Photo By Joanna Edelman

A leatherback turtle is being held by a person with gloves. These leatherback turtles were born on the coast of Costa Rica in the spring of 2022 and were studied by a group of scientists who received a grant that spring to study the turtles being born.

     Kaneland High School is providing an opportunity during the spring break of 2025 for students to explore Costa Rica and learn about leatherback turtles and the intricate rainforest reserves. 

     The students who will graduate between 2025 and 2028 will have an opportunity to take an educational trip. Costa Rica, which is a seven hour flight, will host Kaneland students to experience their environment. This trip is limited in terms of the number of students that can attend. 

     “We only have 20 spots open for students, so as soon as those 20 spots fill in, enrollment closes,” science teacher Joanna Edelman said. 

     The experience of exploring Costa Rica and other countries alone is a wonderful opportunity. The trips offered by the school are structured and can be educational. They can be a lot of information to take in on your own. 

     “I think it is awesome if you can go with a structured trip without your parents, especially when you’re in high school,” said Michelle Jurcenko, a Spanish teacher who has led several of her own trips to Europe with students throughout her career. “Because obviously these trips are structured but knowing you have to take a little bit of responsibility for yourself and mom and dad won’t always be there to help you.”

     Most teachers want kids to succeed in school and to discover what they are interested in for their future. A lot of students get nervous when hearing “educational trip” or even “study,” yet it’s an amazing experience for students and their future. 

     Edelman said, “During the trip, students are going to be putting together their research project that will be beneficial for [their] college application because it is as close to true science as one can get.” 

     This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and some students are interested because of the hands-on work that is involved and the doors that it can open for possible interest in a science career. 

     “I’m really interested in marine biology, and it is such a good opportunity to kind of pursue anything in that field with this trip,” sophomore Megan Fisher said. 

     Especially with young students, this can open a gate to many careers that can be studied in college or beyond. The species that are studied are taken care of in a way where students can conduct extensive research about the turtles. 

     “It’s a field course where students are going to work hands-on with leatherback turtles as they emerge from the ocean onto the beach to lay their eggs,” Edelman said. “You assist with delivery of the eggs to the turtle, and then you complete all the measurements of the turtle. So we measure the shell with length and then the neck circumference.”

     These turtles reproduce eggs every year, and the students and teachers who go on this trip will get to experience the turtles’ new life and reproduction in an amazing learning experience.