CHS & ITE’s Inaugural Global Experience Trip to Costa Rica a Success!

After ten days of adventure and learning, the first-ever global experience trip safely returned to Tucson on Monday, July 2 at midnight. Twelve teenagers from City High School and Ironwood Tree Experience spent ten days this summer exploring the biodiversity of Costa Rica, learning about sustainability in the tropics, and making new friends.

The adventures began with a trip to the Caribbean Coast where students learned about the history and culture of Cahuita, saw sloths and monkeys clambering about in the trees, and snorkeled on one of the most pristine coral reefs left in the world. While snorkeling students saw sharks, barracuda, sea turtles and manta rays, along with a dazzling and colorful variety of fish and corals.

After visiting the coast the group went on to the central highlands where the trip was interrupted by a nationwide taxi strike that closed all the major roads in Costa Rica for most of the day. When the trip resumed the group made a late night stop at the hot springs near Mount Arenal and continued on to the Monteverde Institute. In Monteverde, students were led on day hikes [and a night hike!] in the rainforest, visited a local school, worked on a coffee farm for an afternoon, hiked up to a very cold waterfall in the cloud forest, and participated in a service learning project.

The twelve students who participated in this trip were Joe Allen, Emma Bell, Reilly Chana, Birdie Coleman, Ally Friberg-Landon, Ital Ironstone, Eliza Liu, Celeste Martino, Phoebe Meixner, Vanessa Quinlan, Mattea Wallace and Moshe Wilke.

The trip was organized and chaperoned by CHS Principal Jeff Hartman, ITE founders Eric and Suzanne Dhruv, and Jeff’s wife Peg Hartman.

Great job, teens, and congratulations!

Visit the City High School facebook page to check out the photo gallery for the Costa Rica trip.