Learning Vacations and Workshops in Playa Jaco, Costa Rica

Feb. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- The School of the World in Playa Jaco, Costa Rica has added some exciting new workshops to their already popular learning vacations.  The school was founded and created 14 years ago by artist and photographer Zach McDuffie.  The goal was to take a creative approach to learning by combining aspects of a language school, surf school, photography workshop and adventure travel, to create an unforgettable travel experience.  
School of the World has a core program of Spanish, Surfing, Yoga and Photography and students are able to do any one of these or a combination of two.  Programs are 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks and lodging is offered on location at the school.  The rooms are comfortable and creatively designed.  There are several common areas for the students to hangout when not surfing or in classes and a well equipped kitchen for all of the students to share.  Home stays with local families are also offered.

Spanish is taught by native Spanish speakers and classes are kept small to insure that each student receives sufficient individual attention.  The classes are taught for approximately two hours each day covering new material.  A lab is also offered for an additional 1-2 hours and is primarily used for practice and reinforcing the class lesson for the day.  

Surfing was the second program added to the school soon after it was founded and is a natural for a school located in Jaco.  The Playa Jaco/Hermosa area is widely regarded as the most consistent surf in the country.  Playa Hermosa was host to the Billabong International Surf Association World Surfing Games in 2009 and is one of the favorite surf spots of 10 time world surfing champion Kelly Slater.  Beginners will learn to surf with a conscientious  and experienced staff that love surfing and love to teach others to surf.  Students learn the basics of paddling, standing, turning, wave selection and most importantly of all, safety.  Surfers with previous experience are taken on guided surf sessions in the area.  

The yoga program offers a wide variety of approaches including Iyengar based Hatha yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Flow and Anusara based classes.  Yoga is a great addition to surfing for adding flexibility, balance and strength.  Classes are suitable for beginner students to advanced practicioners.

Rounding out the programs at the school is Digital Photography.  This course is designed to give students a working knowledge of the elements of photography including lighting, composition, apertures, shutter speeds and more.  The program also explains how digital cameras work and how to improve shots.  In addition, students learn basic digital workflow and photo editing using programs such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.  With the beauty that is everywhere in Costa Rica, you couldn’t pick a better place to learn photography.  

School of the World has recently added several new learning vacations in the form of specialty workshops that will be rotating throughout the year.  These workshops are planned and scheduled around the regular programs so students can add them to any of the regular combination programs without having to worry about scheduling conflicts.  Most of the workshops offer an hour and a half of instruction per day, five days a week for a period of one to two weeks.  The programs are affordable and are also open to those living in the area.  

Workshops that are planned for 2011 include Songwriting, Surf Balance and Technique Training,  Intro to Salsa Dancing, Cooking with Caliche, Portraits and the Digital Darkroom, and Yoga – Art and Wellness.  The classes are kept small, so it is  best to check and sign up well ahead of time.  For more information on the school and it’s programs visit http://www.thirdworldproductions.org/spanish_school.html for details.

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