GSSGC Offers $1K Scholarship For GS Travel Programming!

Does your Girl Scout have a free spirit? Has she been bitten by the travel bug? Is she pinning for adventure?

An exciting new opportunity for travel: celebrate the New Year in Costa Rica helping endangered sea turtles!

The Scholarship

The Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council is excited to offer a $1,160* Sea Turtle Retreat Scholarship to one lucky Girl Scout (San Gorgonio Council member only) to help her fund an exciting expedition to Costa Rica!

Deadline to apply for this scholarship is September 15, 2015.

How To Apply

The Essay

Write a concise essay, between 500 to 1,000 words, telling us why you want to embark on this exciting Girl Scout adventure. Tell us how your Girl Scouting experience has led to this moment and shaped your view of the larger world. How does travel factor into your Girl Scout experience?

Describe why you want to participate in Sea Turtle Retreat Destination. Be specific about what knowledge and skills you would bring to this trip and what knowledge and skills you would like to bring home! Don’t forget to describe any special skills you have related to the event, like camping or community service, or why you’re excited about trying out something new.

The Application

Write your essay, fill out the GS Destination travel application (you can use the same essay for the travel application or write a new one), double-check that you’ve met all requirements (below), and then submit your completed packet (application and essay) to Council at KLi@gssgc.org with the subject line: GS Destination Sea Turtle Retreat Scholarship; or bring your completed packet to the GSSGC Redlands Office before the September 15, 2015 deadline.

In summation, scholarship applicants must write the essay, fill out application form, and turn both into GSSGC by September 15 to qualify for scholarship consideration .

About the Trip

Where You Go

San Jose, Costa Rica

Requirements

You must be 13–18 years old at the time of the trip.
You must be a Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council member.
Interest in community service, environmental conservation, and cultural exchange.
Ready for a physical challenge.
Comfortable in the water.
A good team player.
Spanish language skills and willingness to learn Spanish are very useful.

Travel Dates

December 27, 2015 – January 5, 2016

What To Bring

A packing list will be provided by GSTravel Destinations.
You will need a valid current passport. (GSSGC Sea Turtle Retreat Scholarship winner is responsible for this cost. Fees are payable to the U.S. Department of State as follows: New, replacement or renewal of a passport book: $110 if age 16 and older; $80 if under the age of 16.)
Tetanus vaccination required before arrival. (GSSGC Sea Turtle Retreat Scholarship winner is responsible for this cost, so please talk to your health care provider.)

The Cost

Program Fee: $1,600 ( GSSGC Sea Turtle Retreat Scholarship covers $1,160 of this cost. The Sea Turtle Retreat Scholarship winner is responsible for providing the remaining $440 fee).
Program Fee does not include airfare. You will be responsible for providing your own round-trip airfare to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO airport), as well as bringing your own spending money.
$200 deposit will be due immediately upon acceptance to this course. (This is part of the Program Fee and is covered by GSSGC scholarship!)

In summation, the scholarship winner is responsible for the following: remaining $440 program fee; roundtrip airfare to San Jose, Costa Rica; personal spending money; valid passport; and tetanus vaccination.

Don’t Forget Cookie & Nutty Dough!

Don’t forget that Nutty and Cookie Dough can be banked to help offset travel costs. Nothing stops you from affording travel. Earn your way and fund your dreams — it just takes a little elbow grease!

Sponsored By

Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School
PO Box 025331
SJO 829
Miami, FL 33102-5331
USA
Phone: 800-676-2018
http://www.costaricaoutwardbound.org/

Sea Turtle Retreat

Celebrate the New Year in Costa Rica helping endangered sea turtle populations, learning about environmental conservation, and experiencing exciting adventures!

If you are looking to spend your winter break making a difference in wildlife conservation in an exciting location, this is the course for you! During your time in tropical Costa Rica you will work to protect endangered sea turtles at Playa Ostional, one of the world’s most important nesting sites for olive ridley sea turtles.

Start your journey with a multi-day service project at Ostional Wildlife Reserve along the Pacific Coast. This protected beach and nesting site welcomes thousands of mother sea turtles every season, with as many as 6,000 mother sea turtles laying eggs in one night! Fulfill your commitment to serve by participating some of the following activities: conducting nightly patrols protecting the beach, performing data collection by counting the number of mother sea turtles, and assisting to help sick or injured mother turtles. The nesting and hatching season will fluctuate year to year, changing your direct involvement in the conservation efforts.

Engage with the community of Ostional while staying at the community center and participate in group activities that may include beach clean-ups or trail preservation projects and playing soccer with the local school children.

After completing your service phase at Playa Ostional, participate in exciting adventure activities that may include a technical tree climb, a hike to the summit of a mist-filled volcano crater, and/or a visit to the famed Cartago Basilica and other historic sites.

Finish up your course with an exciting zipline canopy tour, and explore an artisan market in Costa Rica’s vibrant capital city of San Jose.

Since 2006, Outward Bound Costa Rica has been hosting Girl Scouts from across the nation, honing its approach to experiential education for this unique program. Girl Scouts will be exposed to Outward Bound Costa Rica’s focus on both leadership and personal development throughout their adventure, facilitated by discussions and meetings woven into all course activities. Explore how the adventure and service challenges you encounter in Costa Rica will help you confront the challenges that life presents.