2019 Lake Oswego High School Colombia Program
| Travel Dates: | June 18, 2019 - July 2, 2019 |
| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,745 USD
- or -
$2,645 USD with discount if paid in full
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Confirmed Airfare: | $1,232 |
| Deadline(s): | Enrollment deadline forthcoming |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan. Follow whichever works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.
Program Tuition: $2,745
Pay in Full
Pay in full at the time of enrollment and receive a $100 discount off your program tuition! Payment with the discount would be:
$2,645.00
due today
Payment Plan
Pay a $500 deposit at the time of enrollment and establish an interest-free monthly payment plan. If you enroll today, your estimated* monthly payments would be:
$43.18
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Colombia Service Adventure
Long overlooked and too often underestimated, Colombia has recently made a triumphant return to the travel scene in the past few years thanks to a largely successful peace process that ended the country’s long running civil war. People should feel safe and be excited to finally be able to explore the beaches, mountains, jungles and cities that have always made Colombia a wondrous place. We have been exploring the country for years now, building a network of contacts and providers for the day when we could return with student groups and we couldn’t be more excited that that time has finally arrived! Viva Colombia!
Service Adventures
Service Adventures can combine rural homestays, adventure travel, and meaningful service projects which are guided by our community partners. Living in these small communities provides the opportunity to engage the language and culture from a uniquely advantageous position.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Settle into the idyllic mountain community of Jardin de Antioquia
Improve your Spanish by living with a host family
Explore the streets of Medellin, one of most iconic cities in Latin America
Contribute to sustainable agriculture by working in the rural community
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers, but given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but if inclement weather pushes us off course or an unexpected opportunity arises which travelers are excited about, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 18 | Portland - Medellin | Today will begin our overnight travel to Medellin. | Airplane |
| June 19 | Medellin | We will be arriving just afternoon, then make our way to our guests house. We will have an early dinner, orientation meeting, then let our group get an early night's rest. | Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte |
| June 20 | Medellin | After a breakfast of buñuelos, coffee and other delicious local treats we hop on the bus and head into the center of Medellin. We'll take a short walking tour of the historical city center before checking out the Museo de Antioquia where many of Fernando Botero's paintings, sculptures and other works are housed. After a couple of hours in the museum we'll enjoy lunch of traditional bandeja paisas, a favorite in this particular department. In the afternoon we'll check out an awesome tour of graffiti street art through Comuna 13, formerly one of Medellin's most dangerous barrios. These days Comuna 13 is an internationally renowned example of how innovative urban regeneration projects can be used to transform and revitalize communities. Our guide will be a member of the Casa Kolacho community center, responsible for 90% of the graffiti art in Comuna 13. As you climb the outdoor electric escalators they'll explain the controversial history of the transformation of Comuna 13 and the importance that graffiti & hip hop play in the community. We will also have a great community orientation to prepare our students for the big day tomorrow! | Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte |
| June 21 | Medellin and surroundings | Today will travel about 1.5 hours outside of the city to visit the town of Guatape and the Piedra del Peñol. We will see the colorful zocalos, historic town center and bustling boardwalk of this lake resort. | Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte |
| June 22 | Medellin - Calderas River | Rafting adventure in Calderas river! Today we will travel to the east of Medellin to the drop in on the Río Calderas, then enjoy class III and IV rapids that weave their way through the tropical canyon. We will return to Medellin ready for a our going away dinner and a good night's rest before our journey home. | Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte |
| June 23 | Medellin - Jardin de Antioquia | Today we will go to our homestays in beautiful Jardin de Antioquia Village. The small town of Jardin is one of the most beautiful pueblos in all of Colombia and has remained virtually unchanged for more than a century. Located approximately 4 hours to the south of Medellin if traveling by car, it sits in the southernmost stretches of the department of Antioquia. The pueblo is famous in Colombia for its preserved and colonial appearance as well as its striking mountain views and lush garden filled landscapes. We will arrive in Jardin this afternoon and begin our homestays after a short community orientation. The days spent in our homestay community represent the heart and soul of the program as students will be volunteering on a selection of meaningful service projects during the day while also enjoying sufficient free time to hang out with their host families and fellow travelers, practice their language skills, play soccer, make friends with local youth, attend community gatherings and explore the surrounding area. At the end of our time in the host community we'll help organize a fiesta de despedida, or going away party, to celebrate the time with our new friends and family and say goodbye to the community that has become our home. | Homestays |
| June 24 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. | Homestays |
| June 25 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. | Homestays |
| June 26 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. | Homestays |
| June 27 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. | Homestays |
| June 28 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. | Homestays |
| June 29 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. | Homestays |
| June 30 | Jardin de Antioquia | Service projects, community activities, family time. Farewell Dinner! | Homestays |
| July 1 | Jardin de Antioquia - Medellin | Early this morning we will make our way back to Medellin, this time headed to the extreme west of the city. Our destination is Parque Arvi, a lushly forested public park high above the city center. To get there we'll board an impressive gondola that not only serves to ferry tourists up the mountain and into the park but also provides people in the impoverished hillside communities an efficient mode of transportation down into the city. The group will spend the day hiking along the different trails, shopping in the market place run by local vendors that has sprung up at the park's center and enjoying a delicious barbecue lunch. Around mid-afternoon we'll head back down the mountain en route to our hostel in La Floresta. | Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte |
| July 2 | Medellin - Portland | Board your flight home in the morning. | Your own bed, eventually. |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with locally-operated, three-star equivalent hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe.
Homestay
This will be the best part of your trip! Staying with a host family immerses you in the language and culture of the destination, and can lead to deep and lasting relationships with your hosts. Initially intimidating but ultimately unforgettable, there’s no better way to begin to truly understand the place you’re visiting.
Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte
Hotel San Pedro del Fuerte is centrally located in Medellín. Located just 10 minutes from Plaza Mayor, this hotel is the perfect location for our group. Students will be split between double or triple rooms based on gender and hotel availability. The hotel has wifi, air conditioning and includes breakfast each morning.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
I have been on two trips with Walking Tree and both trips have been two of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Cameron
Alumni traveler to Belize and Thailand
Your Adventure Includes
Estimated Airfare
In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel.
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.
Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.
Walking Tree Travel is proud to team up with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative that distributes organic coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, chocolate bars, and more. There is no limit to the amount you can earn, so the sooner you can start, the better!
Learn more here.
Resource Center
Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.