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The School for Field Studies (SFS) Costa Rica - Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems (Summer I) (Outgoing Program) Print 
  • Locations: Atenas, Costa Rica
  • Program Terms: Summer
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: The School for Field Studies (SFS) 
Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Approximate Decision Date (Subject To Change) Start Date End Date
Summer 2026 04/01/2026 04/01/2026 TBA TBA
NOTE: The deadline listed is for REGISTRATION of this program with William & Mary through the W&M Global Education Office here at studyabroad.wm.edu -- but you must apply directly to this program via their system according to THEIR deadlines, which may be earlier than W&M's registration deadline!
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Click here for a definition of this term Program Type: Outside Program Click here for a definition of this term Language of Instruction: English
Click here for a definition of this term GPA Requirement: 2.6 Click here for a definition of this term Housing Options: Standard Student Dorm
Program Description:

SFS COSTA RICA: BIODIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(SUMMER I)

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PROGRAM DETAILS

Term | Summer Session I

Credits | 4 semester-hour credits (8 credits if taken with Session II)

Prerequisites | No course prerequisites | 2.5 GPA | 18 years of age

Application Deadline | April 1st. Early applications encouraged!

Financial Aid: All accepted students can apply for need-based scholarships, grants, and loans.

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OVERVIEW

You’ll never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. Using coffee and chocolate as case studies, explore the relationships between food systems, ecology, conservation, and sustainability.

Learn how different agricultural techniques can potentially restore biodiversity and combat climate change. Study the sociocultural history of coffee and cacao, from Indigenous histories to modern production and exports. 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

→ Visit La Iguana Chocolate Farm, where you’ll harvest cacao by hand and learn about permaculture, sustainable living, and local methods of chocolate processing.

→ Visit El Toledo Coffee Farm and learn about organic coffee production methods. Then, discuss the history and impacts of chocolate and coffee production in Latin America.

→ Engage in the Center’s sustainable food efforts: gather fresh mangoes from campus trees, visit the chicken coop to collect eggs, harvest kale from the garden, master composting, and more. 

LOCATION

SFS students live and study at the Center for Ecological Resilience Studies. The Center is an active farm overlooking the vibrant Central Valley, where green is the predominant color as far as the eye can see.

Dorms and classrooms are intertwined with gardens, and Center dog Hera watches over everything. The friendly town of Atenas, which offers restaurants, shops, parks, and cultural events, is a 10-minute cab ride away.

SUMMER COMBINED

Take back-to-back summer sessions and get the hands-on learning and skill-building experiences of an internship while also going off the beaten path and exploring the world. Each summer session focuses on a different topic, and you’ll have time to travel independently between sessions. 
 

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LEARN MORE

REQUEST INFORMATION

APPLY NOW

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CONNECT WITH SFS

• Visit our website: fieldstudies.org

• Email: admissions@fieldstudies.org

• Read updates from the field on our blog

• Follow us on Instagram

• Watch our videos on Vimeo