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Study Abroad: Education Sources: Costa Rica

This guide is intended for a study abroad course at the College of Education.

Map of Costa Rica

map of costa rica

Travel Information

Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education

Ministerio de Educacion Publica logo

For example, Ingles Para La Conversacion De Turismo is an English-language publication discussing teaching English in the Costa Rican educational system, including policies and curriculum guidelines. The Ministry website is available in Spanish, but some publications, such as the one linked above, may be in English.

Natural Disasters and School Emergency Drills

Information about school emergency drills such as fire drills or drills for other natural disasters may not be available online. However, another way to be prepared is to be aware of some of the common natural disasters that occur in Costa Rica:

  • Earthquakes: Costa Rica is in an area that is prone to earthquakes. Most are rather small and do not cause damage.
  • Volcanoes: Costa Rica has 5 currently active volcanoes that occasionally result in ashfalls and spewing rocks in the surrounding areas.
  • Hurricanes and flooding: Hurricanes occasionally make landfall in Costa Rica but are not usually a major concern. During the rainy season (from April through mid-November) it rains nearly every day, which may cause occasional flooding in some areas.

Background Information on Education System

For a brief overview of the Costa Rican educational system and related topics, try the article, "Costa Rice" available in the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library's reference book:

These reports available from the OECD, UNESCO, and the CIA also provide useful background information about Costa Rica and its educational system:

Spanish-Language Resources

Print Books

These Spanish-language resources from the University of Illinois library provide information on the history of education in Costa Rica.

Costa Rican Education Periodicals

Cultural Norms

For information about cultural norms in Costa Rica, try these resources:

Finding More Resources in the Library Catalog

To find more information about the educational system of Costa Rica, try these tips for searching the library catalog to find books, magazines or journals, DVDs, and many other resources:

Here are some keywords that may be useful in your search:

  • Education -- Costa Rica
  • Education -- Latin America
  • Education, higher -- Costa Rica
  • Education -- curricula
  • Curriculum planning
  • Curriculum evaluation