“Pura Vida” Costa Rican Exchange Experience

EXCHANGE. Costa Rican exchange students and their teachers pose in front of VHS with Profe. Powell. This year VHS hosted various Costa Rican students that attended school with us for a couple of weeks and many VHS students were able to attend school with them in Costa Rica. Photo Courtesy of Daisy Jones.

For two weeks, Vashon Island High School hosted Costa Rican Exchange students who came from their school, Liceo Experimental Bilingue de Pococí (LEBP) in Guapiles in Limon, Costa Rica. The students were able to immerse themselves in the daily life of our students by attending classes alongside them. Through field trips both on and off island, they explored Vashon and downtown Seattle. During their short time here, they formed meaningful connections with VHS students while also strengthening their English skills.  These students were hosted by some Pirates who helped guide them through our school and form friendships with other students. As a form of appreciation and to help VHS learn more about Costa Rican culture, they showcased a dance performance where students were able to see their traditional costumes and hear some of their traditional songs. 

“Having the exchange students come here was a really great way for our school to experience other cultures, and I think it gave a lot of students a better understanding of the differences between our lives and others,” sophomore Zelda Davidson said.

Although it was a short stay for the exchange students, many VHS students had the chance to visit them in Costa Rica as part of the exchange where they had the opportunity to learn more about their culture and what their school life is like. They are also going to have the chance to strengthen their Spanish speaking skills and create friendships, just like the Costa Rican students did here.

“Both the hosting and staying experience was incredibly beneficial on both sides. It helped to improve language and cultural knowledge as well as providing exposure to new environments and experiences,” Sophomore Ethan Knudson stated.

This was a very special opportunity that VHS was able to do and will hopefully continue doing so for a longer time. This program came to be because of Profe Powell, who had heard of Liceo Experimental Bilingue de Pococí (LEBP) through a Spanish teacher online community. The Spanish teacher she first heard about LEBP from had just run an exchange program at her school, but she was only able to do it every other year. LEBP however, wants their students to have the chance to travel every year. To make this possible for LEBP, Profe Powell stepped in and was able to take the alternating years. This way, each school can host every other year and students from Costa Rica can travel every year.

“We are on our second exchange now, and plan to continue on this every other year plan for the foreseeable future,” Profe Powell stated.

There are so many benefits to this exchange program besides all of the fun excursions that they are able to do, there is an increase in Spanish and English vocabulary that allows both sets of students to strengthen their speaking ability. As students live with host families, they are able to really get immersed in each other's culture, which allows them to interact and try things they never would have before.

Although the Costa Rican students were only here for two weeks, their visit created a long lasting impact for both the visiting students and VHS students, including the formation of new friendships and stronger language skills. This exchange has brought both schools closer together, allowing and welcoming our students and their students to each other's school to gain a deeper understanding of another culture. As we continue to do the exchange every other year, it will hopefully encourage students to take risks and try something new.