Bienvenidos! Welcome to The Spanish Immersion Adventure.

As director, I want you to know that you are in for one of the greatest adventures of your life. We have carefully designed the academic programs and expeditions to be challenging both mentally and physically, giving you a chance to break away from your daily routine and engage in true self-discovery. With the intensity of THE SIA, you will find that your emotions will reach new highs and lows as you and your group deal with challenges, changes, surprises, and even let-downs, which are all a part of any wilderness experience.

Tropical rainforests are home to over half of the living species on the planet. While with the SIA, you will be surrounded by all kinds of forest life. This makes a perfect setting for discovering character traits we like to refer to as "Life Force." Your experience here in the rainforests of Costa Rica will likely fill you with this "Life Force," giving you a profound sense of connection with yourself and the world around you.

This program is a combination of academics in a traditional classroom setting combined with fun yet challenging expeditions. The academics feed into the expeditions as you experience up close and personal the dynamics of the rainforests, rivers, beaches, oceans and mountains of Costa Rica. You will also learn technical skills such-as raft captaining, white water kayaking, surfing, SCUBA diving, wake sports, small boat safety, cave exploration, expedition planning and executing and other fun and challenging adventures. It is important that just as you need to dedicate yourself 100% on the expeditions to successfully learning the technical skills, so too will you need to do your part during the academic program. Many participants in the SIA are young leaders who excel in academics as well as other phases of life, while others may be challenged by traditional academics. Whatever your background, it is imperative that you be willing and ready to embark on a fun, yet challenging academic and experiential time with the SIA.

I urge you to keep your mind open to what you will experience. Be prepared to face changes, surprises, challenges, and disappointments. However, really think about what you want to gain from the SIA experience. Most find that the experience goes far beyond what they expect. Be ready for anything. Get prepared by reading the materials in the registration packet and by checking out Costa Rican rainforest and culture books from your local library.

I look forward to welcoming you to your journey, Jim Rowe Ph.D. Executive Director CRROBS/SIA