Costa Rica site of new study abroad program beginning this fall
Beginning in fall of 2019, Lipscomb students will have the opportunity to journey to one of the top study abroad destinations in Latin America, Costa Rica.
Anna Moseley |
Students can use the regional bus system to access the Caribbean coast, the Pacific coast as well as the central rainforest regions of Costa Rica.
Beginning in fall of 2019, Lipscomb students will have the opportunity to journey to one of the top study abroad destinations in Latin America, Costa Rica.
Lipscomb’s semester-long program will take advantage of Costa Rica’s beautiful landscapes to provide opportunities for adventure, cultural immersion and a Spanish education.
Whether students have years of Spanish already under their belt or have just become interested in learning Spanish, courses in elementary, intermediate and advanced Spanish will be offered to students on the trip.
Along with several sophomore-level general education courses, biology professor Mary Sledge will accompany the students on the fall 2019 trip and will teach a course on tropical ecology, developed after attending a workshop in Costa Rica.
“On that trip, I saw many of the ecological regions of Costa Rica, including the lowland rainforest, cloudforest, and the area around the Arenal volcano,” said Sledge. “I am most excited about taking students on outdoor adventures to experience firsthand the tropical ecology of Costa Rica.”
Costa Rica was ranked number six in the world for adventure by U.S. News and World Report (2017) and because of its small size, adventure is easily accessible all over the country.
Home to a variety of topography from mountains to rainforests, beaches, rivers and volcanoes, students will have ample opportunity to explore natural formations through experiences like hiking, surfing, ziplining and more.
Lipscomb’s program will be based in Heredia, Costa Rica, a college town that offers easy access to San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
Heredia, one of Costa Rica’s most historic cities, was founded in 1705 and is nestled in the foothills of the dormant Barva Volcano. The city is surrounded by lush green hills, intermingled with coffee plantations, national parks and superb colonial architecture.
Nicknamed “The City of Flowers,” Heredia is home to Universidad Nacional, the country’s most prestigious university and church of La Inmaculada Concepción, one of the oldest churches in the country.
Bethany Grant, the global scholar program manager at Lipscomb, said this trip provides “the perfect combination of adventure and academic opportunities, as well as both urban and rural settings.”
“While the students will be attending classes during the week in a bustling university town, they will get to explore the more rural areas of the country on the weekends,” said Grant. “When students study abroad in this type of semester-long program, they return with a greater sense of self-confidence, independence, and knowledge about the world."
The program fee includes round-trip flights, supplemental medical and travelers' insurance, academic field trips, and multiple group trips to other destinations within Costa Rica. Each group consists of approximately 20-25 students along with Lipscomb faculty and staff members. Students may take 12-18 credit hours from the courses offered.
