Accommodations
Sleeping Accommodations
- Cabins
- Dorm or Building
- Platform Tent
- Tents
- Yurt
Washrooms Facilities
- Composting Toilets
- Flush Toilets
- Outhouses
- Showers (indoor)
- Showers (outdoor)
More details about accommodations: Throughout the traveling programs, students will find themselves in a variety of culturally- appropriate accommodations. Living conditions will vary throughout your program, but they will always be safe and comfortable. During orientation and final travel you stay with your group in family-run guesthouses or small hostels or hotels. During the homestay portion of your program, your entire group will stay in one village where you and a partner live in a simple and rustic home, constructed of wood or cement block. Host families are selected for their warmth and friendliness, though their homes may not have electricity or indoor plumbing.
Are meals provided?
Yes.
Is Carpe Diem Education technology free?
Yes.
For our gap programs through Carpe Diem Education (students 17-22), we abide by a tech-minimalist policy. Carpe Diem students are asked to actively challenge themselves culturally, personally, and emotionally while abroad. We believe that in order to effectively do so, students need to be engaged with their surroundings. Electronics/wifi compatible devices can undermine a student’s ability to engage with their environment.
To that end, Carpe Diem takes a “minimalist approach” to technology. Students are allowed to bring cell phones on the semester, though will be required to refrain from ANY Wifi use for the first 3 weeks of the program. After this timeframe, cell phones are reintroduced in the group with a focus on minimalist use and very specific times when the use of a cell phone is permitted. To find out more about our Technology Policy, click here.
Minimizing the use of cell phones may seem difficult at first, as we live in a culture that values and relies heavily upon technology, social media, cell phones, etc. We can honestly say that most students report a sense of relief and gratitude for the opportunity to decrease their exposure to and use of technology. Our hope is that our students are able to cultivate a more mindful relationship with technology that they are able to carry well beyond their time with Carpe Diem.
For our summer programs through Global Routes (students ages 14-18), we abide by a tech-free policy. We believe that limiting technology on a program builds better connections to ourselves, our peers, and our new environments. We appreciate that cell phones can be helpful when meeting your leader or parent on travel days and therefore we permit the use of cell phones for communication on the first and last days of your program ONLY. Cell phone use is not allowed during the entire course of the program Although this can be daunting at first, most students cite the lack of phones as one of their FAVORITE parts of the Global Routes summer program!
“The technology free aspect of this program really allowed for me to be present throughout the trip. Without my phone, my mind was not occupied with anything other than Costa Rica which allowed for a truly immersive and transformative experience.” – Brynn, Global Routes Alum
“It taught me more in-depth about the priceless mess of those little moments off the screen. So even though I jumped back in fairly quickly I’m taking more screen time breaks than I was before.” – Maia, Global Routes Alum
Global Routes stays in close contact with each program and receives updates every few days. We are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to our group leaders for the entire summer, and provide regular updates via email and blog posts to parents, guardians, and mentors back home. Additionally, students will have a few opportunities throughout the program to contact home by mail, email, and phone.
