Provided to The Icon by Kevin King
Bluffton High School students along with Spanish teacher Profe King traveled to Costa Rica for 11 days in June.

They traveled with EF (Education First) tours on an immersion-style tour.

Students were encouraged and often forced to speak and communicate solely on Spanish while learning about sustainability practices, a variety of foods, and cultural differences.  

There were six Bluffton High School students joined with groups from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for a total of 19 students.

The group traveled from  'Rincón de la Vieja' a volcano in the west of the country to 'Tortuguero' the national forests that is a nesting home to the large green sea turtles. The group encountered many monkeys, iguanas, snakes, caiman and a host of other animals and insects in their natural habitat.

King said, "The group learned about making chocolate and coffee as well as zip lining across the rainforest. We visited several farms and spoke with locals.

"Also taking time to eat several meals with local families and making many connections that will be remembered by each member."

PHOTOS:

• Left to right: tour guide Manual 'Malo' Ramirez, Kevin 'Profe' King, Kayleigh Coughlan, Saraelizabeth Bertka, Noah Fredritz, Trevor Bunch, Cole Harlow, tour guide Yonatan Cruz, front Zach Basinger.

• Kayleigh 'Sofía' Coughlan helping make pottery with a local artesian.

• Cole 'Nacho' Harlow and Trevor 'Enrique' Bunch working with elementary school children to create a cross cultural environment.

• Tortuguero national park on the Gulf coast.

• The swinging bridge on our way to the cocoa plantation where we learned and saw the process of making chocolate and where it comes from.

• River tour through the rainforest. Lots of crazy wildlife to see!

• Team building actives as we learned about the coffee making process.

• Group with a local family that fed and conversed with us after some of the children displayed local dancing and traditional dress.