Often times an Outward Bound course can be as challenging for the parent as it is for the student. With that in mind we have compiled information that tends to be of the greatest concern to a parent about to embark on the Outward Bound experience with their child.

1. Safety and instructor qualifications
2. Costa Rica culture and people
3. Logistics and philosophy of "Solo"
4. Logistics and philosophy of Village Homestays
5. Student & staff policies
6. CRROBS' learning processes
7. Arrival & departure information
8. Communications while on course
9. Feedback
10. Impressions

CRROBS has been running quality courses since receiving its provisional charter in 1994 (full charter received on schedule in 1997). CRROBS safety record is outstanding, and we have never had a fatal accident or maiming injury incurred by either our participants or our staff. Naturally, there are perceived and actual risks inherent to any outdoor adventure activity or program. CRROBS has established proven risk management systems based on Outward Bound International standards which are incorporated into staff training, evacuations and program policy.

For more information on our safety standards please click here

Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has achieved a relatively high standard of living. Land ownership is widespread. Tourism is a rapidly expanding industry. The life expectancy for males is 73 and for females is 76, and the literacy rate is 95%. Currently Costa Rica represents one of the longest standing democracies in this hemisphere. Following the implementation of the current constitution in 1949, Costa Rica abolished its standing army, and reallocated these funds to social programs such as socialized medicine and education. Costa Rica relies on strong diplomatic ties with the U.S. and a neutral international political stance to maintain peaceful international relations. Anthropologically, the effects of these legislative measures effect and reflect the tranquility and content nature of the people of Costa Rica as well. There are no guerilla movements or violent political resistance, and the gentle nature of the Costa Rican people is reflected in a very low violent crime rate. Costa Rican people in general are very hospitable and conscious of the fact that tourism represents over 50% of their economic base. Furthermore, CRROBS participants are under 24-hour supervision (perhaps excluding the solo), and remain in more remote regions of the country where 'development' and crime are virtually nonexistent. The most notable comments and impressions from our staff and participants in reference to their time in this country are regarding the extremely helpful and sincere nature of the Costa Rican people.

Sharply contrasting the fast pace and bombardment of new stimuli that the students will have experienced up until this point of their course, the solo exercise is designed to allow students to make an introspective evaluation of their personal progress on their course and in life. The solo is not a survival exercise per se; the focus is more meditative, and the seemingly secluded environment allows students to be free of distractions. Students are frequently asked to write a letter to themselves and/or to the group to help organize their thoughts and feelings related to what is a very impacting personal experience. A vital area focused on by the instructors throughout the duration of the course is 'processing the experience,' as Outward Bound philosophies focus on personal development, connecting metaphors to the activities and incorporating new knowledge and experience into the daily routines of the participants. Students are equipped with a whistle, water, a lamp, food rations, pen and paper, a sleeping bag and their tarp; they would not have their walkman (if at all on course), their favorite novel or a knife. Students are assigned small adjacent plots, putting them just out of sight of their fellow coursemates. In case of a situation where the student would need the assistance of an instructor, they would blow their whistle to summon their instructor. The exercise's duration is in proportion to the length of their course i.e. 15 to 30 day course would have an 18-24 hour solo, and 60 & 85 day courses would have a 48-72 hour solo. The solo experience leaves a lasting impression on the students; for many it is the first time they have experience this type and duration of seclusion in a natural (or even unnatural) environment. Certainly, it's vital in the process of exploring your soul.

When the region of Piedras Blancas was initially being explored by the school's founder, the gentle nature of the families, the natural beauty of the landscapes, and the logistical coordination possibilities led Jim Rowe to an easy decision - the incorporation of the village homestay experience into CRROBS courses. In early meetings with the local families, an accord was reached by which CRROBS would help the families financially in exchange for providing the homestay experience. Families agreed to 1) open their homes and families to receive CRROBS participants as gracious guests, 2) to discontinue deforesting new areas of primary forest and 3) to not hunt rainforest animals. In exchange for this, CRROBS provides an economic alternative to deforestation as well as exposure to new faces and experiences for the community of Piedras Blancas and other communities.

CRROBS has been involved with the following projects in Piedras Blancas: - An andirivel (river crossing device) and footbridge building - Home additions and indoor showers & toilets - Construction of a schoolhouse - Providing a foreign national as an English teacher - Construction of the Fonseca Family home - Partial sponsorship of exchanges of Piedras Blancas community members to foreign countries - Training of community members in first aid and CPR - Providing school supplies on an ongoing basis - Increasing the level of pride in local knowledge as well as self concept of community members - Decreasing the tide of deforestation in notable ways.

Students, especially those from Westernized countries are positively impacted by the contrast in lifestyles between the communities from which they come and the unique setting which is Piedras Blancas. Specifically, it is refreshing for participants to make the distinction between simple happiness and a wealth of material and luxury goods. The strong family bonds and playful nature of the community in this natural setting offer more urban participants a perspective by which to evaluate their own situations. Furthermore, the potential and realized activities within this region allow students' opportunities to be actively engaged and help them to facilitate personal development.

Some possible homestay activities may include (it's important to remember that not each group will be able to participate in all activities):

Hand milking cows - Planting or harvesting traditional foods: i.e.: Bananas, yucca (manioc), roots and tubers, rice, beans, carrots, sugar cane - Preparing traditional foods: i.e.: rice, beans, plantains, tortillas, grinding corn, juicing sugar cane, making cheese - Teaching English to younger kids sweat lodge, maintenance to school house, etc. - Meditation exercises - Medicinal plant hike - Limestone cave exploration - Tree canopy climb with harness and ropes systems - Waterfall rappel with harness, anchor and belaying systems

Students participate in the activities together as a group. Also, the group will be visiting one family at a time together and sleeping in a communal area of the host's house. The unique immersion experiences into a one-of-a kind community are frequently the high point of many participants' overall experience.

CRROBS runs quality courses designed to allow participants maximum enjoyment of the beautiful tropical environment in which we travel. We reserve the right to expel/remove participants who present a danger to him/herself, the environment, or other participants. Outward Bound is not a reformatory school and our staff are not police officers. Participants who are expelled from the course or who voluntarily leave the course for personal reasons, other than being physically debilitated, do not receive a refund and are responsible for evacuation fees. That being said, the vast majority of our participants are well functioning young adults.

Alcohol, Drugs & Tobacco:

Outward Bound courses strive to empower participants. It has been our experience that alcohol, drugs and tobacco can detract from the Outward Bound experience. Participants are asked to refrain from tobacco use during the duration of the course. Alcohol and illegal drug use is not acceptable on any CRROBS course. Failure to abide by CRROBS alcohol and drug policy will result in expulsion from course without a refund.

Sexual Conduct:

Staff members maintain a professional relationship with all students while on course and may not allow personal feelings to create any appearance of favoritism, preference, or romantic attraction. Instructors also appropriately discourage the development of exclusive relationships between participants. Perimeters are outlined in the course orientation and any situations that may arise are first discussed in private with the instructor followed by a group meeting if necessary.

The course is based on the educational pedagogy of 50 years of Outward Bound experience and uses many principles of Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound developed at Harvard University in its design. All students participate in group discussions, readings, and activities and Outward Bound courses create an environment for students to learn through personal experience. The pedagogical foundation is one that demands personal reflection, group communication, cultural sensitivity, mental expansion and physical commitment.

CRROBS courses strive to create an environment that helps students learn from wilderness activities in three ways: (1) technically (how do you do the activity?); (2) scientifically (what environmental/biological aspects surround the activity?); and (3) personally (what personal characteristics does the activity promote?). These three components: technical skills, scientific learning and personal development are integral parts of the entire course.

In each phase of the course it is important to set students up for success. For students to be successful they need to develop the skills necessary to be a leader, to live in the wilderness, to understand another culture and to work as a team. Much of what students learn will be from experience, but much needs to be taught, often formally. For example, not all students can "discover" leadership skills necessary to lead a group if they have not been taught the skills inherent in solid leadership.

Thorough presentation of technical skills will insure highest safety. Personal development will naturally be an ongoing focus of all course phases. The importance of group communication and personal contribution should be established the moment the course starts so that students can immediately take ownership for the course.

The closing ceremony, which brings the experience to a formal and positive ending, is an essential part of understanding and incorporating what has been learned into the individual student's lives. The ceremony would have each student discuss what he or she learned from his or her experiences and how they plan to transfer his or her skills and knowledge into the various settings which await his or her return.

Transportation to and from San José international airport is included within the standard course tuition as long as the students arrive/depart on the scheduled dates. Each participant will have submitted his or her detailed flight itinerary at least 15 days before arrival to ensure that the CRROBS staff person may coordinate a proper greeting. Preferably, it's more comfortable for arriving students to land in San José from 10am to 8:00 pm; however, on arrival days CRROBS will accommodate any arrival time if necessary. Please note the following protocol for arrival days: (the day BEFORE the course start as is written on the course schedule).

When you are aware of a flight delay, missed flight or any other factor that affects the anticipated arrival time, please call 1-800-676-2018/011-506-2-278-6062.

Please try to provide specific information which will help us track the flight and adjust the meeting coordination i.e. which leg of the flight was delayed, any new flight numbers, expected arrival times, etc.. During Fly in's an actual person will be available to speak to until the last student has arrived, regardless of the hour.

Just after the customs checkpoint students will leave the airport at the only public exit, to be greeted by a CRROBS staff person wearing an Outward Bound shirt and holding a white sign with blue letters that reads "Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School." If students don't see the CRROBS greeter they can call from the pay phones which line the exit area.

As students are greeted, they are transferred by the CRROBS driver to a CRROBS post where they will begin meeting their course mates. Once the last student has arrived, the instructor will conduct the orientation and will facilitate the group and personal gear organization. The next day students will have an early start to begin their journey.

All wallets, passports, return tickets, and other valuables will be locked and stored in our San Jose base to be redistributed to the students the night prior to flying out.

CRROBS can accommodate early departures on the final or fly-out day (the last day of the course as it appears on the course schedule), and we typically do three airport transfers on that day: an early morning, midday and afternoon shuttle.

CRROBS is not able to accommodate students who would like spend extra time in the school base before or after a course, however we are more than happy to assist you in making arrangements for those situations where flight dates dictate extra time in the country.

While students are in Costa Rica, they may receive mail sent to the CRROBS San Jose office. Students will have limited mail pick up at certain points along their course. It is important that family and friends know that letters may take as long as 3 weeks to arrive so please plan accordingly. Packages should not be sent. Letters should be sent regular post. DO NOT SEND CORRESPONDENCE CERTIFIED OR INSURED (customs regulations make it virtually impossible to be picked up by a third party on behalf of the student).

Correspondence should be addressed:

Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School
Student name / course dates
PO Box 1817-2050
San Pedro, San Jose/ Costa Rica 02050

Email may be sent to the student at students@crrobs.org (make sure your name is in the subject). We'll print it out and give it to the student with the next group mail delivery.

Keep in mind though that one of the objectives of the program is wilderness immersion, and a lot of contact from friends and family can be a distraction. Additionally, because our course areas are remote, mail deliveries and opportunities to check incoming or write outgoing e-mail will be infrequent. Due to time constraints any courses less than 30 days will not be able to receive correspondence.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AT HOME

You should discuss whether you would be contacting your family member while on course in the case of an emergency or family problem; many students prefer to learn of bad news after their course rather than during. Our course areas are extremely remote and a great deal of energy and expense is incurred should someone need to return home for an emergency. Therefore, please know to only contact the school in the event of REAL EMERGENCY requiring a student's immediate return. Evacuation and flight arrangements can take up to several days, however it is also important that parents feel assured that if necessary, CRROBS can facilitate these communication and evacuations. The following is a list of emergency numbers and the order which should be taken:

Emergency Contact Information:
The following is a list of emergency numbers and the order which should be taken:

1. Call the school’s main telephone number (open 9-5 Central time(ST) / Mountain time(DST) / -6 GMT): 1-800-676-2018 or 011-506-2-278-6062. Messages left after 5pm will be checked and responded to the following weekday morning.

2. Send us a brief email to pager message by emailing: crrobs12@22252500.co.cr (Program Director), crrobs8@22252500.co.cr (Admin. & Airport Transfer), or crrobs3@22252500.co.cr for the Executive Director.

3. Alternatively, you may call our 24 hr. beeper service: first dial (011) 506-2-225-2500 or (011) 506-2-224-2400, ask for an English speaking operator, and leave a verbal message for "Outward Bound 12, 3, and 8", or send an email to enrollment@crrobs.org, or a fax to 1-800-676-0486 or 011-506-2-278-6059.

NOTE: Always leave return contact numbers and indicate the action you would like CRROBS to take regarding communication.

Dear Parent,

We would like to extend our sincere thanks for having chosen to enroll your son or daughter with Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School. We strive to offer high quality, empowering courses to our participants and hope that the experience will serve the student well long after their time in Costa Rica is over. We are eager and willing to receive any feedback you may have regarding your child's experience with us. We value both the positive comments and learn from any expressed concerns you may have. Please know that you can communicate with us directly. Below is a list of individuals you may contact:

Steve Aronson: Board of Trustees, Chairman steve@cafebritt.com
Jim Rowe: CRROBS Executive Director jim@crrobs.org
Kathleen Sullivan: CRROBS Marketing and Communication Director kathleen@crrobs.org
Cristian Lopez: CRROBS Director of Operations cristian@crrobs.org

Please know that each Outward Bound School around the world is an autonomous entity that has received a charter from Outward Bound International. Contacting another Outward Bound School in regards to CRROBS would not be the correct line of communication.

We congratulate your child for having shown the strength and perseverance necessary to complete their CRROBS course and hope that they return feeling more confident and capable than before. Please know that it was our honor to have shared the experience with them.

Hi Scott,

My daughter is 16 now. She did CRROBS two summers ago when she was 14. It was a fabulous experience ... in fact, she's writing a college application essay this evening, and it's on her experience in Costa Rica. She keeps in touch with the entire group, and has fantastic stories. It was physically though in parts, but that's part of the experience.

From a safety perspective, Steph tells me that the airport greeters are directly outside the gate, and the "base" is well secured. Then they are out in the wilderness ... just the "dangers" of nature. I also called three mothers before i let her go (same felling as you're having ... actually my husband was against the trip), and everyone had a safe experience. They only go to San Jose one day, and Steph said she felt safe being with the male instructors. One of the mothers I talked to actually flew down with her daughter to check on the situation, and she gave it a positive review. It was a life-changing experience. Hope that helps!

Michelle
written May 22, 2007 by a mother of a MultiElement alumni.