Monteverde Institute © 2010

Our Projects / Partnering with the Monteverde Institute
The Monteverde Institute (MVI) is a Costa Rican non-profit association dedicated to advancing knowledge and practice on the sustainable management of resources through education, applied research and community engagement. Connecting local communities and organizations to the wider international academic community, the Institute seeks to understand, find appropriate solutions to, and disseminate information on the environmental, social, cultural and economic issues faced not only by Monteverde but by communities around the world.

Education through community-based, experiential learning is at the heart of the Institute’s efforts and plays a key role in our vision for a sustainable future, and coordinating study abroad courses is a key component of our educational offerings. Courses are offered in tropical biology, conservation, agroecology, sustainable development, community health, planning and architecture, or Spanish language and culture. Our goal is to provide a rich, interdisciplinary educational experience grounded in the realities of Monteverde and Costa Rica. Because of the Institute’s role as a community-based organization, students and faculty will be connected to and engaged in a broader community, rather than separated in an isolated field station.

For over 20 years the Institute has served as host to hundreds of study abroad courses, in collaboration with over 50 universities and schools throughout the world. We host approximately 25 courses a year, ranging in duration from a week to semester long programs. Each year, hundreds of students come through the Institute.

A campus base in Monteverde with classrooms, library, high speed internet and wireless connections, and a 32-acre private forest reserve.
Bilingual staff and faculty with many years experience working with international students and the development of study abroad programs.
Class instruction, lectures and teaching modules in the biological and social sciences by MVI or adjunct faculty, including world renowned scientists.
Spanish language instruction, grounded in a cultural context.
Connections to local and national institutions, including grassroots groups.
Home stays with local families
Educational field trips and site visits in Monteverde and throughout Costa Rica.
Opportunities for service learning at MVI or with other local organizations.
All logistical support: transportation, lodging, meals, tours.
Opportunities for longer term collaboration for research and project development with MVI that fall within our areas of focus: water, ecotourism, land use and planning, community health, and tropical ecology.

There are two ways of working with MVI in study abroad: through hosting a short course or through the creation of an institutional partnership for quarter/semester programs. Below is an summary of these two modalities.

Short courses are those lasting from one to four weeks, with preference given to those with minimum two-week duration. They may occur any time of year, including the summer, Maymester, J-term (in January) or Spring break. Credit is granted through the collaborating institution.

Course instruction can be supplied by your institution or by the Monteverde Institute, depending on the curricular agreement. We strongly encourage that all students receive a minimum number of hours of Spanish language and culture instruction, as well as participate in family home stays. Both of these contribute greatly towards cultural immersion, exchange and language acquisition.

To develop a short-term course:

Contact the Monteverde Institute at mvi@mvinstitute.org about your course focus, time frame (when and for how long), number of participants, and other specific interests.
MVI will send you sample itineraries if your interest aligns with preexisting course proposals. These include courses in sustainable development, women’s studies, ecotourism, Spanish and culture, and tropical ecology, among others.
If you are interested in a “custom-made” course, MVI requires a non-refundable $250 development fee. This amount will be deducted from the first payment. MVI staff will work closely with you to create the course.
MVI will develop an itinerary, curriculum and total cost based on a minimum number of students (usually 12). Per student cost will be given in ranges (e.g., groups of 12 to 15, 16 to 20, etc.). Once the program is approved, we require a non-refundable $500 deposit to hold the dates (this is in addition to the course development fee, if applicable). This will be deducted from the total course cost.
A non-refundable 25% deposit is due 12 weeks prior to the course.
Full payment is due 8 weeks prior to the course.

Quarter or semester long programs provide a rich opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a meaningful academic and cultural experience for a longer period of time. Course instruction can be provided by MVI, or in combination with faculty from the home institution. Students will receive intensive Spanish language instruction, stay with homestay families, conduct site visits locally and throughout the country, participate in service learning or ongoing research projects, conduct independent research, and in general benefit from the many rich opportunities that immersed, place-based learning provides.

Because of the length of time, MVI can only accommodate a limited number of quarter/semester programs. At present the carrying capacity of MVI is two to three quarter/semester courses simultaneously. We currently run two quarter length courses (10 weeks each, Spring and Fall), and an intensive, 10-week two semester course in the summer.
Because of the planning and resources involved in longer term programs, MVI will give preference to multi-year agreements, as well as agreements that contribute to advancing MVI’s thematic foci through collaborative research and projects.

If you are interested in creating a semester program in partnership with MVI, please contact Jannelle Wilkins, Executive Director, jwilkins@mvinstitute.org. We also encourage you to visit the Monteverde zone and the Monteverde Institute.

In addition to study abroad courses for students, the Monteverde Institute can also host and/or facilitate continuing education programs, internships, alumni or faculty programs, and other educational activities that would be strengthened by community-based, experiential learning. MVI is also interested in grant-funded collaborative research projects within our focus areas (water, ecotourism, community land use and planning, community health, and tropical ecology).

The Monteverde Institute is also exploring the possibility of financial partnerships. If your institution is interested in having a more direct connection and involvement in MVI, and in exploring possibilities for innovative study abroad and university-NGO partnerships, please contact Jannelle Wilkins, Executive Director, jwilkins@mvinstitute.org.