surprised them, and what they feel they took away from the experience overall.

I learned a lot of new skills like responsibility and how to be away from my mom. I also learned a lot more Spanish. We did a lot of really cool activities. My favorite was going to the beach.

I also learned how to be away from home for the first time. It was also just it was a nice country. I think my favorite part of the trip was being able to communicate in Spanish, to be able to practice it. I also liked going to the hot springs, which was really relaxing and calming.

My favorite part of the trip was the horseback riding. What I learned from this trip was to be more independent because I rely a lot on my mom. I practiced a lot of my Spanish over there. The most surprising thing for me was how much I missed my family. The most surprising thing was the weather, the constant change from rain to sun.

I liked going to a new country and experiencing things for the first time, especially with my school. I liked being more independent and speaking the language. My favorite part was definitely the food—the rice and beans. The food was also the most surprising because they stick to the same meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, unlike here.

The most surprising thing was how different the money was: 500 colónes (₡) equal 1 dollar. It was fun to figure it out. It was a really good opportunity for me to learn how to talk to people in a different language, and it was good to experience the culture. My favorite experience was going to the fruit markets because I got to try new fruits.

Most surprising to me is that there was a lot of wildlife and nature in Costa Rica. I could tell they really care about it a lot. My favorite experience was learning about the country with my friends. We got to go hiking up a volcano, which was really fun with friends. We also learned about the volcano and how it formed. What I got out of the trip was learning how to be independent; we weren’t there with our parents, we only had our friends and teachers, which was kind of different, but I liked how it taught me to be independent.

The most the most surprising thing to me was that there were sloths. We went to an animal sanctuary and there they were! Not only did I get to learn some Spanish words from just natural exposure, but I got to speak Spanish to other people and practice my pronunciation with someone who actually spoke the language. My favorite experience would probably have to be hiking, just because I like the opportunity to be active. Even though there was a lot of rain, the rain cleared, and when we reached the top, the view was just breathtaking.

On this important journey, goals were achieved, memories were made, and bonds were strengthened. From spotting sloths to conquering fears, each student left Costa Rica with a sense of accomplishment and a trove of unforgettable moments. Returning home, they carry with them not just memories, but a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.