I will never forget my first flight into a foreign country. As I leaned against the window, our plane descended into the Lima airport, the sun was just beginning to poke through the horizon. I gasped as I saw the curve of the earth. For the first time I knew the earth was round, not just because everyone told me it was true, but because I experienced it. I was in for a grand adventure, and my life would never be the same.
This is what Common Ground offers high school students on Spanish Immersion trips to Costa Rica. The trips are designed by educators to give high school students confidence and growth in their Spanish language skills. But it is so much more than just developing greater skills in Spanish, it impacts the lives of the students in profoundly personal ways.
Students from years past talk about how they gained confidence in speaking Spanish and how they grew on a personal level. They experienced firsthand how the world is a bigger place (and maybe see, not just know, the earth is round!). We give students an opportunity experience failure in a safe setting and learn to laugh at their mistakes, developing a lasting sense of empathy for people who may not be able to communicate fully.
I love watching this video of students from our 2015 Spanish Immersion trip to Costa Rica. What do you see when you watch it? Two high school students are speaking Spanish confidently and fluently, and small children engaged with the story. Lives changed.
Join us this year as classroom language learning comes alive and becomes a practical skill as participants cross paths with their host families and work alongside other Costa Rican high school students in our service-learning projects. It is one of the best investments a student can make in becoming proficient in Spanish!
Want to learn more? Register for a virtual meeting, reserve your spot today!
