Filled with lush green rainforests and breathtaking landscapes, Costa Rica is an attractive destination for many spring breakers. This year, several McLean students will embark together on a spring break trip to this popular Central American country.

Annually, McLean hosts an optional spring break trip lead by mostly English department teachers. This coming trip, Courtney Klein and Bridget Donoghue, both English teachers, will serve as the adult supervision.

“We are taking two teachers and 12 students [on the trip],” Courtney Klein said.

The small group will depart for Costa Rica the first Saturday of break.

“So we are leaving on April 13 and we are coming back on April 21  so it’s about a week long,” Klein said.

Unlike previous spring break trips, this one will include a lot more “hands on” and daring activities.

“I think what’s really exciting about this one is that it’s really adventure packed and action packed, and there’s [so many] things to do,” Klein said. “It’s going to be so much fun. We are going to take a cooking class, we are going to go zip-lining, [and] we are going to go snorkeling.”

In addition to enjoyable activities, the trip includes many educational aspects as well.

“We go through EF Education tours. It’s a really cool company that sets everything up for you, and they plan the itinerary and make sure everything’s educational. They [even] help students get scholarships,” Klein said.

One of the most educational and eye opening parts of the trip will be the cultural immersion students will participate in.

“It’s just a really cool experience to see a new culture [and] experience a new type of region because we are going to central America, which is cool in itself, and [we will] just [be] able to embed ourselves in the culture,” Klein said.

Another important lesson students will learn is self-sufficiency.

“It’s just educational to take a trip that’s more independent for high school students, rather than going with your parents or with a family member,” Klein said.