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Panama Blog
Neotropics of Latin America
This course is a cooperative effort between the language and science departments. Students travel to the neotropics of Latin America — typically, Panama — for a program of immersion in tropical ecosystems and in Spanish language and culture. In the science component, students travel to various tropical ecosystems and conduct field experiments and projects. The language program consists of homestays with local families, organized field trips and everyday conversational Spanish. Students maintain both science and Spanish journals as they travel.Keep up with students daily!
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Mi Ambiente, Mall Trip and a Hike!
Hola!!Read More
Today was our LAST day in Panama City before we go to our host families in Las Tablas! We got a later start today (9), had breakfast and then got ready to meet Yiris and Paola from Mi Ambiente. Mi Ambiente is sort of like the Panamanian version of the EPA. They help supervise conservation efforts, work with the health of the environment and the animals in them. We’re SO lucky to get to talk to them, thank you to Garry Charlier for putting us in touch with them! We got to talk to them, hear about the work they do, and then ask them questions. After our conversation, we all got on the bus and headed to the Albrook Mall, which is the largest mall in Central America! We got lunch in the food court, which ranged from traditional Panamanian food, to Thai food. We even got ice cream! After lunch we had the choice to either stay at the mall and walk around, or take a short hike to a point overlooking Panama City. Those of us who stayed in the mall got to buy the things we needed, see the many statues (rhinos, clowns, giraffes, dinosaurs, etc.) that were all around the mall, and practice our Spanish. Those of us who went on the hike got to see more Panamanian wildlife like sloths and toucans (WOW) and see the beautiful view from the top! We all met back on the bus, and drove back to the hotel to do some homework from the morning and relax. Then, for dinner we had our dinner committee of students pick what we wanted for our final Panama City meal and that final pick was tacos from tacos la neta! After a delicious dinner we headed back to the hotel where we are now packing for our trip tomorrow!
Today was a great day and I can’t wait for all the new experiences we’ll have on the next leg of our trip! Meeting our host families is going to be soooooo fun!! I loved running the instagram today, I’m so glad I got to take everyone along with me on my day!
Bye!!!
Charlotte '27 -
Barro Colorado Island
Hello all!Read More
We started our day early, meeting at 6:15 am. We then headed to the dock, where a boat took us to Barro Colorado Island, a Smithsonian Research Center. We saw beautiful yellow blooming trees peeking out of the lush green rainforest along the way! We then had a short presentation about the island and its history before our hike into the rainforest. We split into two groups and learned about so many plants and animals! Both groups were lucky enough to spot four howler monkeys. (including a baby🥹) The walk was about a mile. We headed back to the boat after a video about some of the research being done on the island. We got to see a huge cargo ship passing by on the boat! Once at the hotel, we had a relaxed afternoon with pool and homework time, before finishing off the night with some doordash dinner mayhem. :)
Tomorrow we have a more relaxed day, see you then!
Bee and Emma photo credits: bee and abe -
Panama Canal and Panama City!
Hi everyone! It was our second day in Panama so we spent it exploring the Panama Canal and Panama City. We got to see a ship traversing that wonder of engineering and learned how the canal allows dozens of ships to move from ocean to ocean every day.Read More
Later we saw our first sloth (it was a cutie) and visited a local fruit market. Finally we celebrated a special birthday so have a happy 17 Zoë!
-Zavier -
We've arrived in Panama!
Today’s the day! The Neotropics of Latin America course finally took flight to Panamá ✈️ 🇵🇦Read More
Our 5 and a half hour journey south to Panama City brought us to a balmy 92 degrees. We drove through the city with our tour guide, Alexis, and our driver, Roger. We learned about the founding of the city, a history tied to Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa. We also learned about modern developments while making our way through rush-hour traffic.
After a run for snacks at a local grocery store, we made our way to our hotel where we shared in all the fun snacks we purchased. We then had dinner at the hotel and called it a night, because we have a big day at the Panama Canal tomorrow! We cannot wait!
-Liz & Adriel (chaperones) -
The 2026 Trip is Off!
Today, 16 students in the “Neotropics of Latin America” course have departed for their 4 week Off-Campus Study trip to Panama with two faculty members! Offered every other year, this trip is a cooperative effort between the language and science departments. Students travel to the neotropics of Panama for a program of immersion in tropical ecosystems and in Spanish language and culture. In the science component, students conduct field experiments and projects! Watch their stories daily on Instagram @cswoffcampusRead More
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Check out some photos from the 2026 program!
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.