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- Central America Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year
Central America Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap Year
Venture through Guatemala and Costa Rica, exploring lush tropical rainforests, towering volcanoes, steep-sided mountains, and extended coastlines. Embrace the spirit of "pura vida" and learn from the unique crossover of individuals who call these nations home. Living alongside Indigenous communities and their contemporaries, delve into opportunities to explore social justice, sustainability, and t...
Venture through Guatemala and Costa Rica, exploring lush tropical rainforests, towering volcanoes, steep-sided mountains, and extended coastlines. Embrace the spirit of "pura vida" and learn from the unique crossover of individuals who call these nations home. Living alongside Indigenous communities and their contemporaries, delve into opportunities to explore social justice, sustainability, and the influence of colonization. From the Sierra Madre mountains of interior Guatemala to the sea turtle havens on the coast, from the tranquility and splendor of Lago Atitlán and her surrounding volcanoes to the breathtaking coral reefs offshore, Carpe Diem Education explores the merging complexities of socio-political realities with the hope of a more sustainable future. Cap your new knowledge wit...
Program Highlights
Support sustainability efforts: Work with a small NGO on environmental justice, tree planting, and bringing back native species.
Improve your Spanish: Engage in immersive language classes and put your knowledge to the test during homestays within the community.
Enjoy outdoor adventure: Hike, raft, trek, and even earn your Scuba Certification while exploring the natural beauty of the region.
Live and learn: Stay on a family farm in Costa Rica, learning from your hosts about permaculture and traditional chocolate.
Build it yourself: In a community-directed project, work with natural builders to support their efforts to construct with recycled materials.
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Quick Details
- Costa Rica
- Antigua, Guatemala
- Post High School
- During College
- During High School
- Experiential Learning
- Language Immersion
- Spanish
- Study Abroad
- Volunteering
- See more
- American
- Canadian
- All Nationalities
Recognitions
Program Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
An unforgettable ride
by: Léa Gervais - CanadaProgram: Central America Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap YearGuatemala and Costa Rica give you a different perspective of the world. The richness of the culture and history really makes a mark on you. The different organizations we got to work with gave us so much information on nature, community, responsibility, and more. I recommend carpe diem for all of its opportunities.
Experience it all in Guatemala and Costa Rica!
by: Addie Laden - United StatesProgram: Central America Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap YearThis was an amazing program for me as someone who wants to start traveling internationally but wasn’t really sure how. The pre planned itinerary really let me experience this fully but the student directed travel week also let me put what I had learned into practice. I really experienced so much in this program from a multi day trek to chilling leisurely by the beach. We went scuba diving at the beautiful Drake Bay, had 4 weeks of Spanish classes in two different locations at beautiful outdoor s...
It was a once in a lifetime trip
by: Dylan Ages - CanadaProgram: Central America Semester | Carpe Diem Education Gap YearI am really grateful to have been on this trip. This has impacted my life on so many ways and it has given me a perspective on the world that I didn’t have before going. The activities were unbelievable and if you want to grow a different perspective on the world you should go on this trip.
Program Details
Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know
Locations
- Costa Rica
- Antigua, Guatemala
Types and Subjects
- Types
- Experiential Learning
- Language Immersion
- Spanish
Availability
Years Offered: 2025
- During College
- During High School
- Post High School
Age Requirement
Age Requirement Varies
Guidelines
- American
- Canadian
- All Nationalities
- This Program is also open to Solo, Group
Cost per week
Program Cost Includes
- Tuition & Fees
- Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
- All Program Activity Costs
- Weekday Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Accommodation Options
- Group living
- Guest House
- Home-stays
- Other
Qualifications & Experience
- Some high school, no diploma
- High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (for example: GED)
- Some college credit, no degree
Application Procedures
- Phone/Video Interview
- Online Application
- Physical Exam/Health Records
Frequently Asked Questions
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