Additional 3-credit courses in Spanish or another field: $1,000 per course.

Four-week courses are also available. Contact the staff for details.

May 22 – July 3

6 weeks

July 3 – August 14

6 weeks

Grammar and conversation at six levels:

• Basic 1 and 2
• Intermediate 1 and 2
• Advanced 1 and 2

• Spanish for Business
• Spanish for Healthcare
• Latin American Literature in Film
• Contemporary Costa Rican Women Writers
• Latin American Dialects
• Introduction to Translation
• Phonetics

Location: Guadalupe, about a 40 minute bus or train ride from the Praxis office. Fundación Mujer was founded in 1998 and is an organization which specializes in training in entrepreneurship for women who want to develop their productive activities and empower themselves in a holistic and self-sustaining way in financial services and other areas. It has microcredit programs and training in business skills for women as well as men. In recent years it has been working with refugees from Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia and Nicaragua. Past interns have accompanied the staff to support groups of small business owners, done general office work for updating the database of clients, and taught entrepreneurial skills. There may also be opportunities to organize job fairs.

Location: Santo Domingo de Heredia, about a 15 minute walk from the Praxis Center. This is a coffee processing and distribution company that is a cooperative owned by several different coffee growers. They could use help for marketing, website design and social media. Language requirement: Only open to students with intermediate II or advanced conversational Spanish.

These are several small private medical clinics. Students observe primary care physicians and are able to ask questions about different diagnoses. Doctors often take the time to teach students how to take vital signs and other basic procedures. Language preference: High level of Spanish preferred, but a few of the doctors accept students with only beginning level Spanish.

This is a senior center (open only during the day). Students can assist the physical therapists and participate in crafts, exercise classes and other activities.

Location: About a 15 minute walk from the Praxis Center. This is a small private veterinary clinic that mainly works with cats and dogs. Volunteers must be prepared to see some bloody procedures on days when surgeries are performed. The environment is very friendly and warm. Possible volunteer responsibilities: The senior veterinarian and assisting staff require volunteers who care about animals. Responsibilities include:

Helping with daily activities and routines, such as medical procedures and standard check-ups.

Washing cages and animals.

Location: Santo Domingo, about a 15 minute walk from the Praxis Center. This is a small private dental clinic. Students may shadow procedures, help to sterilize instruments, and generally assist with all the work of the clinic.

Location: Santo Domingo, about a 15 minute walk from the Praxis Center. These are physical therapy centers. Students are able to learn how to use different machines and exercise equipment as well as observe the creation of patient treatment plans.

Location: Santa Rosa de Santo Domingo, a 5 minute walk from the Praxis Center. This is an after school enrichment program, located right in the Praxis Center neighborhood. It would involve teaching math or music to teens or adults 2–10 hours per week in the Santa Rosa neighborhood.

Location: Santa Rosa de Santo Domingo, a 5 minute walk from the Praxis Center. This is a private K–11 school. Past students have assisted teachers in a variety of subjects and have also worked closely with the school psychologist.

Location: Santo Domingo, about a 20 minute walk from the Praxis Center. This is a day program for adolescents and adults with Downs Syndrome and other differently abled students. Good for education, social work and occupational therapy students.

Location: Downtown San José, about a 15 minute train ride from the Praxis office. ILANUD’s foundational charter states that: “The main objective of the institute is to collaborate with the governments in the balanced economic and social development of the Latin American countries, through the formulation and incorporation into national development plans, of adequate policies and action instruments in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice.” Areas of work where students have been involved include human trafficking and improvement of conditions in the prison system. Requirements: Only open to students with advanced Spanish who are majoring in criminology, human rights or related areas.

Location: A 15–20 minute walk from Praxis office. This is the city hall of Santo Domingo. Previous students have assisted in improving systems for filing documents at the archive office and have also worked in the areas of environmental programs and at the recycling center.

Location: Downtown San José, a 20 minute train ride. This is the premier museum for pre-colonial artifacts. Past students have assisted with tours for visiting groups.

Location: Downtown San José, a 20 minute train ride. This museum has a wide selection of historical items from many different time periods. Past interns have assisted in the preservation and cataloging of artifacts.

Location: Downtown San José, about a 15 minute train ride. This is the government institute in charge of monitoring, predicting and reporting on all weather related activities in Costa Rica. Past interns have been invited to share in many aspects of the team’s work.

Location: Cedros, San Pedro, about a 45 minute train and bus ride. This is an urban community gardening project sponsored by a faith based university.

Location: Casa Adobe, 5 minute walk from the Praxis office. This is a tree nursery and forestry project. Past interns have assisted in planting trees and attending to individuals and groups who come to visit and volunteer.

Miscellaneous expenses for lunches, public transportation, and entertainment.