Women for Environmental Action
Summer '25 Applications Open
The Take-Aways
Real-World Experience
Conduct science research, survey local flora and fauna, and gain engineering, math, and tech skills. Participate in an Environmental Sustainability Challenge and come home with an Action Plan showing your recommendations.
Credentials for Your Future
Topics for your college essays, experience to inform your future career, an Action Plan that showcases your skills in STEM, and service learning hours documenting your engagement with the community.
Life Skills and New Friendships
Return with greater self-confidence, independence, and improved communication skills. Enjoy a broader worldview and friends of different backgrounds from across the U.S.
45
Hours of Expert Instruction
12
Hours of Service Learning
1
Life-Changing Experience
The Destination
Welcome to Costa Rica, to its rugged mountains, dramatic volcanoes, lush forests, and incredible biodiversity.
Although Costa Rica covers only 0.03% of the planet’s surface, it contains over 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Its natural wealth, both in species and ecosystems, is the reason scientists from around the globe come to conduct research in this tiny Central American country. Cloud forests, one of the most unique and wondrous of all ecosystems, are found along Costa Rica’s northwestern mountaintops at Monteverde. It is here, the epicenter for biodiversity, sustainability, and scientific discovery, where you will live and research for three weeks.
Costa Rica is also a world leader in environmental sustainability. It currently runs on 100% renewable electricity and is actively working toward a national goal of carbon neutrality. The Costa Rican who formulated the national decarbonization plan is Andrea Meza, former Minister of Environment and Energy and one of many women leaders with a STEM background.
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Monteverde.
Weekly Learning Goals
Explore the basics of sustainability and biodiversity, compute ecological footprints, and deploy camera traps to interpret wildlife data. Learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and work in groups on an Action Plan to address a local challenge.
Investigate nutrient cycles, participate in composting and tree planting, and explore different types of tropical habitats. Visit local women-run farms to learn sustainable practices and get inspiration from accomplished women guest speakers who work in STEM.
Do a BioBlitz with a female STEM professional. Present your group’s Action Plan, including goals, deliverables, and next steps.
Take a Tour of CIEE's Monteverde Campus
Just Imagine All the Fun You’ll Have!
- Tube over rapids down a gushing river in the Poderosa Adventure Park. Exhilarating and 100% carefree!
- Go on a guided night walk in the forest. Shhh! You’ll hear chirping, singing, gurgling, and rustling all around you.
- Zipline above the tree canopy, ride horses up a mountain, and cross hanging bridges through the cloud forest—you just might see howler monkeys, macaws, sloths, and maybe even a puma!
- Follow a path through the lush forest to El Tigre waterfalls and swim, if you dare, in the cold water.
- Discover a climate-friendly cosmetics farm and handcraft soap with natural ingredients.
Please note activities are based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when arranging activities is always to enhance your experience.
Global Friendships
The last week on the Monteverde campus has flown by at a rapid pace. However, it seems like ages have passes since the student arrived in the cloud forest. This... keep reading
Folklorico Dance, a core memory made
Student of session 2 shares her experience of her final days in Costa Rica.
Soaring Through the Clouds (Featuring Three Guest Student Writers)
To best sum up our adventurous weekend, we have three guest writers today. Check out what they thought below! Ella Buerkele gives us a beautiful overview of Saturday: On Saturday... keep reading
Eligibility
- Participants must be 14 years old and above.
- Program open to current high school Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- Program not open to male-identifying students.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
- This program involves engaging in moderate- to high-intensity physical activities, such as hiking, and extended observational time outdoors.
For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Dates & Fees
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Summer Session I 2025 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $4,950 | |
| Program Summer Session II 2025 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $4,950 |
Ready to change your life?
What's Included
Interactive Classes
Housing
3 Meals/Day
(Dietary Needs Accommodated)
All Ground Transportation
(Once In-country)
Optional Flight Chaperone
(Flight Cost Not Included)
Pre-departure Advice and Orientation
Access to WIFI
(No international data plan or SIM card included)
All Cultural Activities and Excursions
Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection
24/7 Emergency On-site Support
Our Staff
Pablo Allen
Center Director
Pablo is a native Costa Rican, born and raised in San José. He is an an evolutionary ecologist interested in sexual selection, animal weapons, and phenotypic plasticity. Since rejoining CIEE...
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