High School Immersion Participants – Welcome to your Spanish Immersion Program!!!
We are so excited for your once-in-a-lifetime journey. This is your program hub and where you can find all the important documents. Bookmark this page; it will be updated frequently as we get closer to departure.
Watch this short video for quick instructions:
What are my next steps? 👣
What is the timeline for preparation?
Complete these action items within a month of registering!
Check your passport and make sure it has 6 months of validity.
Read, sign, and submit
Your program includes basic travel medical insurance with trip interruption, delays, lost bags, etc. If you have any uncertainties about your upcoming adventure, it’s a good idea to consider additional travel insurance coverage. If you’re looking for a Cancel for Any Reason policy, we suggest you shop for it here and act quickly as it is often has to be purchased within two weeks of your initial deposit.
Read the Parent Manual and get your questions answered!
Costa Rica
Ecuador
(Nov.- March)
Read what the Center for Disease Control says about traveling to Costa Rica & Ecuador. Make an appointment with your primary care physician if necessary.
Check with Leslie Foster if interested in a group flight.
Airport codes are:
– UIO (Quito, Ecuador)
– SJO (San Jose, Costa Rica) and send your flight info to [email protected] along with a copy of your passport.
(March – June)
This is a required, online course and will set you up for success!
– Costa Rica Pre-Departure Course
– Ecuador Pre-Departure Course
Submit in March (or earlier)
– Exam for Ecuador participants
– Exam for Costa Rica participants
April 26th – 6pm MT
May 31st – 6pm MT
EC Parents Meeting: May 31st – 5pm MT
June 7th – 6pm MT
CR Parents Meeting June 7th 5pm MT
Zoom link will be shared via email
Register for optional activities 1-3 months in advance
Download this checklist – hang it on your fridge!
Flight Information
YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS WHEN FLYING ON YOUR IMMERSION PROGRAM
Participate on the chaperoned flight: One of our trip leaders will fly with your teen into Costa Rica and/or Ecuador. You book the flight using the specific flight information below. See chaperoned flight info below
Fly independently: And one of our trip leaders will pick you up from the airport after you exit immigration and customs. We will give you detailed instructions.
Ecuador Flight Info
CHAPERONED FLIGHT INFO
For the start of the program, please book your flight to UIO (Quito). Our programs start in Quito and then we will transistion to Cuenca together as a group. This will require a domestic flight from UIO to CUE which I book as a group flight. Continue reading for more information and return flight details.
Friday, June 19th Chaperoned Flight Info
- Depart Friday, June 19th
- Meet up in Denver, Colorado
- COPA flight CM 477 Denver – Panama City (PTY). Departs Denver at 10:43pm arrives into PTY at 5:33am
- COPA flight CM829 PTY – UIO. Departs PTY at 10:29am arrives into UIO at 12:32pm.
- Meet trip leader in Denver and fly to Quito together.
Saturday, 27th We will take a group flight from UIO to CUE, the city of Cuenca where our programs are held from June 27- July 11. We will book this flight for you.
JULY 10th return from CUE to UIO and on to the USA
**We have a partial chaperoned flight option for the return. Please read the details below.
- JULY 10th depart Cuenca. We will need to depart Cuenca on July 10th in order for some of our participants to make their flights on July 11 from Quito.
- There are two options you can take:
- OPTION #1: Book a flight originating from Cuenca (CUE) on July 10th in the morning. Most stop in Quito and then continue on to the US. OR…
- OPTION # 2: f there are only afternoon flights available from CUENCA, this will require a stay at an airport hotel on the night of the 10th. In this case, please …
- Fly with Leslie Foster on July 10. Flight #1: July 10 -Avianca Airlines departs CUE @ 8:30pm and arrives into UIO at 9:35pm. Flight #1607. This is the chaperoned flight
- Hotel: Rory and Leslie will be staying at Holiday Inn Quito Airport and we will take a shuttle together to the airport. *Please note there are two Holiday Inn’s. One at at the airport where we will stay and one in the city of QUITO- do not book this one.
- Flight # 2 on July 11th: You will continue to the US. Please note our trip leaders continue on to Costa Rica and depart on July 11. They depart at 11:35am. Please find a departing flight around this same time.
- If you would like us to book your hotel room and your flight from Cuenca to QUITO, please email Leslie Foster.
Costa Rica Flight Info
CHAPERONED FLIGHT INFO
Our programs are held in Santo Domingo de Heredia. The closest international airport is Juan Santa Maria (SJO), just outside the capital city of San Jose.
Thursday, July 9th Chaperoned Flight Info
- Depart Thursday, July 9th
- Meet up in either LAX OR Houston (Hobby) airport
- Southwest airlines
- For LAX meet-ups: Fight # 2399 departs LAX at 5:10am and arrives into HOU at 10:30am
- For HOU meet-ups: Flight #0122 departs HOU at 5:10pm and arrives into SJO at 7:40pm
Wednesday, July 22 Chaperoned return details
- Return to USA, Wednesday, July 22
- United Airlines
- SJO – IAH (Houston) flight # 1447 departs at 7:55am arrives into IAH at 12:43pm
- **Please note our trip leader departs IAH at 5pm to return to Costa Rica, please try to book your flight from IAH to your home airport departing before 5pm.
Wednesday, July 29 return details TBD
Ecuador / CR Combo Participants
CHAPERONED FLIGHT INFO
We will be traveling from Cuenca to Quito to Costa Rica on Thursday, July 9th.
Thursday, July 9th Chaperoned flight Info
- Flight #1: July 9th -Avianca Airlines departs CUE @ 7:40am and arrives into UIO at 8:35am. Flight #AV1605
- Flight # 2: July 9 Avianca airlines departs UIO at 11:35am arrives to SJO at 12:50pm. Flight#AV646
- If you would like us to book your flight from Cuenc to Quito to San Jose, Costa Rica please email Leslie Foster.
Summer ’26 Immersion Meeting Replays…
Mtg 1 Replay ( )
CR – Mtg 2 Replay ( )
EC – Mtg 2 Replay ( )
EC – Parent meeting ( )
EC – Mtg 3 Replay ( )
CR – Mtg 3 Replay ( )
CR – Parent meeting ( )
Super Important Program Links (all in ONE place)
Volunteer Sign-up :
– Ecuador Volunteer –Costa Rica Volunteer
Program Itineraries:
– Ecuador Program Itinerary
– Costa Rica Program Itinerary
Packing Lists:
– Costa Rica Packing List
– Ecuador Packing list
Participant Workbooks
– Ecuador Participant Workbook
– Costa Rica Participant Workbook
Parent Manuals
Optional Activities: follow the links to register
1. MORNING SURF LESSON – open to 2,3 weekers
2. SOCCER WITH VINICIO – open to 2,3 weekers
3. TOUCAN RESCUE RANCH – open to 2,3 weekers
4. RANCHO ARIZONA COFFEE TOUR – open to 3 weekers
