To quote Billy Madison, “It’s the cooliest!” But if we’re being serious, travel opens minds, breaks down barriers, and builds confidence in students. We want to make sure the transformative power of travel is available to everyone!

Travel Sparq is the right organization to create these opportunities because of our values. We will instill these in our participants by pursuing a life of compassion and tolerance and harboring an adventurous spirit.

Secondly, our people. From our board of directors to our trip leads and chaperones, everyone involved in our organization is working tirelessly because we believe in our mission. Unpaid and relentless, we are ready to change students’ lives!

Lastly, our program is built for the students’ benefit. Every choice in building this program is deliberate to ensure students have a safe, transformative, and fun experience with Travel Sparq!

You must apply and meet our eligibility requirements. After selection, you will complete five mandatory pre-trip classes in person. These classes help combat culture shock, set appropriate expectations, and prepare you for the trip.

Then it’s wheels up as we fly to Costa Rica for two weeks. The first week will be spent working on a sea turtle conservation run by Latin American Sea Turtle Association. While there, you will be patrolling beaches for nesting turtles, helping release hatchlings, and assisting with basic tasks around the conservation.

During the second week, you will experience the cultural diversity of Costa Rica through excursions to learn more about the land of waterfalls. With coffee plantations, city tours, and national park hikes, this country’s biodiversity is unmatched!

Upon return, we will have two post-trip classes to recap the experience and discuss how they can translate into real-world skills!

Students must fill out participant surveys throughout the program, beginning with pre-trip classes. These help us gauge our effectiveness and how a student’s outlook might change during and after the program. We will also have daily guided reflections while in Costa Rica.

Keep in mind that this is a trip led by a trip lead and chaperones, you will never be expected to travel alone. Also, living conditions at the conservation are EXTREMELY basic. No internet, Wi-Fi, almost no electricity, sleeping in bunks with mosquito netting, no AC, and it is HEAVEN!

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• The summer before the trip year, we will have an informational meeting that anyone (including parents/guardians) may attend to learn more about the program. No reservation is needed to attend, so come and learn what we are all about!

• Applications will open following the info meeting.

• All applicants are notified of their application status upon application closing. Accepted participants will receive further instructions.

$0. We cover the cost of passports and visas (if required), airfare, and conservation program fees. We also cover lodging, three meals/ day, and the cost of all excursions. The only cost to the participants is that of snacks and souvenirs.

This type of program is NOT found anywhere else in Iowa. If students are looking for traveling opportunities while in high school, their options are:

$7674 Where There Be Dragons- a program that spends four weeks in another country.

$9380 International Student Exchange- multiple locations per semester.

$4850 Counsel of International Educational Exchange- various locations for 3-week trips.

While these programs are incredible, they are utterly inaccessible to many students.