Join Carite 3.0 and Surf For Life building an outdoor classroom for a public Montessori school that focuses on the integration of local agriculture as a school wide curriculum. 

TRIP EXPENSES AND FUNDRAISING REQUIREMENT- The total commitment for your Surf For Life adventure is $2,750. This includes:

1. Trip Cost: $750

• This amount covers all of your expenses for the trip except for airfare, and optional additions like alcohol. (See 'What's Included/not included?' at the bottom of the page).

1. Donation Requirement: $2,000

• This is your chance to make a big impact! Each participant is required to contribute or fundraise $2,000 as a direct donation to the in-country community partner and the bricks-and-mortar project we will be executing, as well as ongoing Surf For Life projects. This donation is tax deductible.

For the $2,000 donation, you have several options:

• Donate it yourself - Be your own hero!

• Fundraise for it - Rally your friends and family around a good cause!

• Leverage a company match program, if available - Double your impact!

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Surf For Life will support our participants in fundraising for the donation portion by sharing our own fundraising ideas- including contributions from friends and family, company matches, fundraisers, or other creative means.

ABOUT PATILLAS, PUERTO RICO

Patillas is a sleepy Caribbean coastal town, about 1.5 hour drive from the San Juan airport, in southeastern Puerto Rico. Though it’s a bit of a hidden gem, Patillas is known for its beaches, mountains, and low key vibes. It is also a relatively rural area with many attractions and much to offer a traveler looking for an off the beaten path experience. 

Patillas has many beaches, including Villa Pesquera Beach, which is good for swimming, snorkeling, and water sports. Other beaches include Finca Corsica, a private beach with a mile of shoreline, and Reserva Natural Punta del Viento, which is a beach and nature reserve.

The most famous attraction in Patillas is Charco Azu (Blue Pool). This natural swimming pool with deep blue waters is accessible via an easy trail that crosses through the Carite Forest and over the river.

Carite 3.0 farm is a dream woven through three generations. They are an intergenerational Puerto Rican family farm nestled in the green highlands of southeast Puerto Rico, hugging the coast of Lake Carite.

Carite is a Taino (Indigenous Puerto Rican) word for a fish, a flower, and a place.  The farm’s name honors the interconnected land and water ecosystems of the region.   Farm co-founders Fernando Maldonando  and Arielle Zurzolo are also lifelong educators, passionate about building local educational systems connected to the island’s ecosystems.

With partners like Surf for Life, Carite 3.0 is building a healthy, sustainable, and abundant local food system for Puerto Rico and for the world.  

What We're Building:

an outdoor classroom for a public Montessori school that focuses on the integration of local agriculture as a school wide curriculum. 

House of Children (Casa de Niños) Montessori School supports the development of children from ages 4-13 centered on the philosophy that education is viewed as a preparation for life. Each of the schools have been prepared following the vision of Dr. María Montessori for the development of the child or young person.

Each environment provides the necessary space for the development of a child's personality, taking into consideration the needs during the stage of development for intellectual stimulation, creative expression, responsibility, social development, personal growth and independence.  In 2024, they were proud to win the Green Flag award from OPAS-Puerto Rico (Organización Pro Ambiente Sustentable  -  Sustainable Environment Organization) for their outstanding efforts in environmental education.

Our volunteers will stay in cottages on the private farm at Finca Corisa. Escape to a place that is unique, sustainable and perfectly balanced between two of the most beautiful views on the island: The Mountain & The Coast. Find out more here.

Surf for Life Cancellation Policy

The total financial commitment of your trip includes:

●      the direct volunteer expenses (the Trip Fee paid at booking) and

●      the direct donation to the in-country partner and Surf for Life (either fundraised with outside sources or directly donated through our website at least one month prior to trip start).

Our cancellation policy was developed to primarily honor the contracts with our in-country community partners, local businesses and the SFL team. Additionally, we want to give grace and flexibility to our volunteers with their ever changing schedules and unexpected circumstances that come up. Without your financial support, these projects wouldn’t be possible. Things happen, plans change. We get it!

We highly recommend that you purchase insurance that includes a clause “cancel for any reason”. Please read the policy carefully to ensure that you will be covered. Travel Insurance should be purchased 2-3 weeks from your initial deposit date.

Surf for Life Cancellations:

●      If your trip needs to be canceled by Surf for Life due to any unforeseen reason beyond our control (such as a natural disaster, political unrest in the trip destination country), Surf for Life is not liable for refunds or travel costs (your direct volunteer expenses). This allows us to honor and protect our local partners in extreme circumstances. In purchasing your own travel insurance, you will alleviate any financial burden on yourself and Surf for Life.

If the community project is no long happening due to the unforeseen circumstances that caused the cancellation of the trip, you will have the option to either continue to use any money fundraised to donate towards our non profit partner on the ground or to have your donation refunded to you or whomever contributed towards your trip. We will reach out to discuss what you would like to do with your directly donated funds.

●      SFL requires  a minimum of 5 participants per trip. If your trip is canceled due to not enough participants, , we will notify you as soon as possible at a minimum of 60 days prior to the trip start date. We will issue a full refund to you of any money paid or give credit payment towards another SFL trip should you choose to do so instead. .

Volunteer Cancellations:

●      Cancellation more than 60 days before the start date of the trip:

○      Transfer your Trip Fee and direct donation directly to another SFL trip within 365 days

○      Apply as a credit for a future trip within 365 days

○      Receive a full refund minus the $50 administration fee.

If you choose to transfer your trip fee or receive credit you will not be charged the $50 administration fee

●      Cancellations within 30- 60 days before start date of the trip:

○      Transfer your Trip Fee and direct donation to another SFL trip within 365 days

○      Apply as a credit for a future trip within 365 days

○      Receive a refund of Trip Fee minus the $50 administration fee

○      As the project commitment has been made at this point which is only possible through your direct donation, we are not able to refund your donation at this time. If you have not yet made your donation towards the project, we will invoice you for this amount.

If you choose to transfer your trip fee or receive credit you will not be charged the $50 administration fee

●      Cancellations within 30 days of the trip:

○      There will be no refund given after 30 days.  Any unpaid/remaining balance after cancellation within 30 days is still due and we will invoice you for the amount.

***The majority of your financial commitment is a direct donation to Surf for Life and our local community partner. If you need to cancel your trip but would like to make a full or partial donation to support this project, please let us know and we will provide you with a donation receipt for your records.

***(For any questions, comments or curiosities regarding our cancellation policy, please email trips@surfforlife.org

 Please note this is a sample itinerary of day to day activities; our actual itinerary might change according to needs of the community, weather, etc.

Day 1 (Saturday): 

* arrival and transport to your accommodations

* orientation to location

* sunset swim

* welcome dinner

Day 2 (Sunday)

* introduction to the local community and site visit

* surf lesson 

Day 3-6 (Monday - Thursday)  

* Breakfast

*Working alongside the community at the worksite  8-1pm

* Lunch in the community 

* Afternoon activity curated by the community highlighting local culture

 Day 7 (Friday):  

● Activity with the community, exploring the local area and celebrating our time together

Day 8 (Saturday):  

● Shuttle Transport back to