Bienvenidos al blog de Missouri State University!
Our first week been full of excitement and new experiences!
On Friday, the group arrived at the airport in San José and then headed to the market in Heredia to experience their first casados, a typical Costa Rican dish. Later, we checked into our hotel in San José and headed to a delicious group dinner.
On Saturday, the group headed to La Paz Waterfall Gardens to hike and see the wide variety of animals in the animal sanctuary. That evening, the group had their first MSU class with Dr. Haram.
On Sunday, the group arrived at CPI Heredia for their orientation. Shortly after, they got to know San Joaquin with a walking tour of the host family locations and lunch. We finished up the day with host family introductions and our students spent their first night with their new families!
On Monday, the group met their Spanish teachers and experienced their first Spanish classes at CPI. That evening, we got to hear a presentation from a Costa Rican teacher on the Costa Rican education system and how it differs from the education system in the United States.
On Tuesday, we got our first experience in cooking arroz con pollo, a traditional Costa Rican dish, during our cooking class at CPI.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the group visited a local elementary school to work with the children in their English classes. The girls got the opportunity to experience the Costa Rican education system firsthand and discussed their observations during their debriefing session later that evening.
On Friday, the group had the opportunity to volunteer in La Carpio, an immigrant community. The girls were able to help community kids with their English skills and learn more about the unique experiences of the residents of La Carpio through the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation.
On Monday, we will continue our Costa Rican experience in the CPI campus in Monteverde.
Hasta luego!
Emily