Helping Hands in Turrialba

Outcomes

Improved Living Conditions for Vulnerable Families

Dozens of families—often elderly individuals or single-parent households—have received vital home repairs and upgrades, improving safety, comfort, and dignity.

Strengthened Community Resilience

Local communities have benefited from tangible improvements to infrastructure and renewed morale through direct support and collaboration.

Empowered Student Participants

Students have gained hands-on experience in construction, teamwork, and problem-solving while developing empathy, leadership, and global awareness.

Cultural Exchange and Lasting Connections

Deep bonds have formed between students and local families through shared work and cultural interaction, fostering mutual understanding and respect.

Environmental and Educational Initiatives

Gardens, tree planting, and English language sessions have added long-term value to the community, encouraging sustainability and educational engagement.

Ongoing Local Engagement

Continued collaboration with local leaders ensures that project recipients are those most in need, making the impact of each visit highly focused and meaningful.

Background

At World Expeditions Schools, the organization is committed to creating purposeful travel experiences that contribute meaningfully to the communities they visit. In Costa Rica, their long-standing partnership with the town of Turrialba provides students with the opportunity to engage deeply with local culture while making a real and lasting impact.

Turrialba, located in the lush Central Valley beneath the Turrialba Volcano, is renowned for its rich natural beauty and agricultural heritage. The region is known for producing sugarcane, coffee, and the famous Turrialba cheese, and is increasingly recognized for its potential in eco-tourism and adventure travel. Despite these strengths, many rural families—especially elderly residents and single-parent households—continue to face economic challenges and limited access to basic infrastructure.

For many years, World Expeditions Schools has facilitated community service projects at local schools, which have been a popular way for student groups to give back. However, with the growing number of school visits to Costa Rica, it has become increasingly difficult to find educational institutions in genuine need. Recognizing this shift, the organization developed the Helping Hand Project—a targeted initiative designed to support individuals and families who often fall through the cracks of public support systems.

Now in its seventh year, the Helping Hand Project focuses on identifying families most in need—typically those led by single parents or elderly residents—through close collaboration with community leaders. After a careful screening process, student groups are matched with local families and work together on small but meaningful construction and improvement projects.

Each student group is divided into smaller teams (usually 4 to 6 students) and assigned to a family home, where they might undertake tasks such as building walls, repairing windows and doors, improving plumbing or drainage, constructing furniture, painting, tiling, or creating gardens. These practical, hands-on projects allow students to directly see the difference they are making, while also learning valuable new skills.

In addition to the physical work, cultural activities are arranged to help students better understand and connect with the local way of life. Many groups also choose to run informal English classes for village children, fostering fun and educational exchanges that benefit both the students and the wider community.

Through this program, World Expeditions Schools offers a powerful opportunity for young people to step outside their comfort zones, engage with real-world challenges, and gain a deeper appreciation for global citizenship. At the same time, the local community benefits from practical support, improved living conditions, and the knowledge that they are not alone.

This is more than a service trip—it’s a shared experience of learning, building, and growing together.