Shoulder to Shoulder: International
Join Shoulder-to-Shoulder on an 8-day trip to Costa Rica or Panama! Depending on location, participants will learn about the local community and work alongside local organizations on a specific service project. In Costa Rica, participants will learn about conservation and sustainable tourism. In Panama, students will support a local afterschool center and learn about Panama’s diverse landscapes of mangroves and rainforests. Through all these trips, students will learn about ethical leadership from Shoulder to Shoulder by reflecting on the work they’re doing and the role that we all play in the larger world.
Location
Costa Rica or Panama (subject to change!)
Length
8 days
Dates
To be announced!
Participants
All Summer Searchers, including from other states!
Travel
Summer Search will provide transportation - a U.S. passport is required!
Housing
Local hotel, sharing rooms with 2-4 other participants
Bathrooms
Shared bathrooms
Phone Access
You will have your phone when traveling to and from the program. You will not have your phone in-country
Costa Rica
Support local sea turtle conservation efforts
Learn about marine conservation, sustainable tourism, and coastal ecosystems
Build leadership and join community projects
Panama
Support after-school centers by running workshops for local children
Learn about the rich biodiversity of the Bocas del Toro archipelago, including coral reef reforestation
Visit a local indigenous community while learning about land conservation
Connect to a new community outside of the USA
Get an expanded outlook on the world and the role you want to play in it
Develop skills in teamwork, adaptability and problem solving as you work together as a group and with local organizations
Want to connect to a new community outside of the U.S.
Want to get an expanded outlook on the world and the role I want to play in it
Want to develop skills in teamwork, adaptability and problem solving as I work together with a group and with local organizations to support communities
Want an opportunity to disconnect since I'll be outside, doing a lot of physical yet rewarding work to help communities rebuild
Understand that Summer Search and Shoulder 2 Shoulder will match me to a trip, taking my summer schedule and country preferences into consideration
Have or am able to get a U.S. passport for travel
This program requires an international flight
Summer Search requires that you have a U.S. passport that expires after December 31, 2027
Other forms of ID besides an unexpired U.S. passport are not accepted for this program
Summer Search can support your passport fees, even if you do not end up placed on this program, so you can apply for your passport now!
Need help? Check our how-to guide here
