Sixteen Wharton undergraduates passed up the usual Spring Break trips last month to participate in a for-credit service and learning project in Costa Rica.

The students in the Wharton International Program helped create a new walking trail in a rainforest/eco-center, located in the Arenal region of the country. In honor of the Penn students, the eco-center’s founder named it the Wharton Trail.

In addition to the trail project, the group assisted in collecting seeds from the rainforest for future plantings. The students also pitched in to give a school in San José a new coat of paint, and visited socially responsible businesses, including the beverage company, Florida Ice, which is rebuilding a community damaged by an earthquake in January. “The students saw the passion behind the people’s work, and they took lessons back to their classes and clubs at Wharton,” says Lee Kramer, Wharton undergraduate director of student life.

Originally published April 2, 2009