Reviews + ADD REVIEW

Our trips are one-of-a-kind, life changing adventures. But don’t just take our word for it.

 This was, hands down, the greatest adventure of my life so far. The rafting, ...

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“This was, hands down, the greatest adventure of my life so far. The rafting, the people, the monkeys, the food, the stars, the environment. Every single aspect of this excursion was BRILLIANT. I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone, along with Broadreach in general. I went on the Underwater Discoveries Explorer this past summer and enjoyed it quite a bit, but I'll always have a place in my heart for this one special trip and the people I met so far away in Central America.”— Sam R (age 16) from Windermere, FL

 On a trip like this, you have to be willing to accept the minor discomforts ...

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“On a trip like this, you have to be willing to accept the minor discomforts you will face, once you do you can see just how amazing an experience like this is. The people are all amazing, I'm pretty much a boss when it tomces to primates now and this will be a trip I'll never forget.”— AJ G (age 19)

 This trip was awesome! You have so many experiences which would not be ...

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“This trip was awesome! You have so many experiences which would not be possible under any other circumstances. You get up close and personal with wild monkeys, adorable little dart frogs, lizards and not to mention leaf-cutter ants! Just be prepared for the inevitable bug bites.”— Kimberly B from Bettendorf, IA

 We have accomplished so much. We have managed to touch other lives and ...

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“We have accomplished so much. We have managed to touch other lives and add to our own. I connected with people not through common pasts or experiences, but by new days and experiencing things outside of our element. If only every person could do something like this, be rewarded… ”— Ema B from Wilton, NH

 First, I must say that the process of using the Broachreach Portal to ...

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“First, I must say that the process of using the Broachreach Portal to get my daughter prepared for the trip was fantastic!!! It contained all the info & forms we needed and we could access it whenever it was convenient for us. The checklist with the deadlines made it all so simple for the parents. On the trip my daughter made great friends and adored the leaders, Sam & Eddie, so she always felt comfortable. When I picked her up at the airport after the trip she was crying, already missing her new-found friends. She recounted each day of her trip for us, and it was so interesting to hear about all the tremendous things they did - the people & cultures they came across, the wildlife and environment that surrounded them. I am so happy she had this opportunity - it's something she will always remember. My hope was that it would play a vital part in helping her determine a career path and I believe it did.”— Deborah L

 I learned so much about Primates, myself, and the world. Some parts were ...

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“I learned so much about Primates, myself, and the world. Some parts were a challenge to get through because of the culture shock and new way of living, but they're all part of the experience and are completely worthwhile. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who loves animals and adventure.”— Kelly S (age 17)

 I loved every place that we went to, especially Casa Cayuco and Blue ...

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“I loved every place that we went to, especially Casa Cayuco and Blue Banyon Inn. I learned about Primates and conservation. I will most definitely remember this trip and I did make new friends.”— Liv U (age 18)

 I loved this trip! Sam and Eddie were awesome. My favorite place was ...

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“I loved this trip! Sam and Eddie were awesome. My favorite place was Mono Azul. I loved ziplining and the primate sanctuary and the beach. All experiences were new and exciting. I just loved being in such a different culture for 3 weeks.”— Madison S (age 18)

 The experience was definitely worthwhile! I learned so much and also ...

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“The experience was definitely worthwhile! I learned so much and also had lots of fun. Every place we stayed was awesome in its own way. Even El Zota was a good experience. I loved Panama :). And I loved every single person on the trip! Including the counselors. If you don't mind bugs, heat, homework, and if you love animals and the outdoors, you'll love this trip :).”— Christina B (age 17)

 This trip is amazing in so many ways! It helped me challenge myself, ...

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“This trip is amazing in so many ways! It helped me challenge myself, learn new things and meet new people. Its also a great way to study primates first hand. For the most part, the places we stayed were really nice. I loved the leaders on the trip. They were so easy to get along with, talk to and they made the trip awesome.”— Annalisa W (age 18)

 Hunter was impressed, comfortable, admiring and respectful of his leaders. ...

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“Hunter was impressed, comfortable, admiring and respectful of his leaders. He needs those great role models, and we feel he got them. Though our son has traveled extensively, he'd never been away on his own. Broadreach not only offered a program that combined his interests and talents, but they offered empathy and support to us, as parents, and to our son. From the moment he arrived, he never looked back. Thank you.”— Gigi A from New Canaan, CT

 This trip was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. As someone who loves ...

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“This trip was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. As someone who loves animals but has had no prior primate experience, I can say that I was immediately turned into a primate lover. Being able to feed and interact with monkeys close up is amazing! The best part of this trip was definitely the group though. The people are wonderful, and I'm so glad that this trip brought us all together. After observing lots of monkeys, ziplining, falling off rafts, and eating lots of rice and beans together, we have no choice but to be a close knit group!”— Anna K (age 17)

 The trip was a totally new way of life, it was very humbling and rewarding. ...

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“The trip was a totally new way of life, it was very humbling and rewarding. I will never forget this experience.”— Hannah L (age 17)

 Video: Hear Anna's favorite parts of the Primate Studies trip

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 Video: Hear about Kelly's favorite parts of the Primate trip

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Journals

Check out
alumni journals
and college essays
from this program!

Nicole Danser

The moment I gazed into the baby owl monkey’s eyes, there was no turning back. Within the few seconds our eyes locked, the vast number of major and career options instantly narrowed to only ...

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The moment I gazed into the baby owl monkey’s eyes, there was no turning back. Within the few seconds our eyes locked, the vast number of major and career options instantly narrowed to only a few. After that moment, I knew I would spend my life studying primates and their habitats in order to understand and protect them. Last year I decided to travel somewhere different from the bubble of the Newport Beach suburbs. I knew I wanted to pursue my interests in environmental conservation as well as animal behavior, so I began to scour the web, trying to find the right program that would combine hands-on experience with classroom teaching. After hours of researching I found Academic Treks.

On paper, the program seemed a little overwhelming. There was a plethora of homework, tests and projects packed into the curriculum, as well as hikes and field work that sounded like they would consume the entire day’s schedule. But I’ve never been dissuaded from an activity just because of its workload, so I signed up and awaited my trip to Costa Rica with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Bags packed, I embarked on my trip to study New World Primates and the various conservation efforts to keep them alive.

I cannot count how many deep conversations I had with my friends and counselors. Words have never made such an impact in my life. I learned so much about my career choices as an aspiring conversationalist and zoologist, from working with a non-governmental organization to being a professor. Each new career choice my counselor described jolted me with more enthusiasm for studying conservation and animal studies in college. I would ponder my future career choices as I worked in the rain forest, wondering how I could do this for a living. In Central America, fully immersed in the environment and studies, anyone could have fooled me into believing this was my job.

As much as what I studied in Costa Rica fascinated me, it would have been far less enjoyable if I was not able to experience it alongside a group of other students and counselors who were just as passionate about primate research and conservation as I. Trudging through the rain forest helped me learn to communicate in a new way-- with fewer words than usual, because it was imperative to keep quiet in order to find primates. At first it was difficult to keep quiet, because it’s hard to suppress squeals of excitement. Soon enough I learned to quiet my exclamations and I bonded with my fellow students, quietly pointing out primate behaviors and movement in the trees. While in the field, I saw myself observing primates for a lifetime, never growing bored of surveying them; even seemingly mundane tasks of measuring the circumferences of the trees made me giddy with adventure. Although, I did let my partner measure the circumference of the especially massive trees.

The research proposal, one of my most interesting experiences, required that we write to our counselors asking them to ‘fund’ specific theses we found most interesting during our class lectures. I chose to study how white faced capuchins eat specific plants to cure maladies, and was fascinated to read about previous studies covering zoopharmacognosy, or self-medication by wild animals. It was at that moment when I truly understood why scientists have reiterated time and time again that primates are supremely intelligent: it’s because they are.

To feel so many emotions, make so many bonds and learn so much in only 20 days was astonishing. No other event has ever brought me closer to understanding who I am and what I want to become. Nothing else has made me so sure that I want to help save the planet. Who knew a pair of primate’s eyes would help me decide to dedicate my life’s work to protecting our planet’s unspoken for population.

Shayna Orens

There I stood, on a dirt road in the scorching hot middle-of-the-day sun, water bottle empty and far from civilization. I could feel the sweat dripping down my back as the heat accumulated on ...

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There I stood, on a dirt road in the scorching hot middle-of-the-day sun, water bottle empty and far from civilization. I could feel the sweat dripping down my back as the heat accumulated on my black backpack. While this circumstance seems less than ideal, this was one of the best days of my life.

I was in northeastern Costa Rica where I spent one of the three weeks of Academic Trek's Primate Studies program studying primates and rain forest ecology. While staying at El Zota Biological Field Station, my group took a field trip to a local high school to participate in a cultural exchange. While I came on this trip to learn about monkeys, on that day I learned more about myself than I ever have before.

Earlier that day, my group of 12 students from the U.S., Canada, and Slovakia arrived at the high school. As soon as I stepped off the bus, I realized that they were all starring at us. This experience was a lot like getting pushed off a boat. I was scared and shocked as I was thrust into a new and uncomfortable situation. But once I realized I was in the water and I was okay, swimming in the middle of the ocean was one of the best feelings. Getting off the bus, I felt exactly the same way. While I do speak Spanish, and had been eagerly trying to speak Spanish to everyone I met, I was extremely overwhelmed. After several enthusiastic holas and no responses, one boy, Alan, came up to us and said hola. He introduced himself, and we had a rather fragmented conversation. Soon, he had us up dancing merengue while we waited for lunch. Afterwards, I thought about how scary that must have been for him.

The day went on with tree planting, soccer playing, and dancing. We danced merengue with our new Costa Rican friends, and I soon realized that laughing, dancing, and having fun are laughing, dancing, and having fun no matter what language you speak or where you come from. When we immerse ourselves in another culture, we forget about everything that makes us different, and we have time to focus on what makes us similar. And what makes us similar is what makes us human. For instance, you can say so much just by smiling. Once the initial barrier is gone, and we can just be kids side by side, we are very much the same. On this day I learned that I must always try to see past what makes someone different from me. Even though everyone has their own personal uniqueness, there would be so much more mutual understanding among people and cultures if we learned to see past our differences in things such as language or religion. Even though these kid's lives were about two worlds apart from mine, when we were dancing together, it was as if everything between us didn't exist. And while my effort to speak Spanish helped in breaking down this barrier, I truly feel that my effort to smile helped even more. On this day, I learned that a smile truly is universal, and powerful as well. I know I broke down barriers just by smiling. This experience gave me the chance to step back. I realized that its not about being American, Costa Rican, Slovakian, Canadian or anything for that matter. Its about being people, and in the end this is all that matters.

Later that afternoon, my group was walking back to the school, and some boys, still in uniform, but with no shoes on, rode past us on a bike. They pointed to us and said "amigos." We pointed at them and said "friend." They pointed back at us and said, "friend." Suddenly, I could no longer feel the sweat drip down my back. I was no longer thirsty and I forgot that my sunburn was really going to hurt later. All I could do was smile. I realized that in that moment, I changed someone's mind. I changed the way they will look at my culture, and it changed the way I look at theirs. This was an incredibly inspiring moment, and sparked my interest to learn about as many cultures as I can. It is my ambition to be understanding of every culture I encounter and every person I meet. When we can be accepting of all other cultures, only then will we truly understand our own. Too many people never reach this point of understanding other people, let alone themselves.

Although arriving at the school was scary, it soon felt like home and it was even hard to say goodbye to my new friends there, as they were some of the warmest, most welcoming people I had ever met. When someone pushes you off a boat, you can't turn around. If you have to jump in, you might as well jump in head first, or throw your hands back and enjoy the ride. If you hold on tight, you miss out on the experience because you're too worried about holding on. I realized that I can apply this to my life and to everything that I do. If I have an opportunity, I go for it. I make the most of it. If I can't turn around, I go forward confidently. If I am scared, I now try really hard to make it positive because you can never relive a moment, so why not make the most of it? I left the school that day with a new outlook on my life. The rest of the trip, and when I returned home, I made an effort to throw my hands back and always live in the moment.

Traveling farther and farther away from home has taught me more and more about myself and where my place is in the world. Ironically, traveling reminds us how connected we are. Alan said to me his town is "un lugar para ser amigos." A place to be friends. When I heard this I immediately thought, what can I do to make my community a place to be friends? I was so inspired by the happiness and friendliness I observed at the school. Material things don't matter to these people, because they have each other, and that is the most important thing. I went home with a completely changed attitude about material things.

After this experience, I had so much to ponder. After all, I was in Costa Rica to study monkeys, and I learned more this day than any previous day on my trip. But then it crossed my mind that primates are social animals. We need experiences like the one I had that day. We need to be interactive with other members of our species. We need to feel like we fit somewhere. Because our social structure is so complex, understanding is so important. Understanding each other, understanding other cultures, and understanding ourselves. Culture really is incredible. From language to art and music, from religion to politics and government. We understand our own government by studying ancient civilizations. We understand words in our language by their roots that come from other languages. As social animals, we learn from each other. I know that I have learned the most from people who are the most different from me. Without cultural diversity, what would we have to learn from? How would we know if there were different, and maybe even better ways of doing things? This confirms my belief in the quote, "Strength lies in differences, not in similarities."

The day I spent at a high school in Costa Rica opened my eyes so much. I now look at the world and my life in a different light. As I go into the world as a young adult, I am ready to be accepting of all people, and make the most out of every opportunity I have. I want to continue changing people's minds and representing my culture in a way that makes people look at it in a positive way. At the same time, I must embrace who I am and where I come from, and no matter how far away I venture, I will never forget where I came from. Rather than trying to identify with people who are similar to me, I will make it my goal to learn about people who are the most different. I will try new things and always keep my mind and heart wide open. In order to accept the things that make us human, we must step back and see past our differences. The next time I am pushed off a boat, I will throw my hands back and be ready for an adventure. Maybe I will even jump in before someone pushes me. By embracing this experience and jumping in all the way to learn about the Costa Rican culture, I believe I am doing my part in becoming a citizen of the world.

Click here to read more Alumni Journals & College Essays from this trip!

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