Beginning next year, the number of young adults embarking on a supportive gap experience in Costa Rica will grow as The Bridge Costa Rica opens a new house for young women in the vibrant mountain town of Atenas.
“We are excited to expand The Bridge experience to young women, offering them the same unique opportunity for cultural immersion, skill-building, and personal growth that has benefited so many young men in our program,” says Dr. Danny Recio, Co-Founder and Program Director of The Bridge Costa Rica. “This new campus will empower women to explore their strengths, gain confidence, and chart their paths forward—whether in college, a career, or beyond.”
A dynamic team of professional women at The Bridge is excited and awaiting the arrival of the first female participants in spring 2025. The program is already receiving referrals and responding to student and family inquiries.
For more than a decade, The Bridge has been helping young adults (ages 17-23) embark on a journey of self-discovery and prepare themselves for college or work. 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 and support - The Bridge guides participants toward mastering skills for the adult world.
The opening of the new campus for young women will coincide with the twentieth anniversary of New Summit Academy, the supportive boarding school and study abroad experience for adolescent males (ages 14-18) from which The Bridge evolved in 2012.
“The time is right for this exciting new chapter,” says Dr. Heather Tracy, Co-Founder and Executive Director of New Summit Academy and The Bridge Costa Rica. “We are thrilled to offer a campus specifically designed to meet the unique needs of young women while maintaining the core values and vision that have made The Bridge such a success.”
While young women will have their own campus in Costa Rica, the program’s core approach—supportive Immersion—will remain consistent across both campuses. Students will continue to gain confidence and life skills through experiential learning, taking on new challenges, understanding perspectives, and developing a deeper sense of their strengths and potential.
Students at The Bridge engage in community service and internships, and many leave the program with impressive resumes that include up to 200 hours of career-focused work experience, more than 150 hours of service, fluency in Spanish, and leadership experience in rural and Indigenous community empowerment projects.
Most importantly, young adults are given the opportunity to discover themselves, clarify their values, and envision their paths while immersing in a supportive community.
“There’s a lot that can be said about how young people develop their identity,” says Dr. Recio. “But for us, one avenue is fundamental: you find something within you – a gift, a talent, a skill – and you figure out a way to have that fulfill a need in the world around you.”
For more information about The Bridge Costa Rica, visit www.bridgeyoungadults.com.
About The Bridge Costa Rica:
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. Visit www.bridgeyoungadults.com or call 800-609-9496 to learn more.