Professional Development Program
Professional Development Packages
Customize a 3 month or 6 month professional development program to complement your interests. We offer a range of activities based on experiential education, community engagement, citizen science for conservation, scuba diving, adaptive adventure sports, and drowning prevention.
- SwimSafe Costa Rica
- Nipper Surf Lifesaving and Lifeguard certification
- Citizen science experiences and data collection expeditions
- PADI Dive certifications up to Instructor Level
- Community Service
- Adaptive diving and surfing for differently-abled individuals
- Cultural immersion
Swim Safe Costa Rica
Our mission is to lower the number of drownings - the 2nd highest cause of accidental deaths in Costa Rica. Our education-based anti-drowning campaign engages local schools and communities.
Swim Safe Costa Rica
Drowning is the second highest cause of accidental death in Costa Rica, surpassing drowning statistics of Australia and the USA! There is very little infrastructure or education that lessens the drowning statistics in communities. Through this project and our involvement with the local community, we have identified the crucial need for a “Learn to Swim” program within disadvantaged and rural communities. ConnectOcean has developed a Grassroots Drowning Prevention Program named ‘SWIM SAFE Costa Rica”, which focuses on teaching water safety to locals.
Swim Safe Costa Rica
with a 5 day, intensive course - including theory and practical portions - followed by a block plan of 40 hours of shadow teaching with qualified Instructors. The course results in full certification for the student as a PADI Swim School Instructor which allows them to teach Star Babies and Star Tots, Learn To Swim, Stroke School, and Swim Team.
We collaborate with local schools and training institutions to sponsor groups of dedicated volunteers/students to become “Learn to Swim” Instructors through our PADI Swim School Training facility. The PADI Swim School Instructor Course starts
Nipper Surf Lifesaving
Our Junior Lifeguard Program is a skill-orientated semester long program where we meet once a week. The program is based on the Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard- and the Australian- and South African Surf Lifesaving Nipper programs, involving local youth.
Nipper Surf Lifesaving Program
The program’s main objective is to create “Ocean Safe Children” by creating situational awareness, building competence in the water, and learning how to identify and avoid ocean hazards. There are strong discipline and teamwork elements perpetuated throughout the
program. Candidates would assist in supervising the program's activities as Safety Officers while interacting with and encouraging participants.
Citizen Science Program
Join our resident scientists as they participate in multiple international research projects. Learn from professionals in their field as you collect data contributing to active conservation efforts. Fuel the curiosity of the next generation of scientists by mentoring students in our Ocean Explorer and Source to Sea Programs.
Citizen Science Program
ConnectOcean collaborates with the Ocean First Institute and MantaTrust on many research projects. From the Ocean First Institute, we have obtained 3 laser photogrammetry units which we use to measure sharks and rays. We use Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveillance as well as Roving Fish Surveys while diving to create a species census. We are the local representatives of MantaTrust; we collect, organize, and catalogue all Costa Rican Manta sightings. Project AWARE, PADI's conservation non-profit, is collaborating with ConnectOcean and MantaTrust to create
a Manta Ray Conservation PADI Specialty Course. We are also in the process of creating a Global Manta ID app and GIS data base. With the app, any diver or snorkeler with a camera can take an ID photo and upload it to the app. The program will decide if it is a new ID or a re-sighting. This will help build our knowledge of individuals, population sizes, as well as migratory routes. More information will help us make better decisions when creating protection strategies and legislation.
Citizen Science Program
Not only would candidates be collecting important data, they would also be mentoring a younger generation of scientists. We facilitate place-based educational experiences for scientist of all ages. The program can typically be taught as a 10-day Citizen Science Expedition, a 5 day Week-Without-Walls or Summer/Spring Break program, a weekend activity, or as a 12 week Extra Curricular Program where it is implemented as an after school program.
Candidates will be mentors to students in programs after completing the courses themselves but more importantly, would help in collecting much-needed data and assist in research towards creating an offshore Marine Protected Area.
PADI Certifications
We offer a variety of certifications, whether inexperienced in the underwater world or working towards becoming a dive professional.
PADI Certifications
- Open Water Certification
- Advanced Open Water Certification
- Rescue Diver Certification
- Divemaster Certification
- Open Water SCUBA Instructor
Certification
- Specialty Certifications: Deep, Navigation, Search and Recovery, Adaptive Support Diver, Fish ID, Underwater Naturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Enriched Air, Equipment Specialist, and AWARE Shark Conservation
Adaptive Diving and Adventure Sports
Sin Limités Costa Rica, ConnectOcean’s sister project, focuses on capacity building and developing life skills. An awareness within communities is created by integrating volunteers in a program, who, in turn, offer adventure sport to people with disabilities.
Adaptive Diving and Adventure Sports
The program contributes to the mental and physical health of differently-abled individuals, fostering strong social bonds and rehabilitation opportunities.
We have initiated Adaptive Surfing and Outrigger paddling activities in addition to our Scuba Training. ConnectOcean trains Adaptive Diving Instructors to make scuba diving more accessible to differently-abled individuals. Participants include paraplegics, amputees, hearing and sight impaired individuals, and cancer survivors. We work with survivors in various societies that suffer from PTSD caused by life changing injuries. Included in this program were survivors from the Boston Marathon bombing, injured war veterans, and Middle Eastern children injured in acts of war.
Adaptive Diving and Adventure Sports
Candidates can assist in training and facilitating adventure activities for people with disabilities. From designing and building a website to exploring fundraising strategies, to assisting in adventure activities, you would gain hands-on experience. Candidates can be involved in all aspects whilst being part of one of the first adaptive adventure programs in the country.
The Association’s specific objectives are:
- To motivate and inspire people of all abilities to challenge their comfort zones.
- To Provide Adaptive Adventure Sport experiences to people of all abilities which allows them to discover challenges beyond their limitations.
- To raise awareness of the importance of the inclusion of people of all abilities within the Costa Rican society.
- To work towards establishing Costa Rica as an accessible tourist destination for people of all abilities.
Spanish Immersion
Integrate yourself into Costa Rican culture whilst giving back to local communities.
Spanish Immersion
Candidates have the option to participate in a week-long homestay experience where they live with a local family and fully immerse themselves in the Costa Rican culture and language eccentricies. They are exposed to "Pura Vida!" and are taught to live the "Pure Life"! This experience includes a private bedroom in a local home, 2 meals a day, and 20 hours of language lessons.
For more information about the different
programs on offer at ConnectOcean,
please contact us at:
+506 8575 9418
Alternatively, use the Jackrabbit portal on our website to secure your experience!
Professional Development Program
By ConnectOcean
