The Ohio State University
Center for Latin American Studies
invites you to enjoy

Spring Break in Costa Rica

a short study-abroad program for

Educators,
OSU Alumni, and
the Columbus Community

of particular interest to

Elementary Teachers
Social Studies Teachers
and Families on Spring Break

featuring

optional, intensive courses in
 

SURVIVAL SPANISH,

REFRESHER SPANISH,

SPANISH FOR CHILDREN,

and

COSTA RICA IN THE CLASSROOM
 

 

Costa Rica, Central America 
March 20-28, 2004

OVERVIEW

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese at The Ohio State University is charged with imparting a command of Spanish and creating an informed understanding of the values, concerns, and aspirations of the many peoples throughout the world who speak it. Consistent with this mission, the Department has created a nine-day travel and study program in Costa Rica designed especially for people whose work or other obligations make longer stays abroad difficult.

In order to tailor the experience to the needs of a diverse public, several options are offered. For those who wish to begin or continue their language instruction, courses in Survival Spanish and Refresher Spanish are available. A special course on Costa Rica in the Classroom will be available to educators interested in developing pedagogical materials (and to non-educators who wish to study Costa Rican issues rather than the Spanish language).  Others may prefer to participate only in the guided tours or to arrange their own free-time activities. University credit is awarded at no extra charge (except for a $100 service fee charged by the Office of International Education) to educators who wish to receive it for the special course on Costa Rica in the Classroom, but non-credit study is also available.  (Credit is also available to non-educators and for the other courses, but registration and payment of tuition is a separate process and is not included in the program fee.  Please inquire if interested.)

The program, to be held March 20-28, 2004, is intended primarily for OSU alumni and members of the Columbus community who have an interest in the Spanish language and/or Latin American cultures. It is thought that the program will be of special interest to veterans of OSU's Cuernavaca and Quito Programs and other former students of Spanish whose language skills may have deteriorated over time.  In order to make the program family-friendly, a special course for children will be held at the same time as classes for adults.  Persons from other areas of the United States are also welcome to participate, with flight details to be worked out with our partners at  eXito Latin American Travel Specialists.

All interested persons are invited to register. There are no age limits for participation in the program, but university credit is available only to those eligible for enrollment at OSU, either through Continuing Education, the Graduate School, or a regular degree program. Enrollment will be limited to 40 participants. Early registration is advised.

LOCATION

Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, between Nicaragua and Panama.  Known for its political and economic stability, the country has become a popular tourist destination for Europeans and Americans alike.  Fourteen percent of the nation's land has been set aside as national parks, home to diverse plant and animal life.  Costa Rica has no standing army.

San José, Costa Rica's capital and largest city, is located in the country's Central Valley, where temperatures are moderate all year round.  The capital city is now home to about a million Costa Ricans, or over a third of the inhabitants of the entire country.  Located close to Pacific beaches, rain forests, active volcanoes, and coffee plantations, this bustling city is an ideal base from which to discover more about the Spanish language as well as the cultures and environment of Central America.

For more links to Internet sites on Costa Rica, visit the resource page maintained by the Center for Latin American Studies at http://oia.osu.edu/clas/cyberspace/costa_rica.html.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY:

• Mid-afternoon arrival at the airport in San José, Costa Rica
  
• Transfer to the "Ave del Paraíso" hotel, adjacent to the University of Costa Rica
• Excursion to Cartago and the Shrine of the "Virgen de Los Angeles"(time permitting)
• Drive through the Orosí Valley, the area that gives Costa Rica the nickname "Switzerland of the Americas"
• Dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Reventazón River

• Early departure for Arenal Volcano
• Day of relaxation at the Tabacón spa and park
• Dinner in view of the active volcano

• Placement test for those in Refresher Spanish courses (if necessary)
  
• Classes begin in the morning on the campus of the University of Costa Rica
• City Tour
• National Museum
• Cooking class, featuring dinner of typical tico foods
  

• Classes in the morning
• Children's Museum
• El Pueblo, an area of shops, art galleries, restaurants, and bars in San José
  

• Classes in the morning
• Art museum
• Shopping trip to Moravia
  

• Classes in the morning
• Mid-day departure for Guanacaste, in northwestern Costa Rica near the Nicaraguan border
• Overnight at Hotel Hacienda Los Inocentes, a cattle ranch at the foot of Orosí volcano
  

• Various optional activities, including canopy tour, hiking, and horseback riding
  
• Overnight at Hotel Hacienda Los Inocentes
  

• Relaxation at Cuajiniquil, a beach on the northern Pacific coast
• Return to San José
  

• Departure for the U. S.
  

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Survival Spanish (3 credits, optional)

Refresher Spanish (3 credits, optional)

  Costa Rica in the Classroom (3 credits, optional)

Spanish for Children (non-credit)

COST AND FINANCIAL AID

A child under the age of 12 in a room with two adults pays only $749.00.  This includes everything described in the above paragraph.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

ENROLLMENT