ACA’s Service-Learning Philosophy
New Opportunities to Help Others and Enrich Your Personal Experience!
Make 2010 a summer of personal growth and community giving! ACA makes it possible with a host of rewarding service opportunities that engage students and local populations on an incredibly fulfilling level.
American Collegiate Adventures is committed to helping students participate in social and personal transformation. Our goal is to encourage them to realize the power they have to grow as individuals while contributing to an environment of cultural understanding and mutual respect, whether they work within their communities or take their service-learning around the world.
ACA prides itself on being a leader in the pre-college summer enrichment industry. We are committed to giving our students access to rewarding community-service opportunities. We’re convinced, and educators at every level agree, that these experiences not only improve the well-being of people around the world, they also produce more well-rounded, socially aware students – the kinds of students colleges want to enroll!
What makes service in Central America so special?
With ACA, it’s more than community service – it’s cultural service. That means students not only get fulfilling opportunities to better the lives of less fortunate people, but they also get incredible exposure to a new culture and lifestyle. This expands their worldview, helping to develop a sincere appreciation of how other people live. Many students find it an incredibly humbling experience that helps them realize the contributions they can make to improve the world around them.
When in Costa Rica and Panama with ACA, there will certainly be plenty of chances for classic summer fun and incredible adventure. Now imagine adding the memory of having made a significant impact and achieving an empowering sense of cultural contribution. It all adds up to an unforgettable summer experience!
Some examples of ACA’s service-learning program include:
Volunteering at a Day Care Center
Play educational games and teach arts and crafts at a day care center serving low-income families. You’ll provide children with access to creative educational activities while you interact directly with another culture in their local language.
Improving the Lives of Children
Bring happiness to the lives of disadvantaged children. You’ll help organize sports and group games for these deserving kids, and provide tremendous assistance to the generous people who run this under-staffed facility. You can also help develop arts and crafts projects or read books with the children, building your language skills while you help them improve their own learning ability.
Assisting at an Animal Rescue Center
This center houses animals that have been rescued from neglectful households and inhumane captivity or injured in hunting incidents. You’ll participate in the rehabilitation process of monkeys, raccoons, caimans, native wild pigs, all types of birds and other animals. The goal of the shelter is to reintroduce all of the animals back into their natural habitats. You’ll help feed, clean and care for these animals, and even help plant trees to restore their habitats.
Renewing a River
Here’s a fun, rewarding way to restore a precious natural resource. Groups of students raft down the river as they clean it. The journey is completely relaxing, and you’re doing the river a world of good! Keep an eye out for monkeys, tropical birds, exotic frogs, and more.
Sustaining Agriculture on an Organic Farm
Help cultivate medicinal plants and improve your understanding of the role organic farming plays in today’s increasingly health-conscious world. You’ll work with local farmers to prepare their ginger and curcuma plants for export while supporting and protecting the environment by organic sustainable farming in the rainforest.
Building a School Playground
Help a school that doesn’t have a place for its students to play by building a playground! Take pride in some honest manual labor that has a lasting, positive impact on a less-advantaged school community. You can also help paint the school, giving it a new look to match its new playground!
