A short time later, Dave was chatting with one of Conversa's Spanish students, a woman from Boston, about an idea he had to start an Intensive Spanish Program out in the boonies, a la Peace Corps. She suggested that Dave talk with her husband, who had recently purchased a farm outside of Santa Ana, indicating that he might be amenable to some sort of arrangement with Conversa. They later met and worked out a deal which enabled Conversa to lease and shortly thereafter to purchase a five-acre piece of the farm. Some years later, an adjoining acre of land was bought from another neighbor.
Conversa's six-acre piece had a great view of the Santa Ana Valley. It had several ramshackle buildings which had served previously as barns and stables for cows and horses. That was back in 1980. Now, the old buildings have been knocked down and rebuilt as classrooms, offices, dining hall and lounges.
Care has been taken in this process to maintain a sense of rustic charm. Materials from the old barns and stables were recycled and incorporated into the new structures. Red stone, which was found in abundance on the property, was hand picked and used in the construction of walls and paths; it was even used to build the three on-campus lodges, La Casona, La Casita, and La Cabaña to further enhance this concept. While most of Conversa's six-acre campus is made up of rebuilt structures, La Casona and La Casita were built with the help of an architect, as was the 50-foot swimming pool.
Dave Kaufman, known by his staff and students as "Don David", liked to sit down in his office on the "finca" and reminisce about the old days, and how those poor Land Rovers had to struggle to get up the steep unpaved hill with their cargo of students. He was quick to reach for a photo album and show inquisitive visitors what Conversa was like back in the day.
Beginning in the mid 2000's, Don David began placing many of the administrative duties in the capable hands of his son, Andy, and a strong support staff out in Santa Ana. Andy and his wife, Irene, now head the Conversa Team, including the Conversa Learning Park, Casa Conversa, and Conversa's online Spanish program, ConversaConmigo.
At Conversa we're proud of the crew we've assembled over the years. Our Spanish teachers are skilled classroom technicians, well acquainted with our methodology for teaching Spanish. Whether they're teaching Spanish courses here in Costa Rica or tutoring a Spanish student online, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience into the classroom.
Conversa also conducts periodic training for our instructors. We provide workshops to help our Spanish teachers improve their technique for both the physical and the online classroom.
Conversa's administrative and support staff know what it takes to provide a top-notch Spanish immersion experience. We have a strong team dedicated to addressing all that takes place outside the classroom. Your meals, your transportation, your weekend getaways. If there's anything you need, we probably have someone who can help you get it...
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