Spanish Language & Community Engagement

The semester begins with an orientation in the town of San Lucas Toliman on the shores of Lake Atitlan. Here we spend our days getting to know one another, setting goals for our time together, and learning how to safely navigate new places and experiences. San Lucas is home to the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute, where we learn about traditional agricultural practices and how they can help respond to many of the issues facing contemporary Guatemalan society.

During this phase, we practice Spanish, learn about cultural norms, try new foods and come together as a group. From our orientation sight we’ll move on to our first homestays in Quetzaltenango (Xela).

In our urban homestays, we’ll be welcomed by families in the beautiful city of Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela, Guatemala’s second largest city. Through the daily life of our host families, we’ll get to know the rhythms, colors, and stories of this vibrant place. While in Xela, we’ll take Spanish classes that will help us connect more deeply with people in the community and strengthen our communication skills.

We’ll also dive into Independent Study Projects (ISPs) centered on the arts and traditions that are deeply rooted in the region, from weaving and music to culinary practices. In addition, we’ll join workshops with inspiring local organizations such as the Red K’at, which are creating innovative spaces for cultural and community engagement. After our time in Xela, we will move north to Todos Santos Cuchumatán.

From Todos Santos, we begin a four day, three night trek through the misty highland mountains to the town of Nebaj. Along the way we camp at locals’ land who live off the land and traditional farming practices. By night we sleep in barns and alongside rivers and by day we walk through enchanting cloud forests and agricultural land.

We end our trek in the Ixil triangle town of Nebaj. From Nebaj we transfer to the neighboring town of San Juan Cotzal. The Ixil triangle was a place of major focus by the army during the war in Guatemala and it makes a perfect setting to study the issues that led to this conflict as well as the process that has played out since the end of the war in 1996.

From Cotzal, we will head south back to the shores of Lake Atitlan, this time settling down in our program base in the town of San Juan la Laguna. In this lovely tz’utujil community, we have a program house, where students gather daily for lessons, workshops and independent study projects.

Mornings are spent working one-on-one or in small groups with local Spanish teachers, and evenings are spent connecting closely with welcoming homestay families. During this period of the program each student will delve into an Independent Study topic of their choice, working with a local mentor to learn a craft or explore a theme of study.

After your adventures in Guatemala, your journey continues with a flight to Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica. Your first stop is Turrialba, a small town nestled in the shadow of the Turrialba Volcano. Here, surrounded by lush rainforest, you’ll spend your days exploring trails, learning about local conservation efforts, and sharing delicious, nourishing meals with the locals.

One of your first visits will be to WearSOS, a local social enterprise that transforms retired airplane seats into upcycled goods. It’s a place where creativity meets sustainability—and where impact is measured not only in products, but in opportunities for the communities. From there, you’ll head to Mollejones, a small rural village where you’ll be welcomed into homestays.

Life slows down here: you’ll wake up to roosters, help with daily chores, and spend evenings around wood stoves sharing stories. It’s less about observing culture and more about becoming part of it. By the end of week 10, you’ll carry with you a sense of belonging—to a place, a community, and to something larger than yourself.

This week, cacao becomes your compass. At Nortico, a family-run organic cacao farm, you’ll follow the farm-to-bar process—harvesting pods, roasting, grinding, and tasting chocolate made the traditional way. It’s hands-on, meaningful work that connects you to a bigger conversation about sustainability, food systems, and land stewardship.

Your learning continues in reforestation projects led by women, where conservation takes root both literally and socially. You’ll spend time in forests and wetlands, planting, listening, learning. The journey takes you to visit members of the Cabécar Indigenous community, who live in the remote Talamanca mountains. Through stories, language, and ritual, they offer a perspective on conservation that blends science with tradition—showing how protecting the earth is as much about culture and relationships as it is about resources.

Turning east, the land shifts. Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast has a different rhythm—calypso music in the air, the smell of coconut rice and plantains, and a deep Afro-Caribbean cultural legacy. You’ll work alongside local leaders and conservationists in turtle protection efforts, witnessing firsthand the nighttime rituals of sea turtles returning to nest. It’s humbling and unforgettable.

As the program winds down, you return to the mountains, where the cool mist and dense forest offer space to reflect and quiet moments invite you to process everything you’ve experienced. These final days are for connecting the dots—between countries, between cultures, between who you were at the start and who you are now. You won’t be leaving with just photos or souvenirs—you’ll carry stories, questions, and a deeper sense of your place in the world.