Potosi Spanish Students Heading to Costa Rica

By Maggie Schmitz

Do you like traveling to exotic places? Do you like doing adventurous activities such as hiking up volcanoes, exploring rainforests, and scuba diving in the beautiful ocean? If the answer is yes, then you’re in luck! For the first time in Potosi High School history, students will have the opportunity to travel internationally and enjoy 10 days of paradise in Costa Rica.

Potosi High School has wanted to have an international travel opportunity available for students for a long time and the opportunity is finally here. It is difficult for a small school to travel internationally because of the small number of people combined with the high cost of international travel. This is why Lancaster had the idea to include Potosi on this summer’s trip to Costa Rica. To get the trip approved, the Potosi Spanish teacher, Laura Hartline, had to write a proposal and present it to the school board. Then she had to answer a long list of questions. The school board approved the trip without any arguments or trouble. Getting this trip approved and actually starting to make it a reality has been a big deal for Mrs. Hartline, as she has wanted to provide a Spanish trip to her students since she started teaching. She says, “I feel like to teach kids Spanish, but not give them an opportunity to use it in the real world, is not good enough.” Now that the trip is approved and underway Mrs.Hartline is more ecstatic than ever and can’t wait for the trip to be here. She says, “Personally I’d like to go to Costa Rica because I’ve never been there and I want to experience it with my students. I am also super excited to see sloths.”

Mrs. Hartline will be attending the trip as a chaperone along with the Lancaster Spanish teacher, Mr. Howard, the Lancaster biology teacher, and the Lancaster school nurse. Since Potosi will be going with Lancaster on the trip, Mrs. Hartline hopes to set up a day where Potosi students and Lancaster students can meet each other prior to the trip. “Going on a trip with random strangers is a little anxiety producing, but I am going to branch out of my comfort zone and work on meeting new people,” says one Potosi student planning to attend the trip. Many students probably feel this way, which is why Mrs. Hartline hopes to set up a day where students can meet each other so they are more comfortable when it comes time for the trip.

The trip participants will be flying out of the Chicago O’Hare airport on July 17th, and landing in San Jose, Costa Rica. They will return home on July 27th. While in Costa Rica, students will get to experience many adventurous activities like scuba diving in the ocean, hiking up volcanoes, ziplining through the rainforest, relaxing on the sandy beaches, and enjoying some city time where they can explore the different culture by shopping, trying new foods, and experiencing the different amenities offered in the city.

The trip will also consist of a service project of planting trees in the rainforest to help with the deforestation issue in Costa Rica. While on the trip, they will be moving around to explore the different cities in Costa Rica while staying in three- or four-star hotels for two nights in each different city.

When students hear about all of the exciting opportunities offered on this trip they often wonder if they can go too. Any student of Potosi high school in grades 10 through 12 is eligible to attend. Mrs.Hartline wants the students attending the trip to have had at least two years of Spanish. Although anyone is welcome, there is only room for 28 students to attend. If the number of students interested in coming surpasses 28, then the number of years of Spanish each student has had, and if they will have the opportunity to go another year, would be factored into deciding who to bring. Students will also have to pay the $3,000 fee for the trip. Though this seems like a lot, this will cover the cost of a 24/7 tour guide, hotels, plane tickets, activities, and two meals a day. If the students would like to purchase any additional food or souvenirs, they should bring extra spending money. To help students afford the trip, fundraising options will be available. Students have the option to sell salsa and Pampered Chef products, and other fundraising options are being set up too. Bake sales and other events will also be set up to help raise money to tip the tour guides while in Costa Rica. Since the trip was planned later than desired, some students are scared of the high cost and lack of time to fundraise and save. A student attending the trip says, “I plan to afford the trip by working my butt off. I am going to work a lot and put a reasonable amount of my paychecks toward this trip. I also plan to take every fundraising opportunity I can get.” All students will also need their own passport. A passport costs about $150 and can be set up by going to the courthouse in Lancaster and filling out a passport application form.

To prepare for the trip, Mrs.Hartline recommends that students who haven’t recently taken a Spanish class should brush up on some common words and phrases. She also suggests that the students learn about Costa Rica, and she says she will be having some meetings in the future to go over some information about the country.  When packing for the trip, be conscious that the weather in Costa Rica is very hot and humid. Since there will be no fancy outings, students should just pack comfortable everyday clothing that is appropriate for the weather and activities that they will be doing. A quality and comfortable pair of shoes is recommended, since a lot of walking and hiking will occur. The students should also check with their cell phone provider for an international cell phone plan if they would like to be able to use their device in Costa Rica. Otherwise, the hotels will have wifi, along with places in the city if students would like to contact your family and friends or if they would like to check up on social media accounts. Students should also do anything that they feel is necessary to prepare for this trip. One student says, “I will be going on lots of walks to get in shape and prepare for the long hikes.”

This trip will be a great opportunity to make memories, meet new people, and experience many fun adventures while in a different country. When returning home from Costa Rica, the students will get to talk about hiking up volcanoes, seeing cool animals, visiting the rainforest, swimming in the ocean, and how they experienced a new culture. So, instead of having to be jealous of what they got to do while you sat at home bored, come along and have some fun!