Middle School Students Travel to Costa Rica for an Adventure-Filled Trip

Earlier this month, a group of adventurous Middle School students left the halls of St. Patrick’s, and their footprint, in Costa Rica. The weeklong trip was more than just a travel experience; it was a deeply immersive opportunity to explore sustainability, cultural exchange, and ecological service.

Rooted in the values we uphold each day at the Day School, the Costa Rica trip—led by Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher Dawn Boudria, Systems Administrator Mike Cooke, and Grades 5 and 8 Science Teacher Martha Sullivan—centered on sustainability and environmental stewardship. Students began their journey at Finca Siempre Verde, a reforested sanctuary in the northern rainforests of Costa Rica. What was once barren farmland has been transformed over the past 25 years into a thriving ecosystem full of native flora and fauna. There, students learned how regenerative farming and forest management can reverse deforestation and support biodiversity—including white-face and howler monkeys, sloths, and toucans.

While staying at Finca Siempre Verde, students volunteered at La Gloria, a local school now offering a hospitality program thanks to the vision of alumni like our host, Marcos. Twenty years ago, students were taught to machete trees; today, they are learning English and practicing tourism-related skills. Our students not only learned from their peers in La Gloria, but also shared in spirited games of fútbol and heartwarming moments of connection—including an impromptu rendition of the ABCs for a 5-year-old named Brisa.

The journey then led students to the Osa Peninsula, where they worked hands-on with LAST Project (Latin American Sea Turtles) to support endangered Hawksbill turtles in El Gulfo Dulce. Despite the organization recently losing U.S. funding, their conservation efforts continue, with student groups like ours providing critical help in data collection reported to the Costa Rican government. From tagging turtles to replanting mangroves for coastal reforestation, our students left a real and lasting mark on the region.

A visit to a sustainable cacao farm, La Iguana Chocolate, was a sweet highlight. Students wandered through a jungle-like ecosystem where cacao thrives alongside cinnamon trees and vanilla vines. Tasting the fruit from a freshly cracked cacao pod and learning to make chocolate from bean to bar, they saw how one family’s commitment to sustainability nourishes both their land and community.

Throughout the trip, students relied on their Spanish language skills, engaged with local communities, and witnessed first-hand how Costa Rica’s approach to eco-tourism and conservation models a more sustainable future. With muddy boots, full hearts, and chocolate-covered smiles, they returned not only more globally aware, but more deeply connected to the world and their own potential to create change.

Inspired by their impact, we hope this becomes an annual tradition—a legacy of St. Patrick’s students leaving their footprint in Costa Rica.