ICADS – Costa Rica

The Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS) was created in 1986 to fill the information gap in foreign policy between United States citizens and their government.  This program is committed to providing opportunities for language and cultural immersion through classes and community work, as well as access to background information, scholarly materials, lectures and contact with Central Americans.

Semesters at ICADS focus on economic development, education, environmental studies, human rights, public health, wildlife conservation, and women’s issues.  There are two tracks available: the internship track or the field research track.

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ICADS is based in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Located in the Central Valley, San Jose is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and a major transportation hub.  It is the most important working area of the country, which brings in more than a million people on a daily basis.

Originally designed to reflect the European influences of Spanish immigrants, the city center offers a wide variety of cultural events, farmers’ markets, nightlight, and activities.  It is also easy to take advantage of weekends to travel to many of the nearby mountains, volcanoes, beaches, and other destinations, both popular and off the beaten track.

There are two 14-week semester program options at ICADS.  The first is the Social Justice and Development Internship, and the second is the Environment and Sustainable Development Field Program.

All 16 credits are accepted toward ILCS automatically, regardless of disciplinary designation of the course number, and therefore can count toward the major or minor in Spanish.

Courses other than the language course can alternatively count toward the major or minor in Latin American Studies.

Students do not need pre-certification or an audit upon returning to determine transferability.

If the Spanish course credits are upper-level or not depends on student placement. If a student at SMCM has taken ILCS 260 already, the gateway to the advanced level, they should receive upper-level credits.

Please note that grades from an ICADS transcript are equivalent to SMCM grades and credit will be transferred per the SMCM transfer credit policy.

Upon arrival, students are placed with Costa Rican families.  The host families provide students with private rooms, breakfast, dinner, and laundry service. Family placements are supervised by a housing coordinator who makes every effort to match the needs of each student with the reality of the host family.

In the city, students primarily reside with lower middle to middle class families. While traveling or during internship residences, students may be housed with humble, rural families.

ICADS takes a very participatory approach and offers a variety of activities during the time that you are not in class. You will have the opportunity to visit quality local museums, hear from expert lecturers on a variety of topics, taste-test a buffet of tropical fruit in ICADS’s fabulous Fiesta de Frutas, learn Latin dancing, volunteer in marginalized communities, and more.  Additionally, there are gyms in San Jose that students can join and many find that dance lessons are an excellent way to stay fit.