Which Course is Right for Your Child?

Outward Bound Costa Rica offers a selection of courses based on age, activity, country and affiliation. Our established summer courses can be 2 weeks to 8 weeks in length and semester courses 65 to 85 days. But which is right for your child? How old is your child, what interests do they have, how long would they want to be away? These are the first questions to ask. 

Summer Courses

Summer Courses for ages 14-18 can be combined for up to 8 weeks so that students can explore Costa Rica and Panama and engage in hiking, surfing, scuba diving, sea turtle conservation, cultural immersion and service projects. Our Summer Courses for ages 19+ include the best activities and highlights from our 14-18 courses in a shortened one to two-week expedition to Panama and Costa Rica.

Gap Year & Semester

Our Gap Year & Semester courses are for ages 17+ high school graduates and are held each fall and spring focusing on leadership, outdoor educations skills and international outdoor industry certifications. Courses take place in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua. Our Coast to Coast Expedition focuses on cultural immersion and life skills with a signature 26-day hike through Costa Rica as its cornerstone. It is our only course that travels to all 3 countries. Our Outdoor Leader Semester focuses on 7 internationally recognized outdoor education certifications that will ready the students for a career in the outdoor industry.

Girl Scout Destinations

The majority of our Girl Scout Destination courses run throughout the summer, with the exception of Sea Turtle Retreat in the winter. These courses are only open to current Girl Scouts ages 13 – 18.

Giving Back

Does your child have a passion for service, the outdoors, water activities, culture and language, travel, or is s/he just discovering their passion? Each of our courses have an element of service built into its curriculum. Service projects focus on people, construction, animals, marine biology, environmental and reforestation issues. Most projects will include working alongside local inhabitants of the villages we visit.

Student Safety
Risk and uncertainty are central to adventure and personal growth. By embracing this philosophy, OBCR is committed to systematically identifying, assessing and mitigating hazards, while at the same time providing real challenges for our students.

Our Staff
Our instructors are experienced, qualified and certified outdoor professionals committed to our students’ well-being through a rigorous system of values, judgements, words and actions. OBCR instructors are trained to identify, assess and approach risk as a learning tool to be managed but not eliminated. The goal is to provide our students with the opportunity to gain insights and perspectives into themselves and their capabilities while at the same time recognizing the strengths of their team and teammates while on course. OBCR staff are experts in their field and hold a number of outdoor certifications and trainings.

Our Standards
Outward Bound International (OBI) has been a leader in wilderness safety and risk management for over 70 years. As an accredited member school, OBCR follows the standards put forth by OBI and has an exceptional safety record. We are reviewed and audited by OBI, as well as by our Board Safety Committee, on a regular basis.

Our Host Families and Supporting Communities
Outward Bound Costa Rica courses take place in medium and low elevation rainforests, rivers, tropical beaches and at sea. When not camping under the stars, students and their instructors stay together with one of our vetted and trusted host families on their farms, villages or beach side property. Our host families have been a part of the OBCR experience for many years. We have seen generations of their children grow up alongside our students and many have become OBCR instructors themselves. Our families provide a cultural immersion experience not only for our students, but for their families as well. They are a vital part of our team and we are very thankful for their continued support.

Our Emergency Action Plan
Our instructors carry an emergency medical bag with them on all courses. They are trained and equipped with bandages, splints, topical ointments and medicine to bridge that gap between the field and professional medical assistance for more serious issues or injury.

Instructors are trained in determining if a student must be evacuated for their safety or for professional medical assistance. Once it is determined evacuation is necessary, each of our courses has a dedicated system for evacuation which includes a physical route and a communications plan. If a student needs to be evacuated for any reason, the instructor will be in communication with our office staff, who in turn will be in communication with the designated emergency contact listed on the participant’s Enrollment Form. Once cleared by a medical professional, the student will return to course.

You’ll find our course prices listed on each course page on the website. When your student fills out an Enrollment Form, s/he will be included in the course. However, a spot is not reserved until a deposit is made. Deposits are $200 for 2-week courses and $500 for courses 3 weeks and longer. Tuition covers all in-country transportation, accommodation, meals and activities. International airfare, souvenirs and travel insurance are not included.

Payment in full must be made 30 days prior to the course start date. We accept multiple payments over time. Payment can be made by credit card (Visa and Mastercard only) as well as by wire transfer and by check. Bear in mind that checks need to be mailed at least 2 months in advance as it takes some time to get to us in Costa Rica.

OBCR has partnership affiliations that offer discounts on tuition, as well as a scholarship program for students who qualify.

Outward Bound Costa Rica has a “no electronic devices” policy while students are on course. First and foremost it is for their safety as any type of distraction on an adventure program can put a student at risk. Beyond that, it gives them a chance to disconnect from the stress of everyday life, reconnect with themselves, with nature and gives them the chance to build a new “family”, connecting with course mates and instructors who become their safety net and their source of comfort. 

That being said, there are many ways to communicate with them. Ask your student to send you a postcard, or even a letter from here, we’ll make sure it gets stamped and brought to the post office. You can also send your student an email at [email protected]. We will make sure they receive your email on transition days. For courses longer than 2 weeks, students will be able to call home each transition day between Summer Courses or between each phase on a Gap Year & Semester Course.

All students will call home within a few hours of arriving in Costa Rica. We will meet them at the airport and ask that they use our international or office phone to call you to say they have arrived and are with Outward Bound Costa Rica staff.

Travel

All students fly into and out of Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) located in San José, Costa Rica. Flight times are best during mid-day or early afternoon, however, we know this may not be an option and are available to pick-up or drop-off at any time. Our staff will pick-up and drop-off every student arriving to and departing from Costa Rica at the airport. The airport is small and there is only one entrance in and one exit out. We are dressed in Outward Bound Costa Rica shirts, and will have a large white sign with blue letters denoting Outward Bound Costa Rica. Within a few hours of meeting our staff, your student will call home to notify you that they are with us. 

Insurance

We do not carry medical insurance for students. Please refer to your insurance policy for international travel. There are short term policies that can be purchased for international travel. We recommend looking into organizations such as World Nomads for supplemental insurance. If your student requires medical attention, you will be notified immediately. We will also pay for any upfront costs and ask for reimbursement afterward.