Travel

[september]

Yes I would allow my child to go.  I’ve been there, had a nephew who was a college exchange student who spent time there. 

Its a beautiful country, and like anywhere, there are safe areas as well as areas to avoid.  I doubt a school trip would take students to the iffy areas. 

 As for the comment about tourists dying after ingesting alcohol...I had only heard of this happening in the Dominican Republic.  There were cases in Costa Rica???

[MorningLover]

@september 

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/tainted-alcohol-in-costa-rica-kills-25-people

According to a statement by the country’s Ministry of Health, 59 people have been hospitalized and 25 of those victims have died of tainted alcohol poisoning since early June.

[patbz]

@gizmogal :  If there have been tainted alcohol deaths in Costa Rica I missed it because I've been following the deaths in Dominican Republic (which have received plenty of publicity.

[patbz]

@ScrapHappy :  If I had a fourteen yr old daughter II would let her go after I signed up as a chaperon.  I'm a big travel junkie (close to 80 countries) and I've been to and enjoyed Costa Rica but 14 is 14 and I still remember Natalee Holloway (her trip was chaperoned).

[FancyPhillyshopper]

I think the opportunity to travel and practice another language is wonderful for a child in a language class BUT...

An eighth grader is still rather young for an international experience like that. Most trips are for high school juniors or older when they can really put the language into practice and see how different cultures live.

Has she ever been out of the country before?

How strong is her Spanish?  

How long is the trip (e.g., is it just a one week tourist experience or will they have a real learning opportunity in the country?)

Will the trip price be overly inflated to pay for security guards (?!!) and the teachers who accompany them? You should carefully compare the proposed prices with current tour company costs.

There are many, many places in the U.S. where you can take your daughter to practice some Spanish if she is still a beginner (Viva Miami!).  Or, you could plan a nice tourist trip to Costa Rica as a family.

Full disclosure--I traveled to Central America when I was 16 to stay for 3 months to practice Spanish, but I was with extended family.  The experience was incredibly culturally enriching, but just going with a bunch of schoolmates on a short tourist trip would have had no major impact on improving my language skills.

[BirkiLady]

Obviously you don't have enough information to make a decision. Find out the facts, how many adults will be traveling with the students, where will they be staying, what will they be seeing and doing, etc. Usually a student trip is well planned and safe. I would say yes. Costa Rica is lovely and the people are friendly, is they are staying in a safe place such as with other families or hustiles. Remember, the American Embassasy is there to help them out.

[kelsey17]

Unless you were accompanying her...i wouldn't let her go...

14 to me is too young w/o a parent.

[MarkeieMark]

Here's what I would say, N. O.

[Alter Ego]

I don’t have any children, but I get to hear all the daughter drama from my coworker (who has four girls). I don’t know how old she was when she started going, but she has one daughter who traveled all over the world to several third world countries on mission trips with their church. I’m talking remote areas in countries that aren’t as nice as Costa Rica.

So, as long as cost or entitlement issues aren’t a problem and with my coworker as my base, I would ask (1) what kind of history does the school have going on these types of trips? Is this their first time in Costa Rica? (2) how much do I trust the people taking her? (3) how much do I trust my daughter? and, since it’s school related, (4) who else is going? Anyone in her friend group?

[Eileen in Virginia]

The Travel Advisory section of the State Department’s website has listed Costa Rica at a level 1 threat level, meaning American tourists should exercise normal precautions. The risk is primarily due to crime in specific areas, which are listed on the website. That being said, I don’t think I’d allow my young 14 year old daughter to go on this class trip unless I knew who the chaperones were, that they were responsible adults, the adult-child ratio, etc. Does the school usually sponsor this trip or have they just recently started sponsoring it? At some point, the head of the Language Department and/or the teacher leading the trip should have a meeting with the parents of the children who might go on the trip to discuss it, answer their questions and allay their concerns.