News & features 
Apr 16, 2012
It was a long trek – a solid hour and a half – through the Costa Rican countryside to the little school in rural Aguas Zarcas. Macalester College student Chloe Souza had been there earlier in the week to talk to the children and distribute questionnaires for them to take home to their parents.
Chloe Souza visiting a school in rural Costa Rica.
She was returning to weigh and measure the children and collect the surveys. For Souza, it was another day in the field, gathering data for the research project on childhood obesity that she was doing on the ACM Costa Rica program.
"I got there and 90 percent of the kids weren't in school that day," Souza recalled. When she left the school to begin the long walk home, she had just a handful of completed surveys to show for the trip. It was frustrating, she said, but "it was kind of important to keep the bigger picture in mind on days like that."
Keeping her eye on the bigger picture served Souza well, as her field project in Costa Rica has earned her the Award for Outstanding Research on an ACM Program. Read more
Question Inspires Student to Pursue "Life-Changing" Initiative Feb 14, 2012- Colorado College's Jeff Nadel went beyond his research project on the ACM Costa Rica program to help start a literacy initiative aimed at keeping senior citizens healthy.
Hands-on Field Research Meets Cultural Immersion during Project in Rural Costa Rican Schools Nov 9, 2011- For three ACM Costa Rica participants interested in public health, working together to research childhood obesity included long days, curious kids, lots of data, and many fond memories.
Finding "That Place of Sweat and Tranquility" in Costa Rica Jun 17, 2011- Daily life with a family on an isolated farm proved to be a remarkable experience for Stuart Pearlman on the fall ACM Costa Rica program. A bit of tabloid fame was fun, too!
Tempting, Astounding, Challenging – Read All About It in the ACM Student Blogs Sep 24, 2010- With words and photos, and in their distinctive voices, Global Ambassadors offer unfiltered views of their off-campus study experiences around the world.
From Sea Turtles to Calypso, Students Get Hands-On Research Experience in Costa Rica Aug 18, 2010- A blend of independent field research and cultural immersion makes ACM's spring program in Costa Rica "amazing" – and possibly life-changing.
Feature archive »
News
- Fall Costa Rica Program Offers Students New Elective Courses and Longer Rural Practicum Experience Apr 6, 2013
- Comparative health care, public education, and environmental issues in literature are topics of three new courses.
- Faculty from Six Colleges Will Visit ACM's Off-Campus Program Site in Costa Rica Oct 2, 2012
- Site visits this fall and next spring provide “insider’s view” of programs and help faculty advise students.
- "Cinema in Latin America" Is New Elective Course for Students on the Fall Program in Costa Rica Aug 10, 2012
- Filmmaker and teacher Jurgen Ureña Arroya will lead course combining academics and hands-on work with video.
- Pura Vida! Opportunity for Faculty to Travel to Costa Rica this Fall Mar 13, 2012
- Application deadline is April 30 for ACM's site visit to learn about – and contribute expertise to – off-campus programs in Costa Rica.
- Prices Announced for ACM Off-Campus Study Programs in 2012-13 Feb 16, 2012
- Detailed cost information for each program is posted online.
- Costa Rican Writer Ana Istarú Is Visiting Artist at St. Olaf Oct 7, 2011
- Prominent poet, actress, playwright, and essayist is a research advisor and frequent guest speaker at the ACM Costa Rica Program.
More news »
Photo spotlight
Seasons Greetings from all of us at the Associated Colleges of the Midwest! Click for our 2012 holiday greeting.
View full photo »
More photos »