Here at Outward Bound Costa Rica, we like to give all participants who come on course (summer, gap year & semester, Girl Scouts and custom course participants) something more than a cool t-shirt to go home with. We like to give them something they can have with them at all times; something that will remind them of the transformation they went through while on our course. Some participants put them in a drawer at home while others wear it around their neck every day, but either way they will undoubtedly remember their time with Outward Bound Costa Rica when they see their Moon Frog.
Students take turns wearing the Moon Frogs throughout the course, until the final ceremony where they are individually given out.
Moon Frogs or Ranas de la Luna are one of the many indigenous deities here in Costa Rica, and they stand for transformation. Our participants arrive in Costa Rica having no idea what to expect. They’re a little nervous, a little shy, and a little timid, but really excited for what lies ahead. Throughout their 65-85 day course they experience some of the most difficult times of their lives, and they share those difficult times with one another. This Moon Frog is a symbol of those times.
Below is a video of our Program Director, Daniel Jimenez, talking a little further about what Moon Frogs are, what they symbolize and why we use them.