Costa Rica Explorations

Q: Is there extra insurance parents can take out on their child?

CRE provides a travel insurance policy for each student which is included in their program tuition.  Details on this policy’s coverage are provided once it has been purchased.  There is always more insurance one can buy.  If you would like further coverage please ask your local insurance agent for more information.

Q: How can parents reach their child in the event of a family emergency?

Parents will be given the contact information to the Costa Rica Explorations headquarters.  Someone will be available at this number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while the students are abroad.  If there is an emergency on either end, the contact at the CRE Headquarters will act as the liaison between the group in Costa Rica and the United States.  Your child will be contacted as soon as possible through this chain of communication.  We have found this process to be the most effective and efficient for everyone because Costa Rica Explorations headquarters will know where the group is at all times.  

In the event of a student group, we strongly suggest organizing a phone tree for the parents back in the United States.  This can be done at one of the informational meetings and should be tested at least twice before the students leave on their trip. This is useful in letting parents know the students arrived in country safely and keeping them updated on the events of the trip. 

Q: How does the payment schedule work with Costa Rica Explorations Student Programs?

The payment schedule for a Costa Rica Explorations program is as follows: 

• A deposit of $500.00 is due with the submission of the First Part of the Student Application (The deposit secures you a spot on the trip. Three hundred dollars is refundable up until 60 days before the trip.)
• The tuition balance of the program must be paid anytime before 30 days from the program start date along with Part 2 of the Student Applicaiton.  
• If applicable, the payment for plane tickets are handled soon after the initial deposit has been received.  CRE will handle plane reservations and will provide paperwork and instructions for purchasing these tickets when the time comes.  

Q: How do you select your homestays, and can you guarantee they are safe?

The Costa Rican homestay families are chosen by close personal contacts to the Costa Rica Explorations founders and some are actual family members that are native to Turrialba, Costa Rica.  We have been working with our homestay neighborhoods for years and know all of the families, parents and children very well.  For example, a mother of one of the homestay families is the director of the local kindergarten.  

CRE always makes pre-program visits to each homestay famiy's home to inspect and discuss the upcoming program’s necessities and expectations.  Each adult family member within the homestays completes a background check and a contract is signed with CRE to ensure he/she understands they are assuming a parential role to the Costa Rica Explorations students and are in charge of their physical, social and emotional well being.  Families that are picked typically have school-aged children, so that the students will have peers.

Costa Rica Explorations guides and the students' host teachers will also stay with homestay families in the same neighborhood. Guides are on call 24-hours a day, and there is telephone access in each of the homestay family's houses. Many families have internet access as well.