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Las Nubes Project
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Programs

Las Nubes Project offers two programs during the year, the Summer Abroad and the Reading Week Programs. Through these programs, students are given an unprecedented opportunity to interact with and learn from the local rural Costa Rican communities through first-hand lessons on tropical ecology, sustainability, indigenous education, arts, health, and conservation. Our courses take a community-based approach, developing collaborative projects that provide learning opportunities. The emphasis of our programs is on experiential education, building on our long-standing relationships with diverse communities and groups in Southern Costa Rica, including women’s organizations, agricultural cooperatives and producers, environmental protection and social justice groups, and indigenous communities, within others.

SUMMER ABROAD

READING WEEK

Registration Information

To enroll in our courses, you need to complete the following steps. This information applies to York University students. Students from other universities check the section for Visiting Students below.

Step 1: Check your eligibility & attend an information session

Our courses have no prerequisites and are open to all York University undergraduate (3rd and 4th year) and graduate students. Students can enroll in the courses as elective credits. If you would like these courses to count towards major degree requirements, you must contact your faculty’s/department’s program director and/or academic advisor.

Student’s Eligibility is based on the following criteria:

  • Good academic standing
  • Cannot be on any academic warning or probation
  • A minimum of 60 credits completed by either the end of Fall term for the February Reading Week course or by end of Winter for the Summer courses (only applies to undergraduate students)
  • A cumulative GPA of 4.00 for Bachelor’s degree students and a cumulative GPA of 5.00 for Honours’ degree students

Check your eligibility here. Based on an evaluation of your academic records, a recommendation for admission into the Study Abroad program will be determined by the Office of Student Academic Services. You will be notified by email of this decision. Non-York Students, please follow this link

We hold several information sessions throughout the year. All students are welcome to attend. At the session, we will present an overview of our EcoCampus in Costa Rica and the courses, and you will have the opportunity to meet some of your instructors (listed below) and ask them course-related questions. We will also discuss costs and requirements.

Attending an information session for each program is recommended but not mandatory. Not attending a session is not an excuse for missed deadlines and/or requirements. If you missed an information session but are interested in getting more information, here are copies of the presentations (Reading Week and Summer Abroad).

The following is a list of the dates and times of the sessions. Register in advance.

DATE TIME PROFESSOR LOCATION
SUMMER ABROADJanuary 17, 202210:30 A.M.Sheila Colla
Carlota McAllister		Zoom (Register)
February 8, 20222:30 P.M.Leesa Fawcett
Alejandro Zamora		Zoom (Register)
March 8, 202211:30 A.M.Mathieu Poirier
Felipe Montoya		Zoom (Register)
March 18, 20223:30 P.M.Zoom (Register)

Step 2: Enrollment Process

You should follow these steps in order. If you have questions or concerns regarding accommodations and/or disabilities and before enrolling in any of the courses, you should schedule an appointment with Josephine C. Zeeman, Director of the Office of Student & Academic Services, EUC.

The cost to participate in any course includes:

York Tuition

Amount varies, whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, domestic or international student (refer to the Student Financial Services website for more information)

Program Fee

To cover all in-country transportation, room and board, as well as park entrance fees that are part of course programs. Accommodations include a mix of homestays with local families, lodges and hotels

Flight Fare & Travel Insurance

York International (YI) provides an award to all participant York students to help cover fare costs. All participants are required to have a travel insurance. Students must register directly with GuardMe through the YI’s website

You can enroll in one course or in as many courses as your program allows. The program fees for 2022 are as follow (in Canadian dollars):

Number of Courses Number of Credits Program Fee (CAN$)
13$1,300
26$2,400
2i6$1,800
39$3,300
412$4,200
515$5,000
618$5,700

Notes:
i This option applies only for the ENVS4810B and GEOG4050 courses, which run simultaneously from May 13-22, 2022
York University does not make flight nor travel insurance arrangements for students. For each course, you will be given specific information as to when to arrive and where will you be picked up and dropped off. Any activities or plans made outside our course program are the student’s responsibility.

A $200 non-refundable deposit per course must be submitted by the deadlines listed below. All courses are capped, and spots are considered on a first come first serve basis.

Note that you won’t be able to pay the deposit unless we have checked your eligibility!

  • To pay for the deposit ($200 per course, non-refundable) between now and the deadline date, you can book a time at lasnubes@yorku.ca: 
    • Pay in person (cash, certified bank cheque, or money order payable to ‘York University') 
    • Pay by phone (visa debit or credit card)
Reading WeekDecember 15, 2021
Summer AbroadMarch 15, 2022

The remainder of the program fee must be paid by money order or a bank draft (no cash, no personal cheques) and made out to York University by the following dates: To calculate the remainder owed, you need to deduct the deposit from the initial program fee.

Reading WeekJanuary 14, 2022
Summer AbroadApril 4, 2022

Dropping Courses: We take your deposit as a commitment to your participation. If you withdraw from the course(s) after paying the remainder of the program fee, the activities and items for which we have pre-paid on your behalf and counting on your participation will be deducted from the program fee.

York International (YI) provides all participating students with the York International Mobility Award (YIMA). An officer from YI will attend the mandatory session to provide instructions for your application. Do not apply until having received proper instructions. Also, students from LA&PS and Glendon can apply for extra funding to help cover the program fee. These faculties may have additional application procedures (Note that you can not apply for these bursaries unless you have completed the previous steps). To apply for:

  • YIMA (all York students) - is a travel subsidy provided to degree-seeking York University students in support of their participation in global learning opportunities.
  • LA&PS - LA&PS students who want to study or participate in academic international activities abroad as part of their degree but need financial assistance can apply for the International Study Abroad Award.
  • Glendon Experiential Education Fund - only for Glendon students taking the GL/SP/COMS4608 course.

Enroll in the course(s) through the REM system. Enrollment in these courses is restricted. Note that you will not be able to enroll in any course unless you have completed the previous parts. Summer registration starts at the beginning of March each year, you will not able to add any Summer course before that time. Below is the list of courses and links to REM catalogue numbers.

If you are a graduate student and your course is not listed as a graduate course, you are required to submit a request to enroll in an undergraduate course. Fill out this form, submit it to your program director and copy us on your submission.

The following are the courses offered in 2022:

Once you have gathered all your travel details (flight info, itinerary, travel insurance information, etc.), please visit the Pre-departure Portal, which includes, all risk assessment forms and waivers, the York International Mobility Award (YIMA) Form, and the Effective Intercultural Communications module. Please note that YIMA should be submitted only after the mandatory session.
Completing and submitting all the forms is mandatory.

Deadline to submit the Pre-departure package is:

Reading WeekJanuary 16, 2022
Summer AbroadApril 7, 2022

Step 3: Prepare and pack for your Trip

You must attend this session, as we will discuss logistical travel details and give specific instructions for your trip. In addition to the session, you can also read the Summer Abroad Student Manual (2019) prepared by Las Nubes Alumni, Christina Nardini, to get a student’s perspective of the overall experience at Las Nubes.

Reading WeekJanuary 14, 202211 A.M.
Summer AbroadApril 4, 202210 A.M.

Some professors hold mandatory orientation sessions, where course details, expectations, assignments, and preparation materials are discussed and handled. If your schedule conflicts with these sessions, make sure to inform your professor with time, so alternate arrangements can be done. The following are the dates for the sessions:

CourseDateTimeLocation
Advanced Topics in Environment and Health (Ecosystems Approaches in the Field)tbatbatba
Narratives in/of Latin America: Individuals, Communities, and their VoicesApril 26, 20221 P.M. tba
Environmental Arts and Food Sovereigntytba tba tba
Nature, Neoliberalism, Political Ecology: The Politics of Water in Costa Rica and Latin Americatbatbatba
Education for a Sustainable Futuretba tba tba
Natural HistoryApril 25, 20221 P.M. tba
Protected Area ManagementApril 26, 202210:30 A.M. tba
Introduction to Applied BioTechtba tba tba
Determinants of Health: Local to Globaltba tba tba
Environmental Psychologytba tba tba
Globalization and Indigenous Peoplestba tba tba
Conservation and Development for Social-Environmental Sustainability and Wellbeingtba tba tba

Important Information

We take your deposit as a commitment to your participation. If you withdraw from the course(s) after paying the remainder of the program fee, the activities and items for which we have pre-paid on your behalf and counting on your participation will be deducted from the program fee.

Students who require accommodations need to meet with their advisors beforehand and provide their professors with letters of accommodations at the course orientation sessions. Accessibility may be limited in certain areas in Costa Rica and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet all your accommodation needs. Should you have any questions or concerns and before you enroll in any of the courses, you should schedule a confidential appointment with Josephine C Zeeman, EUC Director of Office of Student & Academic Services at (416) 736-2100, ext. 66453.

Our courses are intensive as well as physically and emotionally demanding. It is important that you consider these factors before enrolling in any of the courses. You also need to take into consideration all the health and safety risk factors listed on the Government of Canada’s website (Costa Rica Profile). You will need to acknowledge some of these factors on the Risk Assessment forms. You will also need to purchase travel insurance. Read all the items recommended by York University on your insurance.

Student participants are required to have a travel insurance. Read the following document for YorkU requirements.

Canadian citizens do not require a visa to enter Costa Rica. Refer to the Embassy of Costa Rica in Canada’s website for requirements for citizens of other countries.

If you want to participate in one or more of our courses and you are not currently registered at York University, you must complete the registration process described below, which varies depending on whether you are an undergraduate student, a graduate student, an exchange student, or if you want to enroll for professional development/personal reasons and are not seeking to complete a degree.

Before you start with this process, we recommend that you attend one of our information sessions (Step 1, above). At the session, we can answer your questions regarding programs and course content. This process, as well as collecting all required documentation may take several weeks, so we recommend that you start early.

Registration Information

Request a Letter of Permission (LOP) from your home institution

Consult with your program director, advisor, or Chair to confirm that you are allowed to take courses outside your program/degree. If you are allowed, then you need to request a Letter of Permission (LOP) from your program containing the following information:

  • Student information: Student number, complete name, institutional email address, faculty, major/degree program(s).
  • Unambiguous statement of student’s level (if undergraduate, that you currently are in your 3rd or 4th year).
  • The maximum number of credits and the Las Nubes Study Abroad course(s) names/codes the student is allowed to enroll at York University (check the list of courses above under Step 2).
  • Contact information of the person in charge of approving the LOP.

Note: If English is not the official language of the student’s home institution, a letter issued by the international office at their home institution verifying your English proficiency must be submitted in addition to the LOP. Students can check York University’s language proficiency requirements here.

The LOP must be submitted to lasnubes@yorku.ca by:

DEADLINE DATE
Reading WeekDecember 1, 2021
Summer AbroadMarch 1, 2022

Once we have processed your information, we will send you a notification by email so you can continue with the next steps.

Be officially admitted to York and Enrollment Process
Financial Information

The cost to participate in any course includes:

  • York University Tuition: amount varies, whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, and domestic or international student
  • Program Fee: Listed below, includes all in-country transportation, room, and board, as well as park entrance fees that are part of course programs. Accommodations include a mix of homestays with local families, lodges, and hotels.
  • Travel Insurance: All participants are required to have a travel insurance. Students must register directly with GuardMe through York International’s website

You can enroll in one course or in as many courses as your program allows. The program fees for 2022 are as follow (in Canadian dollars):

Number of coursesHUC Members (CAN$)Non-HUC Members (CAN$)
1$1,300$1,450
2$2,400$2,700
2i $1,800$2,400
3$3,300$3,750
4$4,200$4,600
5$5,000$5,550
6$5,700$6,300

Note:
i This option applies only for the ENVS4810B and GEOG4050 courses, which run simultaneously from May 13-22, 2022
York University does not make flight nor travel insurance arrangements for students. For each course you will be give specific information as to when to arrive and where will you be picked up and dropped off. Any activities or plans made outside our course program are the student’s responsibility.

Once, you have been admitted to York, you can continue the process as a York student starting from Saving your spot.

Get in Touch

Thank you for your interest in the Las Nubes Project!

For information concerning the Las Nubes Project or the Fisher Fund for Neotropical Conservation, please contact us at lasnubes@yorku.ca

Lillian Meighen Wright Centre (Las Nubes EcoCampus)

Santa Elena, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica