This summer, on June 23rd, 43 Southern Lehigh High School students and five faculty chaperones boarded a plane for a ten-day trip to Costa Rica.
The trip, open to all students, was an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a different culture. They enjoyed activities like taking a walking tour through the rainforest and visiting a local school.
Head chaperone and social studies teacher Mr. Matthew Cooper enjoyed watching the Southern Lehigh students interact with the local students in Costa Rica.
“They were dancing with them, playing frisbee, soccer,” Cooper said. “It was a neat thing to see that.”
Biology teacher Ms. Jesse Mead, another chaperone, said that visiting the school was a highlight of the trip.
“I really liked going to the school because we got to see a different culture,” Mead said.
Costa Rica was the third school-run trip that Cooper has organized. He decided on Costa Rica because it had “more full-contact action” than the previous trips to China or Europe.
When planning the trip, Cooper chose the chaperones strategically to help the students get the most out of the trip. He wanted a science teacher on the trip, for example, to help students understand the nature around them; that position was filled by Ms. Mead.
“[I] always wanted to go to Costa Rica from an environmental standpoint,” she said, “…it’s one of those must see places.”
Another chaperone on the trip was health and physical education teacher Ms. Megan Delligrotti, an asset to the group because of her first aid certification.
“I’ve never been to Costa Rica before and thought it would be a great experience and wanted to try things I’ve never done before,” Delligrotti said.
Students and teachers alike benefited from the cultural immersion experience and brought a newfound perspective on the world back home.
“If you have an opportunity like that,” Mead said, “take advantage of it!”
