Day 6

Today we were able to spend about 3 hours at a local high school, which could not have been more different (economically) that the school we visited two days ago...



Liceo de Pacora is a provincial high school, which had about 500 students ranging from grades 7-11. We visited the school at the end of their year, with just a few weeks left until their big "summer" break! The students were finishing exams, and we got the feeling they were very much looking forward to summer just like our student would.

Summer for Costa Rican students takes place in the months of December and January. The reason they have the big break at this time is because the rain in Costa Rica finally lets up for these two months. It is the dry season!


The students performed for us today, giving us a glimpse into their lives, and the lives of those at this school. Liceo de Pacora is in a very rural part of Costa Rica, and these students seemed to very much appreciate the limited resources they were given while attending school. For some, school is the only safe place they might have. The most inspiring thing was that even though the students lived for the most part below the poverty level here, their attitudes were incredible and we felt honored to be able to participate in their school, even if only for a day!

We spent the afternoon today talking with the experts at EARTH University about recycling and waste management. We saw an eye opening movie about Guatemala City and it’s urban dump called “Recycled Life”. It’s tough to watch, but is truly an amazing look into the lives of people in Guatemala that we might never otherwise see. I recommend renting this if you have time – even my students!

Composting Pile...

We traveled all over the EARTH University campus seeing how they deal with the overwhelming task of staying as close to the sustainability line as possible. We saw great examples of recycling, composting, and proper land use management. Amazing things they are doing here! This university grants students from all over the world (mostly 3^rd world countries with aggro economies) a place to study, with full scholarships to over 50% of the students. The rest receive some aid, but almost all return their home countries to better the agricultural business practices there!

I think the picture below is a great example of "Re-use".

While we were touring the grounds, I saw TONS of new animals and plants, a few of which my students will love to see, AND even more that I can share with you in the pictures below:

Another 3-toed Sloth! Look at its head craning around to look at us!

More coming soon!