A Special Invitation to Santa Elena, Costa Rica

"The physical beauty of our surroundings,

the hills, pastures, streams, cloud forest,

and the night sky perfectly complemented

our warm relationships with the local

people and provided a constant reminder

of how lucky we were to be here.”

- Penny Abell, Global Volunteer in Costa Rica

We invite you to experience a side of Costa Rica seldom seen by the average traveler. Join us in the intimate mountain town of this spectacular tropical country, where our volunteer teams are working on a variety of projects. With its excellent infrastructure, visionary sustainability initiatives, and no army, Costa Rica stands out in the region. Despite the fact that the Costa Rican government spends more on education than any other country in the region, the need is still great in the Monteverde area and the public secondary school where Global Volunteers are invited to serve. More than half of the student body is on a subsidized lunch program and the school lacks funds to carry out important educational projects. Since 1992, we have been invited by rural communities in the Monteverde region to send teams of volunteers to work on diverse projects. As a volunteer, you will be involved in several projects in Santa Elena, a community of about 3,000 located at the edge of the cloud forest and about 110 miles northwest of the Costa Rican capital of San José. This community is an ideal site for volunteers who want to experience the intimacy of day-to-day life in a small, rural, agrarian town. Here’s how you can help:

• Clear forest trails on the school campus used for hands-on learning. • Using Global Volunteer’s Conversational English Teaching Guide and your personal creativity, assist in classes to students in grades 7 – 12. • Make learning fun through reading, games, skits, music – there’s no limit! • Help with beautification of the school campus by planting flowers, landscaping, or painting classrooms. • Work in the school vegetable garden and learn about organic farming. • Invest in conservation projects.

The Monteverde region of Costa Rica attracts thousands of tourists each year with its opportunities for nature and adventure tourism in its cloud forests. Costa Rica's cloud forests are vibrant, mountainous jungles filled with lush vegetation, spectacularly colored exotic birds, and countless other species of rare flora and fauna. Clouds drift in and settle among the slopes and supply moisture to the dense, green vegetation to nourish these fragile ecosystems. Forest visitors are struck speechless by the sensations of treading under the towering tree canopy – brushing aside dangling roots, ferns, and vines; hearing the screech of a howler monkey in the distance; feeling the air thick with moisture. Indeed, mere words cannot adequately convey this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Costa Ricans are warm, friendly people who welcome our teams with open arms and open hearts. You will be impressed by their ecological awareness, knowledge of organic farming, and eagerness to serve as careful guardians of the natural treasures right in their own backyards. Team members have returned home with a renewed respect for Costa Rica's natural beauty and its people.

Community Partner

Our community partner in Santa Elena is Colegio Técnico Profesional de Santa Elena (CTPSE) or Professional Technical Secondary School of Santa Elena. It is called Colegio for short, which means secondary school, and houses grades 7 through 12. This technical secondary school has some 380 students and 25 teachers. It is the only public secondary school in Santa Elena and is closely linked with the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. The reserve invests its profits into development of courses in environmental education, biology, languages, and tourism. In return, the students assist in maintenance and development of the reserve. The

technical aspect of this secondary school is that it focuses on areas such as agriculture, rural tourism, ecotourism, and gastronomy – all very common activities in the region, which depends greatly on tourism. Students graduate with a specialization in one such area, similar to a major at university. Organic farming, sustainable tourism, and conservation are all areas of study at Colegio. Cows, pigs, and chickens are raised at the school. Students work in the dairy where cheese is produced to sell in the community. English is taught at Colegio and is critical for students’ future employment opportunities in the region. Marisela Araya, the Technical Director of the school, and Jorge Camacho, an agriculture teacher, are the key leaders at Colegio who work closely with your team leader to organize and facilitate the volunteer experience.

Community Work Projects Colegio has invited volunteers to work on various projects, which are mostly related to the beautification of the school campus. The school grounds include a pond which is home to tilapia, ducks, and turtles and also has a forest trail where students study the flora and fauna of the region. Your help is needed to paint classrooms, work in the school vegetable garden, plant flowers on the campus, and clear and build nature trails in the forest around the school. Future projects Colegio hopes to complete with the help of Global

Volunteers include constructing a covered walkway between the two main school buildings and building a butterfly garden and a greenhouse. At Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, volunteers help with trail clearing and maintenance while learning about the reserve’s conservation efforts. Work projects at the reserve are available by special request.

Colegio has also invited Global Volunteers to assist in their conversational English classes. English is vitally important in a country and a community so dependent on international tourism. Volunteers have the opportunity to lead activities in classrooms, encouraging students to practice their speaking abilities. While local teachers are knowledgeable about the structure of the language, they welcome the support of native English speakers in the classroom to encourage students to practice speaking. Simply talking about personal experiences and asking about Costa Rican lifestyle and culture will prompt students to interact, question, and practice their speaking ability as well as motivate them to learn more.

The best part of this trip was building relationships with the Costa Rican people while serving them.

-Elizabeth Smouth, Costa Rica Volunteer

“The most rewarding work – teaching English – allowed me to practice my professional skills as a retired teacher with students grades 7 to 12. The

endeavor was creative, fun, and meaningful – with the faculty and administrators, too.”

- Judy Tulchin, 2017 Costa Rica Volunteer

The Essential Services At the center of community projects is The Essential Services Triangle. These are the 12 essential services, prescribed by the United Nations, which every child needs to realize the fullness of their potential. Global Volunteers organizes these services into three major categories – Eradicating Hunger, Improving Health, and Enhancing IQ.

HUNGER

School and household gardens

Child nutrition

Micronutrient supplementation

Improved stoves HEALTH

Health, nutrition, and hygiene education

Malaria and dengue fever prevention

Deworming

HIV/AIDS education COGNITION

General education

Promoting girls’ education

Potable water and sanitation facilities

Psychosocial support

Global Volunteers is committed to supporting our community partners in these twelve areas through the sustained, comprehensive assistance of short-term volunteers and direct project donations from volunteers and supporters worldwide. Depending upon the needs of the host community and the community-based projects requested by local people, Global Volunteers helps deliver some or all of the twelve services. Every volunteer can help in one or more of these twelve interventions. As a short term volunteer, you’re a vital component in helping families and local community organizations deliver these essential services.

Meals, Lodging & Transportation Global Volunteers Costa Rica Country Manager, Maggie Bjorklund, leads all teams in Costa Rica. In cooperation with our community partners, Maggie will facilitate your team’s orientation, assist you in being fully engaged in your assigned work project(s), and manage all project-related logistical issues. Maggie studied abroad in Costa Rica for her Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and Spanish and as a long-time resident of Latin America, will introduce you to the community, help acclimate you to the local culture, invite you to community events, and engage you in the day-to-day life of the community.

“Maggie is the best! She is open, friendly, organized, and extremely hard working. In fact, she works so hard she made the whole process worry-free.

I knew at all times things would be taken care of. I also never doubted Maggie’s ability to navigate the culture. It was obvious her relationships with

staff at Colegio are solid and mutually respectful and affectionate. What a pleasure to work with her.”

- Ann Hite, 2017 Costa Rica volunteer

Cuisine Three meals a day are included in your service program fee and your team leader will organize all these logistics. Costa Rican cuisine is simple and prepared with herbs but few spices. Corn tortillas and plantains are common. Comida típica (local dishes) almost always have a rice and bean component and gallo pinto, the national dish of a sort of rice and black bean pilaf, is common at breakfast. Costa Ricans commonly say, “Soy tan tico como el gallo pinto” or “I’m as Costa Rican as gallo pinto.” Tropical fruits are found in abundance. Vegetarians are easily accommodated. Desserts, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are readily available for an additional charge. Transportation You will fly into the San José airport, which is actually located just north of the capital in the city of Alajuela. All in-country transportation related to your service program is included in your service program fee. You will be met at the airport and taken to the hotel where you will spend the first and final nights of your service program. The following day the team will embark on a four-hour ride to Santa Elena in a comfortable private van with air conditioning and adequate space for luggage. Once in Santa Elena, you will walk to Colegio each day as the hotel is located just up the street from the school. When volunteering at Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, volunteers are transported up to the reserve in a van which works exclusively for the reserve. At the end of the program, the team will travel back to Alajuela together again. You will also be taken to the airport on the last day of your service program. Note: transportation for free-time activities is not included. Lodging You will spend the first and last nights of your service program at the Hotel 1915 in the city of Alajuela, conveniently located just minutes from the airport. This hotel, reminiscent of 1915, is tastefully decorated and offers cable TV, air conditioning or a fan, and Wi-Fi in each room with its own private bath with hot water. It has lovely internal gardens, lounges, and reading areas. You can see photos of this hotel here. In Santa Elena, you will stay in a small family-owned bread and breakfast located just up the hill from Colegio. The rooms at the Mar Inn are equipped with a private bathroom with hot and cold water 24/7, Wi-Fi, and safes. You can see pictures of this bread and breakfast here. You will be accommodated in double occupancy at both hotels. Singles rooms are available for an extra fee.

The Hotel 1915 The Mar Inn

Free Time & Sightseeing Activities In the evening and on the weekend, you will have the opportunity to savor the multitude of recreational and cultural offerings available in this jewel of a country. Costa Rica, which is roughly half the size of the state of Kentucky, is home to more plant and animal species than the U.S. and Canada combined, making it one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet. With 850 recorded bird species, Costa Rica is a veritable birdwatcher’s paradise. If you're lucky, you may glimpse the mating flight – a dramatic, spiraling vertical swoop – of the stunning quetzal bird. Nature lovers of all types will be enthralled by the abundant wilderness of this country, which is home to thousands of animal species. In Monteverde, there are three nature preserves, night nature walks, hanging bridges, coffee and chocolate tours, a butterfly garden, a bat jungle, among many other exciting things to do. Other diversions in the country include hiking to waterfalls, going to volcanoes – including Central America’s most active volcano – Arenal, soaking in hot springs, and relaxing or surfing at gorgeous beaches. You will never be at a loss for things to do in this, the center of adventure and nature tourism.

Service Program Contribution Global Volunteer’s service program contribtuion covers all lodging in double accommodation, three meals a day, in-country team transportation, emergency medical evacuation insurance, all preparatory materials, onsite

orientation, a full-time team leader, and administration costs. Single rooms are available for an additional fee. The Santa Elena service program contribution is $2,795 for one week and $2,995 for two weeks in March and $2,695 for one week and $2,895 for two weeks in June and August. Please ask your volunteer coordinator about extended stay options and referral credits, as well as discounts for students, companions, and alumni. We also encourage you to use Global Volunteers’ online fundraising tool to create a personalized webpage to request partially tax-deductible donations from family and friends to help cover your service program contribution. Airfare and free time activity expenses are your responsibility. The service program contribution and airfare are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.

Reserve your spot today! You CAN make a genuine difference. Call one of our volunteer coordinators at 800-487-1074 to register.

375 E. Little Canada Rd. St. Paul, MN 55117

800-487-1074 651-407-6100 https://globalvolunteers.org/ info@globalvolunteers.org