Post Trip Reflections

A Recipe for Change.

How do you explain to your family and friends the life altering experiences you had during a ten-day trip to Central America? Cook with them. My daughters and I decoded the recipe from my host mom in Linda Vista for empanadas and we got a little carried away.

Clockwise: Corn Flour Tortillas, Empanadas, Patacones (Fried Green Plantains) and Beans and Rice

Our cooking session gave me an opportunity to talk to them about the different ways in which families interact and support one another, and what it means to have "quality of life" (the problem our group of teachers grappled with during a global leadership exercise called "Utopia"). My stay with my host family prompted me to think about the meaning of material wealth. It is an artificial construct, like race, that allows groups in power to determine the worth/value of those who do not have power. Our basic accommodations (the wooden tin-roofed structure of our home, the indoor-outdoor plumbing, fresh air, and the fact that we could easily identify the source of our daily meals) made me re-think my conspicuous consumption back home in the US. Now that I have returned to my more comfortable way of life, I will remind myself not to place a value judgment on any aspect of my experience and develop new habits. I will take off my privileged "western glasses" (i.e. check myself), strive to nurture authentic relationships, stretch myself, learn something new every day and, most importantly, help others do the same. Gracias a mi familia Blanco-Arce y esperamos verle pronto de nuevo.

Diahann

Rain, Sweat and Odors

Rain, sweat and odors are no longer noticed and have become an accepted way of life. This is another layer peeled away that we've discovered does not matter. As we approach the end of this trip, many thoughts are flooding through: enjoying the simple things, ziplock bags can have creative uses, family is very important, facing your worst fear with friends will get you through, sapos (toads can be your friend), kicking a few footballs(soccer) with children is very healthy, cold water showers can be very refreshing, Costa Rican children are very open and loving and last but not least, nothing is more humbling that knowing you are only visiting while this is reality for families you've gotten to know.

We, I, have learned so much about myself with facing fears, the unknown, and living with basic needs along with becoming more focused on global awareness and wanting to make a difference.

Ensworth will be heading to the airport at 2am and are all looking forward to being with our families, yet we will miss the family of 11 we created while embarking on this trip and also our host families. We've shared laughter, tears, and some profound moments that have changed us forever in different ways.

Pura Vida my dear friends, until we meet again, which I'm sure will happen because this journey has only begun in Costa Rica-- Jean

Day 9

Costa Rica/2011 Day 9:

Today we all have different projects that we are working on. Nate, Ed & Dan have become quite the plumbers on this excursion. They so kindly accept the responsibility of repairing toilets at the Linda Vista & Chilamate Schools. As the guys repair the toilets, Joleen cleans them. Megan, Jean, Dihann & Debbie continue working at their school. Adam, Joleen & I continue painting signs at Chilamate School. As we plan to meet for lunch, the guys decide to jump in the river. Jeff, Ross, Adam, Nate, Ed & Dan all jump from the bridge into the river. It is so much fun watching these guys jump in.
Fun, fun, fun!!!!

After lunch some people join Jennifer go for a hike down to the river. Others decide to hang back & nap in hammocks at Olga's. Olga prepares us for a Costa Rican cooking lesson. We all gather around the table to watch & prepare our own Costa Rican dish.

We have our curriculum lesson on being good listners. We walk back to our host family's for dinner & showers. Adam, Nate, Debbie & I play a few rounds of UNO with Dina, Marie, Alejandro, Moralia & Christopher.

Good night for now!!!

Deatrice Swett

Safe and Snug in the Homestays

Hello everyone,
Ross here posting a quick blog from the eco lodge while all the others are safe and snug in the homestays after a long day of service work, making empanadas, swimming in the river and running curriculum. Jennifer Klein, the other instructor from World Leadership School, and I took the evening to visit all the homestay families. Joleen and Megan were sitting on their front porch, very happy to have a new fan to keep them cool at night and gearing up for an hour of karaoke with their homestay mom and dad (tomorrow we have a good bye community celebration with all the homestay families doing karaoke); Jean and Diahann were, after a very long day of work, playing SOCCER very joyfully in their yard; Dan was sitting on a hammock with Katy, his 5-year-old homestay daughter, while Ed was reading in their very relaxed and laid back homestay; Nate and Adam were dancing and singing so loudly with their family that I heard them a half mile away; Jeff has become semi-fluent in Spanish and is holding court having hours-long conversations with his family, absolutely amazing; Deatrice and Deb had their Spanish-English book out and was working it, trying to communicate as hard as possible with their family and laughing the whole way through. In summary, this is a very hard-working group and they are loving the time with their host families. Look for another blog post tomorrow!
Ross Wehner

Zip lining adventure through the rain forest!

HOLA/HELLO!!

Debbie here signing in for the day. It is 5:30 p.m. here and we just returned from an amazing day of adventure and bonding! We survived zip lining across the rivers and valleys to and fro with an incredible view. To celebrate our success, we are all gathered here at the Chilamate Rain Forest Eco Lodge to regroup before we return home to our home-stay families. We are safe and content and looking forward to returning home to share our fantabulous stories! All of you, both families and friends, we speak of you daily and hold you close to our hearts!! Now, Jean will continue with her highlights of the day!

What a day! We started off with our service work in our 3 respective schools and then moved on to my most challenging aspect of the trip-- the Canopy Tour-- translation-- zip line-- translation-- fear, tears, more fear, and lots of encouragement from the group and great guides to help all of us through-- some more than others-- ie: me. But, I did it, even though I was ready to ford the river back to the beginning after the 2nd section. BTW-- we had, I think, 10 sections-- half way through it felt like forever for me.... Adam and a few others were daring and took great photos and videos that will be shared when we return to the states-

gotta run-- heading back to our homestay families-- we all have so many humbling experiences to share-- but I do not recommend anyone other than our group to sit with us on the trip back-- we have learned what basics really are-- Lots of Love to all families-- thank you for allowing us to have this experience. Jean

Personal Notes from the Group

Hey Camille, Caleigh and Anthony. Everyone is doing well. A chicken flew over our heads at breakfast this morning and we didn't miss a beat...LOBO though. Love you guys..see you soon. Love Mom.

Hi Renee, Sebastian and Francesca. Cookie monster is not getting many cookies here in Costa Rica so watch out for when I get back! Love Ross

Hey Mom, Dad, Andrew, and Ensworth Family. All is going fantastic here in Costa Rica. I have learned so much and had a blast. Thinking of everyone and now it's off to the zip line!!! Love, Adam

Family,
Costa Rica's been a blast thus far. Many beautiful, beautiful families with great stories. Hope all is well at home. See you soon, Nate

Hey Joe, Josh, Farisa, Raynelle and Ensworth friends and family! Having a stupendous time with news friends and family. Spent the past two days visiting three of the local schools. Of course, all of us teachers are loving the interaction with the children and the local community. Great food and lots of excitement!! Love you all and now we are off to the zip line!!! Love, Debbie

Hi Honey, Mom, Bridgett and David,
We are having a wonderful experience here in Sarapiqui Chilamate Rainforest with our host families. I cannot wait to share the experiences I have had with you all. Love you and looking forward to the zip line! Love, Joleen/Mom

Hey Sweetie,

I am working with the Directora of Kay Rica school (Belisa Soto Alfaro) in the community of El Roble. Debbie and I are covering donated dictionaries for the classrooms, tomorrow we will move to phonetic lesson books. By placing plastic protection around the paperbacks will expand the use of the books. We have already begun to formulate a library plan-- I have pictures of the space where the library will be, but there is much to do before any materials can be moved in-- ie: windows and door-- (another school is doing that)-- more to come soon-- Miss and love you lots!! Jean

Hello Family,
I have had an excellent time with my homestay family. They are very kind and proud family. They constantly have visitors from the neighborhood creating a bigger family. I am working in the escuela in el Roble. They need to have their storeroom painted and organized. Today Jenn and I painted, so tomorrow it should be the construction portion. I have enjoyed getting to know all my fellow travelers and there is sense of family with in the group. Today I have been sick, so I have been eating small amounts of food and drinking a lot of fluid. I never seem to cool down.
I miss you with all of my heart and please tell Caden "Happy Birthday!"
Love, Jeff

Hi all,
We are really enjoying our time in Costa Rica. Getting to know a local village and its families has been very interesting and rewarding. The food has been delicious and plentiful! Today we're going zip-lining through the rainforest and I am so excited about it. White water rafting was a blast. It's been a nice mix of service work and tourist-y type things. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!
Love,
Megan

Hola everyone!
We are having a really great visit. Everyone is healthy and happy. We miss you all very much.
I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Take care, Deatrice

Hola friends and family,
All is well here in Costa Rica. Home stay has been great, and we've made some progress on the various service projects. We've been seeing the country in between various events and are off to go zip lining next. Gotta run ...
-Dan

Hi everyone!
Ed here- enjoying the work, learning, and play here this week in Chilamate. Can't wait to come home, but this is time well spent. Miss everyone back home, and will come back with many lessons, stories, and pictures.
Love, Ed

Day 7

Costa Rica/2011 Day 7:

Today we participated in the World Leadership curriculum. We used the Myers-Briggs personality test prior to coming to Costa Rica. We had a mix of the four types of leaders. Several of the leadership qualities matched my personality exactly. It's interesting to hear the results & how they are related to each person.

After participating in a couple of curriculum activities we divide & conquer. Five educators are in each group to go to each of the three schools. Dihann, Meghan, Adam, Ross & me were at Chilamate School. This school is coed & services several aged children. (Pre K-6) what is interesting about Costa Rican schools is that the teachers have two shifts each day for classes. Some kids start school at 7 & stay until 11:30. The others come in from 12-5. Regardless of arrival time every student is served a hot meal daily.

Ross, Adam, Meghan, Dihann & I have an opportunity to teach a 40 min lesson to 24 1st graders. It was so much fun, but remember not all of us speak the native tongue. (Espanol) Meghan, Ross, Dihann & Adam actually know Spanish. I would say I'm learning pretty quickly, but I'm still in the remedial class for beginners. After our lesson we do some weeding on the playground. Whew! It is sooooooooooo hot! I'm actually sweating. We are trying to stay hydrated by drinking 3 or more liters of water each day.

After weeding we head to Cinca de Tilapia Farm. There is a huge pavilion with a wood burning stove. This is an outdoor kitchen where food is being prepared for you while you wait. We are served whole tilapia, cole slaw, plantains, hash brown typed dish, fresh avocado & tomatoes. Our beverage choices are fresh guava juice or fresh pineapple juice. This lunch is so delicious. I cant believe I'm eating fish with bones. My mom usually takes them out for me. (yeah I know) after lunch we are given the opportunity to fish in the family pond. Meghan & I decide to observe the others that ate fishing. Debbie & Adam do not catch anything. However, Jean had two bites immediately and brought them in, by winding the bottle as quickly as possible. The fish are nice sized fish. Needless to say she is quite proud of herself, just as we are. Jeff also tried his hand at fishing & does not catch anything. After fishing we participate in team building activities. This is really challenging, but fun.

After the activity we are served Costa Rican coffee. It is so, so good. As others prepare to go on a tour of the plantation, Joleen & I decide to hang back & enjoy our view. (so peaceful & relaxing) I help Seniorita Rosa wash & put away dishes, We are served fresh pineapple slices as we relax.

This farm is so beautiful. The family is welcoming & inviting to us.





Deatrice Swett

Day 6

Costa Rica/2011 Day 6:

Today is the first day to meet our host families. Edwin (padre) 38, Loraina (madre) 34, Alejandro (niño) 14 & Yerlin (daughter) 9. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. They have welcomed Debbie & me with open arms. They also loved the gifts we presented them with. (Of course that included Ensworth t-shirts)
Alejandro & Yerlin had school today. They are returning after a two week break.

Today we visited two elementary schools. The schools are both K-6 grade. They were neat & welcoming to visitors. They also have plenty of work that needs to be done. The students wore navy blue pants or skirts & a white shirt with black shoes. They all looked very neat in their uniforms. They also loved for us to take pictures of them.

After our visits we headed over to Chilamate for lunch with Davis & Meghan. We were served lunch with the utmost hospitality & the food was delicious. Following lunch we were in for a huge surprise.

We head into town to visit the Rainforest Cacao Plantation. This visit included a hike & the hike is over one of the most shaky & dangerous cable bridges I have ever seen. Nonetheless, I crossed it with ease because of the encouragement from my colleagues. Oh, I forgot to tell you my eyes were closed most of the way. It was swaying from left to right, it was shaky & wobbly. I prayed & swore all in the same breath. After I finish praying I make it to the end with wobbly legs trembling with fear. (but I made it) On our hike we see howler monkeys, spiders, sloths & about a million species of ants & insects.

In the middle of the hike we stop to learn the entire process of making chocolate. The best part of it all is that we taste the chocolate throughout the process. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, melted warm chocolate, chocolate drink, & the bean through it's whole process of being made into chocolate. This is a tedious & time sensitive process, but once it's complete it tastes so delicious.

We will begin our work in the community on Wednesday. Let the service learning begin! We are ready!!

Deatrice Swett

The Art of Traveling with Teachers

Don't let the title make you think I've mastered the art of traveling with teachers--if anything, I'm learning something new every day...

1. Teachers can be just as resistant to learning as teenagers, if not more so. However, this group has been amazing, from the first "Have you ever..." game to the invisible energy ball we passed with great bravado.

2. Teachers get just as panicked over language barriers and talking to strangers as students. But just like students, they know how to push through the fear and find a way to connect. Even knowing that I was using backward design by sending them on a scavenger hunt their first day in the community, they still gave me plenty of crap about it--and then navigated the experience beautifully and came back with the need to know more, just as I'd hoped.

3. Teachers have the same variety of quirks and needs that teenagers do. They need pit stops, down time, reassurance and a little push once in a while. I am playing the nurturer, the encyclopedia, the Spanish/English dictionary and the challenger, just as I have on every student trip I've led. Not only are the teachers letting me do all this--they're embracing it.

4. This work matters at least as much as traveling with students. When I really think about it, this is why I left the classroom after 19 years with teenagers--to inspire adults to in turn inspire students to find their place in the world. I feel honored to be a part of this group, of this trip and experience. And I have no doubt that these teachers will find new and innovative ways to bring the world into their classrooms.

Jennifer

Day 3

Costa Rica/2011 Day 3:

Today I signed up to travel by bus to visit the community of La Argentina where we visited some of Costa Rica's rural family farms. We were welcomed in Douglas & Maria's home with open arms. There are open living quarters where there is a kitchen, dining, sleeping & relaxation areas in their home. There are 3 pictures hanging on the wall for everyone to see. The first one is a picture of his grandmother. She was from Jamaica. The second picture is of his mother & daughter when she was a toddler. (she is now 40). The third picture was of Martin Luther King, Jr.

When asked about the pictures he stated in English, "I have a dream, just as my grandmother, mother & MLK Jr.  had". He & his family moved from the busy city of El Paso to be back in their home land. Douglas grew up in this province. He now owns approximately 12 acres of rainforest land. His water comes from a fresh spring, they have limited plumbing & electricity. On his farm he raises & sells tilapia, shrimp & crawfish. He grows plantains, bananas & other vegetation for survival & its just his way of life. He is proud to be living off of what we call "the fat of the land".

It is very damp & a steady bit of drizzling rain constantly. I never knew there were so many shades of green. The air is so fresh & inviting. In his community there is a church, a one room kindergarten & a one room elementary school (1st-6th). The kids are currently on a two week break from school & they are scheduled to return on Monday. There is a doctor in his community, but he is only there for three days of the week. (Mon., Tues. & Wed.) When you build a home in this area you must build your own living quarters & you must apply for a water permit. This generation of families burn their trash on the property. The 21st century children are learning to recycle through their Environmental Science studies.

While visiting we are seeing various species of birds, we saw a sloth hanging at the top of a tree, monkeys & of course various bugs, insects & spiders. Most families have dogs as pets, there are cows, horses & roosters.

This experiential study was very rewarding. It makes me realize & appreciate all of our many simple pleasures as blessings. I am having a wonderful time & I am very grateful & humbled by my experiences.

(Family & friends--I miss everyone & hope you can visualize my experience
From some of the details mentioned.)

(Jalen, Jourdan & Justice-- I love you miss you all so much & wish you were here sharing this visit with me. You all are so lucky!)

Love, Deatrice (mom)

The Zen of the Rainforest

Last day at Earth University. We are following the same schedule as the previous day with visits to the local farms and plantations. I chose to visit the community farms. I found my experience to be personally affirming but also spiritual. Have you ever felt completely at one with your surroundings and understood all at once your purpose in this world? I definitely felt at some points in the day that if I stood completely still I could feel the earth breathing. I could hear the mountains speaking to each other beneath their snowy mantels. The trees are literally alive buzzing, chirping, whirring, clicking.

A group of us spent the morning at our host Chupita's beautiful finca (the costarican word for farm), basking in her grandmotherly glow. In the picture she is cradling a squash the size of a small child.

I feel her warmth as we kissed her goodbye and thanked her for her unbelievable hospitality. I felt my eyes tear up as the memory of my own grandmother and the time I spent in the tropics as a child, came rushing back. Fast forward two hours. The wrap up session for the Global Youth Leadership conference provided exactly the transition we needed. Thank you Ulric Johnson. I will remember to embrace my five C's (Color, Culture, Class, Character...) and when asked, I will share them with the same joy as my favorite dessert. Pat Bassett, President of NAIS, got us energized and ready to take on the world like the "shirtless dancing guy"(check out the link to see what I mean:http://mydd.com/2010/2/12/the-shirtless-dani). Thank you to Sarah, my kindred spirit, for the two-hour conversation on the bus trip to Chilamate. I will continue to dream big while keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. As we approached the rain-forest eco-retreat the lessons of the last few days began to crystallize. Surrounded by indescribable beauty we we are reminded that we are all responsible for the security of our future. We are all uniquely qualified change agents; we all have a job to do. Tomorrow we will meet our host families and I am excited to see what wisdom the next few days will bring.

Day 4

Costa Rica/2011-Day 4:

Wow! Today I started with a very wholesome breakfast. The menu had eggs, rice /beans, cheese, rolls & fresh pineapple & papaya. I am also enjoying having a cup of Costa Rican "black" coffee each morning. The senioritas that serve us each day like to add half milk & half coffee. You really have to let them know that you do not want milk. "NO milk please, thank you" with my very best Spanish accent.

I returned to my room to change into my hiking boots. Today will be my 2nd day to wear hiking boots. What I'm saying is, I've never worn them until yesterday. Jean, Jeff, Debbie & I are visiting the swine/cattle farm & banana plantation on EARTH's campus. I'm excited but nervous because everyone has warned me that there are "LOTS" of fire ants, giant grasshoppers, snakes & many interesting smells. Now this will all be ok...if I can brave the elements & environment. I quickly remember that on this trip we are learning to
"have comfort with our discomfort".

I'm on the bus & everyone seems excited. We drive a couple of miles to the banana plantation and we learn everything there is to know about bananas. Although they are not my favorite fruit I have an appreciation for all the work that is put into one harvest of bananas. I was doing well until we saw a baby mouse squiring under our feet. That did it for me & my lesson on bananas.

Now we are headed to the swine & cattle farm. We unload and I'm so excited about seeing the baby pigs. Unbeknownst to me with a baby pig you get a momma pig who is very large & very protective. She fusses at her piglets as they peek their heads out from the door of the nursery. At this time I'm doing really, really well considering there is "poo" everywhere & it is very muddy. As I enjoy the baby pigs, we enter the bachelor pad of pigstys. This is where the daddy pigs-also known as "the studs" are being housed. As I enter I am very overwhelmed by the smell. I fan myself, I gag, I spit, throw up a little in my throat & begin to panic as my stomach turns & rumbles. I'm looking around & I seem to be the only person that even notices the smell. The bad part of all ot this is there are no restrooms available for me to gather myself. Needless to say this ends my tour for the day. I go back to the bus & relax in a cool breeze of fresh air. This was all very good for me. I learned alot about bananas, swine/cattle farming & how to quickly get rid of a queasy stomach.

Miss you all!

Deatrice Swett

Chilamate Eco Retreat arrival

We have arrived!

The housing is comfortable and we are all excited to begin our service project. Tomorrow we have a morning hike scheduled to go deeper into the rainforest and than rafting in the afternoon before meeting our host families.

Before we arrived at Chilamate, we stopped along the way at a bodago-- it's like a mini Walmart-- this allowed a few of us to pick up headlamps (discovered essential from today forward) more portable water and gifts for our homestay families. The store manager had to continue to come to the cash registrar to verify our American 20 dollar bills were ok, most of us (11) were in line -- I also ran into one of the students who helped us while at Earth University while browsing an aisle-- we were both surprised to see each other-- he thought it was funny that we had followed him home...LOL

The evening rainforest is waking up so I'll sign off now to enjoy the symphony.

P.S.-- the coffee continues to be wonderful- I'm in heaven.
Jean

Has it been 4 days already?

We left a razor-wired; traffic jammed San Jose where Nashville drivers have nothing on Costa Rican drivers. None of us could guess the vehicle speed limit in the city as I think the rules were fast is good and faster is better. Before moving on to our service portion of this trip, our trip moved onto Earth University near Pierto Limon Costa Rica on the Caribbean side to attend the Global Youth Leadership Institute Conference

As the bus continued to climb into the rainforest the words “Jurassic Park” came to many of our minds. There were several areas where it looked like the jungle was overtaking the road. Earth University’s entrance brought to my mind as a Disney hotel entrance with well-manicured lawns and banana trees lining the roadway and a guide posed at an open entrance, What a difference from San Jose! There are no razor-wire fences in sight and at first it appears this area is a safe envirorment, but even here there is a concern as we were told this county has the highest murder rate due to drug trafficking. So sad with so much beauty around but we had to keep in mind that we are not in Tennessee any more and be very aware of our surroundings due to people but also animals and insects.

The conference was amazing for personal growth, reflection, and meeting new colleagues that are also interested in Global leadership opportunities for and with our students. It was great to hear Leonardo Garnier, the Minister of Education from Costa Rica state that education is learning how to live together and how his department is following this statement.

Last night the conference held a celebration dinner with some very talented students from Earth University showing us their countries of Central and South America in song and dance. The Costa Rican group finished the evening with everyone up and dancing. What a way to finish an amazing day.

This afternoon we will be heading for the lowlands of the Rain forest in Saripiqua to begin our service portion. I believe we are now better prepared for our project and meeting the community. Today is the first day we have not had rain so it is also the first day we are experiencing the heavy humidity—I now appreciate the recommendation for packing drip dry light weight clothing.

Love to all my family, Jean

Day 3

Costa Rica/2011 Day 3:

Today I signed up to travel by bus to visit the community of La Argentina where we visited some of Costa Rica's rural family farms. We were welcomed in Douglas & Maria's home with open arms. There are open living quarters where there is a kitchen, dining, sleeping & relaxation areas in their home. There are 3 pictures hanging on the wall for everyone to see. The first one is a picture of his grandmother. She was from Jamaica. The second picture is of his mother & daughter when she was a toddler. (she is now 40). The third picture was of Martin Luther King, Jr. When asked about the pictures he stated in English, "I have a dream, just as my grandmother, mother & MLK Jr.  had". He & his family moved from the busy city of El Paso to be back in their home land. Douglas grew up in this province. He now owns approximately 12 acres of rainforest land. His water comes from a fresh spring, they have limited plumbing & electricity. On his farm he raises & sells tilapia, shrimp & crawfish. He grows plantains, bananas & other vegetation for survival & its just his way of life. He is proud to be living off of what we call "the fat of the land".

It is very damp & a steady bit of drizzling rain constantly. I never knew there were so many shades of green. The air is so fresh & inviting. In his community there is a church, a one room kindergarten & a one room elementary school (1st-6th). The kids are currently on a two week break from school & they are scheduled to return on Monday. There is a doctor in his community, but he is only there for three days of the week. (Mon., Tues. & Wed.) When you build a home in this area you must build your own living quarters & you must apply for a water permit. This generation of families burn their trash on the property. The 21st century children are learning to recycle through their Environmental Science studies.

While visiting we are seeing various species of birds, we saw a sloth hanging at the top of a tree, monkeys & of course various bugs, insects & spiders. Most families have dogs as pets, there are cows, horses & roosters.

This experiential study was very rewarding. It makes me realize & appreciate all of our many simple pleasures as blessings. I am having a wonderful time & I am very grateful & humbled by my experiences.

(Family & friends--I miss everyone & hope you can visualize my experience
From some of the details mentioned.)

(Jalen, Jourdan & Justice-- I love you miss you all so much & wish you were here sharing this visit with me. You all are so lucky!)

Love, Deatrice (mom)

Day 2

HI ALL

Jean here. I have to echo Adam's comments-- what a packed 2 days so far,  this morning we said good-bye to our B&B family that fed us so well for 24 hours and made us feel welcome in their home.  Yes, there were heavy gates and razor wire everywhere we looked but the family made us feel safe while we were in the burbs of San Jose.

We spent today visiting the Foundation Omar Dengo (FOD) the National Program of Educational Informatics a non-profit that has been going strong for 22 years. They have partnered with Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Education for education, technology and development. We had an interesting presentation but then was able to see first hand how this program worked-- first at Omar Dengo where we visited 3 classes-- 4th & 5th graders learning robotics, a special needs group expanding their world with technology and also a senior citizens group who want to understand how to access the internet so they can converse with their grandchildren.  We then left the city to visit a rural school to see how this program was adapted in that type of community. The community was responsible to provide a secure, air conditioned environment while the foundation provides the equipment and teacher.

The children were very excited to show us their projects and also to laugh with those of us who killed the spanish language as we tried to communicate. 

This picture is just an example of the housing we passed on the way to the rural school.


After another wonderful "simple" Costa Rican lunch prepared by the local mothers of this rural community we were back on the bus to head to our next destination-- EARTH university. More about that later.

Our group finished up the evening with reviewing some of our goals we had set for ourselves and our schools and turned them into a working first draft of a mission statement for our group with full acknowledgement that this statement is organic and will continue to evolve as we progress further into this trip.

Mission statement: draft 1
Self: To allow ourselves to grow and learn with in discomfort and challenge, so that we can build deep and empathetic connections.

School: To bring this experience back to our school communities in compelling and practical ways, which will allow us to shift school culture and globalize current curriculum with the support of our colleagues.

What I've Learned in Just Two Days

Hello All,

This is Adam, from the Ensworth School and I am thrilled to let you all know that everyone is safe and happy two days into our adventure (Hi Mom, Dad, and Andrew!!!). It is amazing to think that we have only been here for that short of a time, as the 11 members of our group have quickly bonded, and begun to truly understand each other and this place.

Here are just a couple of brief insights and stories into what I've experienced so far:

• I love the quote "Be a traveler, not a tourist" and we are definitely doing that by meeting real families and people here In Costa Rica. We were blessed to have extremely gracious and humble hosts at the Hotel Sabana Bed and Breakfast, who educated and acquainted us with the local culture and helped us get off the beaten path to really begin to understand Costa Rica.
• Finding beauty behind razor wire: I think the first thing all of us noticed was the security fences and walls that surrounded many of the businesses and homes in the area, but we learned quickly that these unsightly exteriors were not indicative of the safe, warm, and friendly culture and people awaiting inside.
• Seeing passion is just as powerful as hearing it: We were fortunate to be able to go and meet with students at a local summer camp through a group called the Omar Dengo Foundation, which helps integrate technology into Costa Rica classrooms nationwide. The students were sharing with us their final projects from the camp, where they had created games of chance through an open source computer program. I walked up to one young student who wanted to tell me all about it and she quickly greeted me and launched into her project. She talked on and on, faster and faster, pointing at her computer screen, clicking her mouse, and looking back at me to make sure I was keeping up with her explanation, while all the time not even realizing I didn't understand a single word of what she was saying (my Spanish is a bit rusty). Yet, without being able to hear the words she said, I felt that I really did understand her, and I was enthralled by her passion, impressed by her intelligence, and left nodding my head and saying "Si" hoping to hear more as we shared an unforgettable moment that just days before was half a world apart.  It has been experiences like this that are beginning to shape this trip for all of us and I can't wait to experience even more as the days go by.

We will have more posts coming soon so stay tuned, buenos noches and adios!!!

We have arrived

Hello friends and family!  We are happy to say that the adventure has begun--everyone arrived safe and sound.  We have had a great initial group meeting, and are now headed out for our first dinner together.  We will try to update this blog on most days, so please check back for updates.

Ross and Jennifer