When I was 8 years old, a family from Panama moved to my small town just an hour west of Charlotte. They were the first Latino family at my school. They had a daughter my age and this purely coincidental meeting would set the course for my path in life.
By the time I was 13, I was invited to go to Panama with my then & now best friend to visit her family. My parents would not go - just me accompanied by my Spanish teacher at the time. My parents said 'yes' and it changed my life forever! I went down there, was immersed in Spanish for the first time in my life, and it was beyond amazing. A few years later, I fell in love with la Pura Vida while studying in San José, CR. This study abroad experience 'sealed the deal' for me catching the travel bug and eventually set the pace for what I would do throughout my professional career.
50+ trips abroad and 30+ countries later, I wholeheartedly believe that the experience of travel is the best teacher!
~ Laine
Traveling abroad with students began in 2005 when Señora Laine was asked to lead a trip to Costa Rica with her Spanish students! The first few years of travel were fantastic where we learned a lot about the 'business' of student travel. We ended up trying out 5 different student tour companies, executing 5 trips completely independent of a tour company, and have now led students on 18+ trips abroad.
What we learned:
We learned we didn't want students to experience any country or culture through a 50-person bus, and that the tour guide can 'make or break' the trip experience! As US student tour company prices increased along with exclusions & exceptions - it was time we sought other options!
In 2013, Señora Laine met the solution and in 2014 partnered with ELEMENTO NATURAL, a tour company headquartered in San José, Costa Rica. The purpose was to bring more meaningful and organic travel experiences to students. Working with a small, private company gives students the most unique, up close and personal experiences while also directly benefiting the local communities they are visiting.
Alonso Madrigal serves as Elemento Natural's lead tour guide, field educator, and expert naturalist. As a certified naturalist and certified tour guide with an MBA to boot, Alonso has over 20 years experience guiding trips for student travelers.
Sra. Laine is a career educator and student Group Leader since 2006. She implements the pre departure preparation and on-tour curricular objectives - incorporating daily fun in Spanish lessons and culture. Students and parents both rave over the trips Alonso & Laine lead - just ask around!
Costa Rica is a small, affordable, safe country that is extremely diverse in flora & fauna - not to mention - one of the best places to learn and practice Spanish! Through this partnership, we are able to create an ongoing relationship in Central, South America, and Europe where guide and group leader provide incredible adventures.
OUR GOAL & VISION: With international travel, students are immersed in a culture through the art, architecture, history, language, food, traditions, and customs. Students learn to appreciate the challenges and pleasant surprises of traveling in a foreign land. They become active participants in their experience as tour guides, researching the sites and sharing what they have learned. Students take part in daily life while shopping at the markets, strolling down the avenues, and navigating public transportation. They learn to try new things, to gain a better understanding of a culture different from their own, and to respect those differences. On a personal level, students develop the skills of problem solving, budgeting, compromising, accountability, and independence. They return with a new perspective on the world and stories to share with others. We believe that through travel, students can best learn practical, real word skills while also having fun and practicing Spanish.
Testimony from parent / teacher traveler:
"Once in Costa Rica, it was very clear to me that Profesora (Laine) had thoroughly thought about every detail from transportation to meals to choosing such an excellent tour guide to work with - Alonso. Each day was an adventure...not a vacation…but, an adventure. The focus was to see as much of the country as possible in the short amount of time that we had. ..I can't express enough how enriching this whole entire experience was for my daughter.. and for me. We can't wait to go on another International adventure with Elemento. We highly recommend this opportunity to everyone!"
~ Debbie L, CR 2015 tour
Testimony from a parent:
"Thank you so much for taking our son on the trip of a lifetime! You know this was so far outside his comfort zone and he enjoyed it so much. Thank you for allowing him to be himself and be accepted to try something new. Now, our “big” family trip to the Caribbean is not quite as adventurous or culturally interesting to him in comparison! haha ;)" -Michael V. Peru tour, 2019
Testimony from a student traveler:
"Señora Laine, thank you. This has been the greatest experience of my life. The luck that I feel to be here is immense, and you being a part of it has made it 100 times better." ~ Claire S. Nicaragua tour, 2017
PAST TRIPS Departing from CLT:
2006 - Costa Rica
2007 - Italy
2008 - Mexico (Feb break)
2008 - Portugal & Spain (spring break)
2009 - Argentina
2010 - Greece
2011 - France
2012 - Dominican Republic (Feb break)
2012 - Ecuador & the Galapagos (spring break)
2013 - Costa Rica, north Caribbean - Tortuguero
2015 - Costa Rica, Arenal & Punta Leona
2016 - Costa Rica, south Pacific - Osa Peninsula
2017 - Nicaragua
2018 - Panama & Costa Rica
2019 - Peru
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