Fifteen Grade 10-12 students and their teacher chaperones were met with open arms and undeniable spirit in Costa Rica over Spring Break for our educational trip with Insight. We instantly learned the phrase 'pura vida', which symbolizes a cheerful and optimistic way of life that permeates this happy country and influenced our experience. 

Our group was challenged to be vulnerable, open-minded, and immediately immersed in cultures that were very different than our own. Surrounded by Spanish-speaking people, we quickly learned that kindness and authenticity go a long way in managing new environments with cultural and language barriers. 

The connections we were able to make despite the differences in language were immense. Rey, our local guide, became a quick and cherished friend who invited us to witness aspects of Costa Rica beyond our expectations. We quickly moved from city to countryside and developed close relationships with local schools, and in particular, a small community in Mollejones, in which we stayed with families and members of the community that we were living in. 

A highlight was visiting a local school near our guide's hometown. We had always planned to do treeplanting with the students in the primary school and share some bonding moments with them, however, we shifted our itinerary after meeting Julie, a teacher at the school who had a need that she thought our group could help with. We bought the supplies and helped Julie clean-out and paint her classroom to create a more inspiring environment for her students. Our day painting was filled with grateful visitors and even a break to watch dances that the students prepared, lunch prepared by some of the parents, and a soccer game that created a huge amount of excitement for the young students. We left knowing that our community work and relationship with Julie and this school was just starting. 

This experience reaffirmed our new approach to service learning at Collingwood; one that centers authenticity and community engagement as a starting point. We hope to continue to foster the relationships and community connections that we have started and continue to learn from the incredible climate action and sustainable practices that we witnessed to have an impact alongside the incredible people that we met—both in their communities and our own.