THE BRIDGE
Find something within you to offer the world around you
in our SUPPORTIVE young adult GAP COMMUNITY
The Bridge is a unique blend of a gap program - offering cultural immersion, community service, language, adventure travel, and internship opportunities - and a supportive community - providing group and individual coaching as well as a strong sense of safety, support and guidance toward mastering skills for the adult world.
The Experience
The Result
40+ internships to help you find and exercise your passion and develop a professional path.
Study abroad: Participate in transferable college courses from local & US universities taught in English.
Spanish: You will have access to learning Spanish in the most non-threatening and effective way possible.
Culture: Experience a different culture in a supported way to open up your mind, give you the chance to redefine yourself, and give you the adaptability skills required to thrive in 21st society.
Freedom: We help you design your own schedule within a set of healthy & balanced lifestyle expectations that prepare you for the adult world.
Life Skills: Take advantage of the opportunity to practice essential life skills in a hands-on way (budgeting, cooking, public transportation, organization, decision making, leadership) with mentors by your side.
Activities: All kinds of extracurriculars available allow you to maintain or find new interests (sports & hobbies like basketball, swimming, surfing, soccer, sewing, music, gardening, and art, etc.)
Empowerment: We empower students to make program decisions, change guidelines, organize activities, manage budgets and lead community immersion projects throughout Costa Rica.
Study abroad: Participate in transferable college courses from local & US universities taught in English.
Spanish: You will have access to learning Spanish in the most non-threatening and effective way possible.
Culture: Experience a different culture in a supported way to open up your mind, give you the chance to redefine yourself, and give you the adaptability skills required to thrive in 21st society.
Freedom: We help you design your own schedule within a set of healthy & balanced lifestyle expectations that prepare you for the adult world.
Life Skills: Take advantage of the opportunity to practice essential life skills in a hands-on way (budgeting, cooking, public transportation, organization, decision making, leadership) with mentors by your side.
Activities: All kinds of extracurriculars available allow you to maintain or find new interests (sports & hobbies like basketball, swimming, surfing, soccer, sewing, music, gardening, and art, etc.)
Empowerment: We empower students to make program decisions, change guidelines, organize activities, manage budgets and lead community immersion projects throughout Costa Rica.
Impressive resume: An impressive resume that leads students to desirable colleges, job offers and amazing scholarships. This resume can include:
Cross-cultural competencies to become a true global citizen ready for challenging multi-cultural and international classrooms and jobs.
Confidence to take on new challenges, to meet new people, and to confront life’s curve balls with the confidence that you only get by spending time away from your own cultural bubble.
Life Skills: Well-rounded set of soft skills and hard skills ready to be put into practice in the adult world.
Independence: freedom from the main obstacles toward independence, like insecurities, unhealthy habits, poor decision making, lack of purpose, drive and motivation.
Leadership and social skills with peers, professionals and classmates.
- Up to 200 (or even more) hours of internship in your potential desired career
- More than 150 hours of community service
- Fluency in Spanish
- College credit from studying abroad at a university in Costa Rica
- Leadership in indigenous and rural community empowerment projects
Cross-cultural competencies to become a true global citizen ready for challenging multi-cultural and international classrooms and jobs.
Confidence to take on new challenges, to meet new people, and to confront life’s curve balls with the confidence that you only get by spending time away from your own cultural bubble.
Life Skills: Well-rounded set of soft skills and hard skills ready to be put into practice in the adult world.
Independence: freedom from the main obstacles toward independence, like insecurities, unhealthy habits, poor decision making, lack of purpose, drive and motivation.
Leadership and social skills with peers, professionals and classmates.
Campus for Young Men
Campus for Young Women
Gap Stories from The Bridge Costa Rica
Cultural immersions have been historically perceived and studied as a negative, kind of shocking experience, but research now tells us quite the opposite: that these experiences can help us grow beyond what we ever imagined! Intercultural encounters can help us shift and restructure our mental structures, allowing us to make significant growth and life changes.
On The Bridge Blog | 2 min read
On The Bridge Blog | 2 min read
There’s a lot that can be said about how young adults develop their identity, but one avenue is fundamental.
On The Bridge Blog | 1 min read
On The Bridge Blog | 1 min read
The self-confidence and personal development of young adults require a degree of challenge to improve.
On The Bridge Blog | 6 min read
Why are so many young adults feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck? Drawing on nearly 15 years of experience at The Bridge and an outcomes study of our graduates, Building Response-Ability: A Maker Space for Life introduces a new perspective on young adult development.
Discover how real-world experiences help young adults build confidence, resilience, and the ability to respond to life's challenges. Watch the film and explore the research behind response-ability.
On The Bridge YouTube | 11 min watch
A Supportive Gap Year With Real World Impact: Service & Connection
News & Events
Internships at The Bridge
Located in a beautiful mountain town in Costa Rica, The Bridge is a unique blend of a gap program – offering cultural immersion, community service, language, adventure travel, and internship opportunities – and a supportive community – providing group and individual coaching as well as a strong sense of safety, support, and guidance toward mastering skills for the adult world.
