Shoulder to Shoulder: International
Join Shoulder-to-Shoulder on an 8-day trip to Costa Rica, Panama or Belize! 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. In Belize, participants will learn about tropical ecology and wildlife conservation. 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, Panama, or Belize (subject to change!)
Length
8 days
Dates
To be announced!
Participants
All Summer Searchers, including from other states!
Travel
Summer Search will provide transportation - REAL ID or 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
Belize
Support a research team’s wildlife conservation efforts
Learn about tropical ecology and how communities can work together to protect our environment (aka community-based conservation)
Snorkel Belize’s Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world
Costa Rica
Support local conservation efforts
Learn about environmental conservation, ecotourism, and local ecosystems
Experience rural Costa Rica life and learn about rural tourism
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 impacted by coastal land loss
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
