LFT's Inaugural Faculty and Staff Development Workshop in Costa Rica, January 2026

spotting a sloth in the canopy, La Mariola

Learn From Travel was thrilled to host fourteen faculty and staff members from six different institutions for our inaugural Faculty Development Workshop from January 4th to 8th, 2026. Set in beautiful Costa Rica, the workshop was an immersive professional learning experience designed to help faculty and staff envision, intentionally design, and strengthen faculty-led education abroad programs.

The workshop was co-led by Grace Galloway, who served as our lead guide, and Matthew Yates as academic lead. We began our journey with a welcome dinner in Liberia before boarding a coach bus the following day for La Fortuna. Along the way, we stopped at the stunning Café Macadamia, setting the tone for a week that balanced reflection, community engagement, and experiential learning.

learning about the recycling project at Adifort, La Fortuna

In La Fortuna, we visited Adifort, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting youth and seniors through education, wellness initiatives, and community programming. Participants learned how Adifort operates a modern swimming pool for seniors, hosts private events to generate income, runs a large recycling operation, and funds its work through the privately-owned La Fortuna Waterfall preserve. This visit sparked rich discussion around community-based organizations and how they often step in where government services are unable to help. According to one participant, “The discussions on why certain activities and places were chosen was very helpful in understanding the study abroad design process.”

The next day featured two dynamic site visits for faculty program development. At the La Mariola hiking trail, participants observed sloths and other wildlife before making tortillas by hand. Afterwards, we visited North Fields Farm to sample fresh cacao, coffee, and chocolate—experiences that collectively provided an ideal model of experiential learning in Costa Rica.

Enjoying a chocolate tasting at North Fields, La Fortuna

Our final full day returned us to Liberia for a guided visit to the National University of Liberia, led by a local biology instructor. Highlights included research on stingless bees, a community playground, and even a hiking trail featuring edible termites, before concluding with a warm farewell meal at a local restaurant.

Overall, participants described the workshop as intentionally designed, informative and fun. We’re excited to see how this experience inspires the development of impactful future study abroad programs at their home institutions. One faculty member concluded that “The entire trip was excellent. I underestimated how impactful it would be to be a participant. It’s been fun reflecting on the trip.”

Interested in joining us for our next Faculty and Staff Workshop in Panama in January 2027? Register today for your spot!