Culture Club is Taking on an International Adventure to Costa Rica

The Fair Grove Culture Club is preparing for a trip to Costa Rica in June 2023. Students, teachers, and graduates can get away and learn firsthand about Costa Rican culture. 

Culture Club has been very helpful for students who are wanting to learn more about international countries and even travel the world. Students are given opportunities to learn through experience by traveling rather than just through books and pictures. 

The trip isn’t only exclusive for high school students. Teachers, 7th and 8th grade middle school students, families, friends, graduated students, and even non members are invited to join in the trip. Anyone wanting to attend will have to pay around $3000 before they can go. This price includes all lodging, air travel, meals, and activities that the group will be participating in. 

The culture club is led by Shelly Thornton, the Fair Grove High School Spanish teacher. She has organized many of the culture club’s educational trips in the past by traveling through Education First, a local educational travel company. “… Education First is the most affordable educational travel company in our area, and group travel is always more affordable than individual travel, so we have been really happy with the value of these trips so far!” exclaimed Thornton. In the past, the club has organized trips to Spain, Belize, England, Ireland, France, and even a previous trip to Costa Rica in 2015. 

One of the students who plans on attending the 2023 Costa Rica trip is Isaac Walters (10). Walters has already signed up and is excited about the opportunity to go to a new place and try all of the activities Education First has set up. “ I am excited to go on the Costa Rica trip because it will give me a chance to travel outside of the country,” Walters stated. He continued, “I won’t even have to do a bunch of planning because everything is already set up for us.”

There are many activities that will be offered on the trip for anyone who is choosing to go. “We zipline on the longest cable line in Latin America, swim in hot springs near Arenal Volcano, ride horses in the jungle, swim in La Fortuna waterfall, whitewater raft, kayak, and visit a beach,” Thornton continued, “We will also have a folklore dance night, visit coffee and chocolate plantations, visit a local school, plant trees, travel on a cable car through the jungle, spend an afternoon at the beach, visit a butterfly sanctuary, and more.”

The trip to Costa Rica is filled with exciting activities and a chance to explore a new area with a different culture, however, this trip is limited to the amount of people who can attend. Thornton warned, “Once the trip is full, there will be a waitlist. Students and community members interested in joining can always reach out to Shelley Thornton for more info on how to participate in or support these trips!” Anyone interested can reach Thornton at [email protected] for questions and more information.