8th Grade Explores Costa Rica
/“It was a very important time to understand that we are part of [nature] and we play an important role in keeping it in balance.””
During late January, our 8th grade students embarked on an adventure of a lifetime to Costa Rica. This culminating international trip has been an 8th grade tradition for over ten years and was the first time the Breakwater trip took place since 2019. Through the Monteverde Institute, students adventured to the ocean, farms, and rainforest. Like all Breakwater overnight adventures, these experiences play a critical role in supporting hands-on immersive learning outside of the classroom. Enrollment Director, Moriah Perry, shares, “From my perspective, every student is out of their comfort zone at some point whether it's being away from parents, flying, being around so many other people, the food, hiking, zip-lining, bugs, etc. Every student faces those challenges head-on and with the help of their peers overcome them at some point during the trip.” Students return with stories of adventure, connection, and an eagerness to share all they have learned.
Perhaps more than any other overnight trip at Breakwater, the Costa Rica trip truly shows students what it means to live well on the planet. One of the main focuses of their learning was environmental sustainability. Students were challenged to think about the human impact on the environment and changes human communities can make that better support a healthy natural world. While in Monteverde and San Gerardo Station, students learned about conserving natural habitat for the jaguar - one of the local apex predators. They learned the importance of reforestation, biological corridors, and habitat conservation and how a healthy jaguar population supports a more balanced ecosystem. Other day trips took students to the Golf of Nicoya where they learned about fishing practices. Students learned about the damages trawling has had on the marine ecosystems and what local scientists and activists are doing to support more sustainable fishing practices in the area. Through all of these visits, students were able to better understand the role humans play in conserving natural ecosystems and the action that locals in Costa Rica were taking to make a difference in their communities.
Another great opportunity students had was practicing their Spanish language skills with native speakers. Breakwater Spanish Essentialist, Pablo Casasbuenas, accompanied the group on the trip and loved seeing his students practice their Spanish in real world scenarios. He shares, “it was very positive to see them comfortable listening to Spanish even when they were not understanding the full conversation.” Pablo hopes the trip will encourage students to continue strengthening their second language skills in high school and beyond.
While hiking in the rain forest during their trip, Pablo shared that each student was able to connect to the beautiful natural landscape they were in by completing a 30 minute solo sit in the rainforest. He explains, “the experience to be out in the forest by themselves for 30 min was very powerful. To me it was a clear invitation to connect and feel [connected to] nature…. It was a very important time to understand that we are part of [nature] and we play an important role in keeping it in balance.” Upon their return to Maine, students shared stories of zip lining, rain forest hiking, and horse back riding and the motivation to make change in the world. Although we know our 8th graders will remember all of the incredible adventures, we hope the feeling of motivation to make change in the world carries them well beyond the breakwater.