Imagine getting class credit for a tropical getaway. At Oak Park and River Forest High School, students can earn a full science elective credit by taking the Costa Rica Tropical Field Ecology Course, which will take place July 8 to 17 this year.

The course will be taught by Christina McKittrick, a science teacher who has coordinated scientific study abroad trips more than a dozen times. This year she will take 24 students to Costa Rica with the assistance of the travel agency Explorica.

Students who will study abroad in the summer of 2025 were selected in January of 2024. They will earn a year’s worth of science elective credit by participating. 

For sophomore Mariel Buckley, who will travel to Costa Rica this summer, the course offers a chance to consider science as a career path. “I am passionate about biology, and I am interested to use this experience as a way to understand what a career in biology would look like for me,” she said.

Students earn credit in two phases.

The first phase takes place during second semester, when the enrolled students will attend workshops and classes on Sundays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The curriculum includes homework, readings and projects for students to complete. They will visit Brookfield Zoo and Trailside Museum to practice data collection and other skills needed during their trip. They will also practice Spanish and learn more about the culture of Costa Rica. 

Students earn their second phase of credit on the trip itself. According to an Explorica itinerary shared by McKittrick, students will visit San Jose, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and Coastal Puntarenas. Activities include tree planting, visiting a biological reserve, kayaking and exploring national parks. 

 The trip focuses on the full experience of learning. Therefore, students will not be allowed to have a phone during the trip. Instead, students will apply scientific concepts to real life in places like rainforests and labs and attend classes and meetings. 

Sophomore Max Moss said, “I really like nature and new environments, so I want to take away the experience and friendships I made from this trip.”

The trip is transformative for students, according to McKittrick. “This is a very unique experience,” she said. “Multiple students have written about this for college entrance exams. I find that students traveling abroad come back, especially [due to] the no phone rule, they come back more connected to other people and more connected to nature.”    

McKittrick’s responsibilities include preparing the curriculum for the Sunday classes, selecting the students who will travel to Costa Rica and choosing two additional teachers who will accompany her during the trip. This year science teacher Alexandra Silva and Spanish teacher Luis Perez have been selected to travel with the students. McKittrick is also currently recruiting freshman and sophomore students for the summer of 2026 Costa Rica trip.

“This is one of my favorite things I get to do with my students,” said McKittrick. “I see so much personal growth, and I see that students come back as well-rounded people.”