In 1997 artist and traveler Zach McDuffie had a dream about the ocean that inspired him to move to Costa Rica. His goal was simple - live a healthy life, make art, learn to surf, and learn Spanish. Realizing that a lot of other travelers were seeking the same, he came up with the concept for the School of the World. Back then there were surf camps and language schools, but the surf camps were expensive and the language schools were almost all located in San Jose, the capital city. School of the World was the first learning vacation school in the world to offer combined Spanish and Surfing courses, and continues to set trends for cool, creative, and affordable learning vacations to travelers of all ages. The school's innovative programs have been featured in guidebooks, magazines, and newspapers from the U.S.A. to Hong Kong.
Great learning vacation programs are just the beginning. What really makes time here a special experience is the staff. Our staff functions like a family; most have been working here for more than five years and all are passionate about their work.
Zach and Natazha
Creative Directors, Photographers, Writers, Artists, Dreamers
Zach first visited Costa Rica shortly after receiving his bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1996. He fell in love with the healthy lifestyle, endless summers, and consistent surf conditions he found and moved to Costa Rica permanently in 1997. With just $3000 and a dream, he started School of the World. As the school grew, so did the dream. After completing the design and construction of the new School of the World facility, Zach started traveling again, pursuing photography and taking learning vacations. His award winning photography has been featured in magazines, books, and newspapers around the world. You can check out his work at: www.zmcduffie.com
Natazha and Zach met while working on a pilot for a TV show about learning vacations. Natazha is an international model and spokesperson, and together the two maintain a popular blog about their project and different learning vacations around the world. School of the World is home base for this traveling duo, and they are in charge of the creative direction of the school- adding photos, blogs, art, planning special workshops, events and more.
You can read more about their show at www.learningexperienceblog.com
Brian
Director
Brian and Zach have been good friends since their days at the University of Georgia. He came to Costa Rica with Zach in 1996, but returned to UGA and continued on to earn a masters degree in forest management, before moving to Costa Rica permanently in 2001. Brian is in charge of the day-to-day operations at the school. He speaks English and Spanish and enjoys spending time with his family, surfing, woodworking, and fishing.
Hannah
Program Coordinator
Hannah first joined the School of the World family as a student in February of 2005. Originally from Boston, Mass., she wanted a change of pace from the States and decided to move to Costa Rica in October 2005. She returned to the school to continue learning Spanish, which helped with the transition of living in Costa Rica. Hannah is now fluent in Spanish, and in her free time enjoys photography, art, surfing, and going to the beach. Hannah started working at the school in December '07. She handles email inquiries, makes schedules, and helps students with any arrangements or questions they have during their stay. She is married to Ricardo, our head surf instructor, and they are the proud parents of Kalani (sure to be a future surf instructor!).
Mayela
Head Spanish Instructor
Mayela is from San Jose, Costa Rica and is the most recent addition to our family. She has a degree in education and more than thirty years experience teaching Spanish. In her free time she enjoys running, swimming, and cooking.
Laura
Spanish Instructor
Laura is also Costa Rican and is one of our Spanish instructors. She speaks Spanish and English fluently, and loves to teach. In addition to working at the school she also performs ballet and owns her own dance and arts studio where she teaches dance, guitar, drums, ballet, and taekwondo to kids. Laura is in charge of our Salsa dancing workshops.
Ricardo
Head Surf Instructor
Ricardo is originally from Venezuela but is now a Costa Rican resident. He has been working at the School since July 2005. He is an I.S.A. certified surf instructor and also certified in ocean safety and rescue, as well as CPR. He has surfed and taught surfing in Bali, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica. Ricardo lives and breathes surf, and is a well informed and patient teacher. When he is not surfing (which seems to be most of the day!) he enjoys skateboarding, mountain biking, fishing, and graphic design. Ricardo is in charge of the Surf Balance Training and Stand Up Paddleboarding workshops.
Carlos
Photography and Surf Instructor
Carlos is an accomplished Costa Rican artist, photographer, and surfer. He started working at the School of the World in January of 2006. He is certified in ocean safety and rescue, as well as CPR. He has exhibited his art in San Jose, Miami, and New York. In his spare time he enjoys surfing, skating, photography, painting, and fishing. Carlos also teaches some of the specialty photography and editing workshops, and assists Zach and Natazha with video projects.
Geudy
Surf Instructor
Geudy has lived his entire life in Jaco, Costa Rica. He is the son of Maria, one of the school's housekeepers. His mom has worked at the school since it opened in 1997, so he grew up in the School of the World family. He started working at the school in January of 2009, and likes to play soccer, work out at the gym, and surf in his free time.
Osh
Yoga Instructor
Osh has been practicing and teaching yoga for the last 15 years in Israel, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. She is certified in both Bikram yoga and Vinyasa flow, as well as Thai massage. She incorporates an awareness of anatomy, breathing, and yogic principles to help discover and connect one's body and soul. She places an emphasis on breathing "pranayama", postures, meditation and deep relaxation.
Alejandra
Yoga Instructor
Alejandra is from San Jose, Costa Rica. She began practicing yoga at an early age and realized she wanted to dedicate her life to this discipline. Her foundations are Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Anusara Yoga. Her goal is to teach a challenging and fun class, while helping each student connect with their inner self.
Maria
Housekeeping
Maria is Costa Rican and has been with the School of the World since the beginning, back in 1997. Her daughter Josebeth has practically grown up with the School, and we proudly sponsor her to study in the local private school where she is an honor student. Maria has seen the business grow from humble beginnings and takes a lot of pride in her work environment.
Maruja
Houskeeping
Maruja is from Herradura, Costa Rica and has been with the School of the World since 2009. In her free time she enjoys listening to music and gardening.
Pedro
Maintenance
Pedro is originally from Nicaragua but has lived in Costa Rica for fifteen years. He enjoys playing chess and going to the discoteca in his free time.