ABOUT US
What is PRAXIS CENTER?
in Central America and North America for relationships of trust and mutual sharing of gifts.
How we work?
What does PRAXIS CENTER do?
We are also the Costa Rica Study Center for Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, IN).
What does PRAXIS CENTER mean?
Heidi Michelsen
Director & Founder
Roland Harris
Internship Coordinator & Web Designer
Marta Sobalvarro
Leader - Service Learning Teams
Jéffer Saldívar
Healthcare Inventory & Service Learning Teams
Dr. Amy Buckenmeyer
Consultant
Katherine Peters
Consultant
OUR PROGRAMS
Service Learning
Learn more Apply now
Semester-long
Our semester-long programs take place in the fall and spring semesters each year, for 15 weeks (see a description, below).The program can be tailored to almost any major or discipline - talk with your advisor about your credits transferring. Spanish and elective courses are taken at accredited Costa Rican universities.
What does the semester look like?
Orientation, Spanish classes, an intro course to Central America, elective courses, and an internship. Also included are many weekend trips, site visits and a study trip to Panama or Nicaragua.
Elective course offerings: Spanish language and literature, Environmental Studies, Biology, Sustainability, Business, Economics, Political Science, Theology, Art, Dance, Architecture, Communications, Sociology, Healthcare, Film Studies, and more.
Internships: are available in disciplines like social work, healthcare, veterinary medicine, environmental studies, sustainability, organic agriculture, education, business, law, media studies, engineering, nuclear physics, meteorology, criminology, dance, music, etc.
Contact us to talk about the possibilities!
Summer program
- Intensive Spanish instruction, taught by native speakers through an accredited Costa Rican university.
- Orientation seminars about the country, cultural adaptation, etc.
- 4-9 week internship in any field.
- Homestays with carefully selected Costa Rican families.
- Excursions:
6 week program: 1 day trip and 1 overnight excursion at no additional cost.
10 week program: 1 day trip and 2 overnight excursions at no additional cost.
- Continuous supervision and assistance from bilingual staff and availability 24-7.
- 5 weeks: $2,800 3 credits of Spanish + Internship
- 6 weeks: $3,300 3 credits of Spanish + Internship
- 8 weeks: $4,100 6 credit hours of Spanish + Internship
- 10 weeks: $4,700 6 credit hours of Spanish + Internship
If a student would like to take an elective course there is an additional fee.
If a student wishes to take an elective course instead of Spanish (and has proof of an intermediate level of Spanish), there is no additional fee.
- HEALTHCARE: assisted living centers, small primary care clinics, public health, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, dentistry, rehabilitation, alcohol & substance abuse, etc.
- SOCIAL WORK/PSYCHOLOGY/NON-PROFITS: agencies and programs involved with: women, children, domestic violence, LGBTQ concerns, immigrants, substance abuse, housing issues, etc.
- GOVERNMENT & INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES: Law offices, United Nations Program on Crime Prevention, etc.
- EDUCATION: Schools, day care centers, after school programs.
- RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS: programs with children and youth, music, worship, camps.
- BUSINESS: small businesses, cooperatives, larger companies, non-profits, micro-credit.
- BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: habitat preservation, organic agriculture, forestry management, animal rescue.
- ENGINEERING, METEOROLOGY, NUCLEAR FUSION: Alternative energy, water treatment, weather forecasting, research in nuclear plasma, etc.
- Miscellaneous expenses for lunches, public transportation and entertainment: $60 -- $80/week
- Students may receive academic credit for their Spanish language instruction. Students who are completely fluent in Spanish may opt out of the Spanish language component. They will receive a discount of $500.
- Most internships are in Spanish. There are a limited number of internships available in English.
Spanish Language
Nearly all of our programs (except for short-term service learning programs) include Spanish courses as a requirement. You will be placed in a class according to your proficiency level. Your primary goal for your time abroad may be improving your language skills, or earning credits for several courses in Spanish. You can accomplish these goals in Central America! Take classes in grammar and conversation, Latin American literature, or specialized courses in Business Spanish or Spanish for Healthcare Professionals. We promise you that the experience of being immersed in the language with your host family and internship, and exploring the country on your own will take your abilities to new levels of fluency. Talk with us about the kinds of Spanish courses you`re interested in, and we will help you tailor your program to your language needs.
Service Learning
Service Learning programs have a lot of potential for making positive change in the world - both through the impacts made in communities and the personal transformation experienced by students. However, they also have a lot of potential for unintentional consequences and perpetuating colonial systems of power relationships.
At The Praxis Center, we care about both the positive and negative potential outcomes from these programs, and we work intentionally to maximize leadership by the local communities in order to promote mutuality, and to maximize critical reflection by the students in order to promote true social transformation.
Customized programs
Whether it’s a gap year or semester you´re looking for, or student teaching in Costa Rica, or you want to create a short term program about a particular topic, our staff is ready to help you make it happen. With over 25 years of experience in working with groups from US colleges, high schools, and churches, we have a vast network of contacts and experiences to draw on. Some of the different programs we´ve designed in the past are: Short term trips with a focus on: environmental issues, refugees, cultural and ethnic studies, politics, religion, business and economics, social work, education, and the arts. In addition, we have coordinated a student teaching program at an English language high school, sabbatical plans and many other volunteer and internship experiences. The sky's the limit!
Faith Based Groups
The experience of being in another culture and in vastly different material circumstances can be a profoundly spiritual journey, even a “conversion.” It may cause one to question many long-held beliefs and bring about a desire for more serious study of scriptural foundations. Issues of war and peace, wealth, poverty and justice all have deep roots in all religious traditions. Since all the core leaders of PRAXIS are people of faith, we are well suited to working with faith based universities, congregations and groups. At the request of the coordinator, service projects may be carried out with local church or religious groups; issues of faith and religion may be included as topics of study in readings, lectures and reflection questions, and optional worship and devotional experiences may be offered. At PRAXIS we believe that faith, learning and cultures can be brought together to strengthen one´s faith commitment as well as to bring about a more just society.
Application
LIFE IN COSTA RICA
Health, Safety & Security
Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in the region, with a stable democratic government that has been in place for over a century. It also has a highly developed health system which provides our students with world class care should they become ill.
Having said this, our staff is always on the lookout for possible security threats. On arrival in the country, all students receive orientation about how to stay safe and healthy during their stay.
Most importantly, the Praxis staff have been living in Costa Rica for over 20 years, are well connected with their local community and have deep networks of resources to draw upon for advice and assistance. They have experience dealing with such situations as student illness, theft, weather events and the like. In addition, they live in the same neighborhood where students are housed, know the host families personally and are able to respond quickly to student needs.
Decisions and responses regarding student health, safety and security normally are made in consultation with, as appropriate: Praxis staff, local in-country resources, the host university in Costa Rica, the sending campus, US Embassy officials in Costa Rica, healthcare officials, and emergency service providers.
Emergency plans are reviewed regularly in light of standards of good practice in the field of off-campus programming, local regional advice, risk management consultations and experience gained through previous emergency events. However, it is also important for participants, families and campuses to recognize that Praxis Center:
- Cannot guarantee or assure the safety and/or security of participants or eliminate all risks from the study abroad/off-campus program environments.
- Cannot monitor or control all of the daily personal decisions, choices, and activities of participants.
- Cannot prevent participants from engaging in illegal, dangerous, unsafe, or unwise activities.
- Cannot assume responsibility for actions or for events that are not part of the program, or for those that are beyond the control of the staff or for situations that may arise due to the failure of a participant to disclose pertinent information.
Student & Teacher Testimonials
Contact us
Heredia, Costa Rica