Intercultura

Intercultura Costa Rica is a mid-sized Spanish language school established to offer all the advantages of an intensive Spanish language program in the friendly university city of Heredia, or at its beautiful Pacific beach campus. Students have the option to stay in a Costa Rican family's home, or they can choose a hotel at the beach campus - of which both options remain within walking distance of the school's campuses.

Intercultura's facilities are housed in a beautifully renovated colonial home with a custom-built second floor overlooking the
gardens, and the mountains to the south. Classrooms are large and airy, each with full audio-visual equipment. There is an adjoining tropical garden, large terrace, and additional building where there are more classrooms and space for activities like cooking, films, and lectures.

Though Intercultura prides itself upon its professional staff, high academic standards, and accreditation with several universities, students are also able to enjoy a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the school with plenty of opportunities to meet and get to know the diverse staff and student body. Intercultura gives students a challenging academic program while also offering a complete range of daily cultural activities. Year-round, Intercultura Costa Rica offers a wonderful destination for Spanish language enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds who want to experience Latin American culture to the fullest in an ideal learning environment.

Program Strengths

• Smaller town location
• Beach campus offered
• Complimentary daily dance classes
• Relaxed atmosphere
• All family-stay locations within walking distance

Accreditations

Intercultura has received affiliations, awards and professional development training with:

• AATSP (Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese)
• ACTFL (American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages)
• Asociación CREAR (Association for CReative Education, Art & Social Responsibility)
• BETA (British Educational Travel Association)
• CANATUR (National Chamber of Tourism)
• Costa Rica Cambridge University Press
• CIHCA (Consejo Iberoamericano en Honor a la Calidad Académica): double nomination for the "V Iberoamerican Award for Educational Excelence 2008"
• ICEF International Education - Berlin
• NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America)
• NAFSA (Association of International Educators)
• New England School of Languages
• United Nations / U Peace
• UNA (Universidad Nacional Autónoma) de Costa Rica
• UNITED NATIONS - UN Global Compact Partner  Intercultura is in the application process of achieving the  ICT’s sustainable development certification program, which requires a series of requirements to be implemented that guarantee more responsible use of resources and environmental protection schemes
• Intercultura is the only school in Costa Rica certified to be part of the UN Global Compact initiative, which includes adherence to guidelines on human rights, environmental, labour and anti-corruption.
• Intercultura hosts the Non-profit CREAR Association, providing free supplementary education to local school children in Sámara.  The charity was recently featured on Tweet My Ride.
   

Activities

All students receive a free tour as part of your welcome to Intercultura. There are also many complimentary activities included in the cost of your study. These include: Latin dance classes held every day, weekly cooking class, weekly music class, lectures and tertulias (informal gatherings), and twice a month film nights.

There are optional excursions at additional cost to explore Costa Rica on the weekend. Possibilities range from relaxing on a white sand beach to studying the complex ecosystems in a cloud forest to watching a live volcano erupt! During the week the school takes students to theaters, museums, parks, San José, and discotheques!

Day excursions and approximate costs (include transportation, local tours, guide):

• Butterfly Farm - $20
• Barva Volcano & Braulio Carrillo Rain Forest - $30
• Sarchi typical arts village - $20
• Pacuare white rafting - $80
• Coffee Plantation tour - $12 (with student id)
• San José city tour - $15
• Tapanti Wildlife Reserve (Cloud Forest) - $55

Weekend excursions (includes above plus hotel):

• Arenal Volcano (1 night) - $80
• Manuel Antonio Beach/Natl. Park (1 nt) - $100
• Tortuguero (1 nt) - $175
• Monteverde Rain Forest - 1 nt $85; 2 nts $115