The Braves Abroad program, run by Ms. Murphy, Mrs. Smalley, and Mrs. Miller, plans an international trip through Education First Educational Tours (EF) each year. Prior to 2020, the trip was run biannually however, the Costa Rica trip will be the fourth consecutive year that travel is offered to students. The trip is not officially endorsed by the school district, but is advertised to students at Indian Hills.
The teachers overseeing the trip have long been involved in travel, both in and out of school. “Mrs. Smalley and Mrs. Miller went on an EF tour themselves and they found out that they do educational tours, so that’s how they first partnered with EF. Mrs. Smalley ran the first few [trips] and Mrs. Miller has run a couple, and I’ve run the last couple; we still talk and plan together, though,” Ms. Murphy explained. It’s not certain at this time whether Mrs. Smalley and Mrs. Miller will be attending the Costa Rica tour, but they have been active in the planning of the trip.
When asked why Costa Rica was picked for 2025, Ms. Murphy explained, “We were going to take a break for the year—not necessarily because we need a break, but to give a pause, having done a few in a row now. Then, we were like ‘Instead of taking a break from travel, what if we just did something that wasn’t Europe?’ Costa Rica was a trip that I was [supposed to be] running in 2020. […] That was a destination that we had already planned to go to. Plus, it’s just something really different and it’s a little bit closer; it’s a little bit shorter.” The trip will be nine days in total, two of which being travel days. The locations include San José, Tortuguero, Sarapiquí, the Arenal region, and Guanacaste.
“One of the things about working with EF that’s really cool is they have a bunch of itineraries. […] This one that we picked is called ‘Adventuring Costa Rica.’” Ms. Murphy explained, “We will go snorkeling, white water rafting, ziplining, kayaking, and local touring.” The trip will go to both coasts and the jungles in between. Students might see baby turtles hatching and climbing towards the beach in Tortuguero, a unique experience. Boat tours of Tortuguero and Palo Verde sandwich the trip. Students will have the opportunity to complete a reflective project to earn college credit.
Ms. Murphy has traveled around the world many times, making her excited to bring the experience to her students. “I love student travel. It is so worth it. When traveling with your peers—yes, the trips are chaperoned, yes, there are adults there, but I think there’s a lot of value in stepping outside of your comfort zone, especially since you don’t have your parents there. You have to budget for yourself. You have to make sure you’re on time for yourself” Ms. Murphy said, “Students get to see different cultures, build a sense of responsibility and confidence, and step outside of their comfort zone, in addition to seeing the world, cultures, and history.” Student travel fosters independence in a supportive environment. This trip will accommodate approximately 30 students, though that number may change. The first information session was held on June 5th, 2024. Students should direct further inquiries to [email protected].
