semester program in costa rica january 3 – march 20, 2013
TRANSCRIPT
Semester Program in Costa Rica
January 3 – March 20, 2013
LocationCaletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica
• 5 Hours to San Jose
• 3 Hours to Liberia
• 20 Minutes North of Santa Teresa & Mal Pais
• 30 Minutes to Cobano
LiberiaSan Jose
CIRENAS
Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge
• Created in 2006• Co-Managed National Wildlife Refuge
• MINAEM, CIRENAS, PRETOMA, Stakeholders• 750 Acres of Coastal Land• 12 Nautical Miles of Marine Protected Area• Two of the Largest Rivers on Nicoya Peninsula• 4 Species of Nesting Sea Turtles• 250 Species of Birds: Migratory & Native
Our Campus
• Off the grid• Solar Powered• Local Materials• Hand Built• Sustainable
Our Students
• 12-14 Total Students• From Public, Private, Charter & Home Schools Worldwide
• US, International & Costa Rican Students
• Need Blind Application Process•Based on merit, determination &
character
Semester OverviewJanuary 3 - March 20, 2012
• 12-14 Students; • 5 Core Teaching Faculty, • 5 Staff • Visiting Faculty and Lecturers• 6 Day Weeks• Place-based, Interdisciplinary Courses• CPR First Aid Certification Course• Group Expedition• Week-long Site Visits to Parks, Education Centers and Projects • Work Study Programs • Community Service Projects - Total of approximately 75 hours• Final Project Symposium
Place-based Courses
• Tropical EcologyResearch, Fieldwork, Projects
•Social Studies / HistoryCosta Rican culture, Worldview, US/CR Relations
•EnglishScientific journaling, Non-fiction writing,Environmental literature
•MathematicsStatistics, Research data, Tutoring
•SpanishImmersion, Costa Rican literature
•Leadership & CommunityTeamwork, Public Speaking, Active Listening
Tropical Ecology
• Marine Ecosystems• Watershed Studies• Research• Field work• Projects
Social Studies
• Costa Rican History • Costa Rica/US Relations• Local Interviews• Homestays• Projects
Spanish
• Focus on Conversational Spanish• Teaching English• Local Interviews• Homestays• Projects
English• Essay Writing• Poetry (taught by Matt Miller, Exeter)• Journaling• Environmental Literature• Public Speaking• Projects
Mathematics
• Data Collection and Analysis• Statistics • Tutoring• Projects
Integrated, Project Focused Curriculum
• Turtle Conservation•Research, Fieldwork, Interviews, Data
Collection, Scientific Journaling & Essay Writing
• Identification Guide for National Wildlife Refuge
•Flora & Fauna Identification, Data Collection, Ethnobotanical Use of Plants, Artwork, Interviews, Field Guide Composition & Layout
• Sustainable Systems• Ecological Restoration• Journaling & Blog• Final Project
Past Projects• Watershed Educational Model• Holistic Pasture Management• Grey Water Recycling• Chickens & Coop• Medicinal Plant Garden & Recipe Book
• Solar Ovens•Turtle Nursery Business Plan
Activities
Tucker SzymkowiczCo-Director& Founder/English
Master’s of Education:Curriculum and Instruction
University of Washington, WA. USA
Certificate Non-Profit LeadershipUPEACE, Costa Rica
BA English and ReligionColorado College, CO. USA
Caroline GrewCo-Director & Founder/Outreach
BS Communications Minor Latin American Studies
Cornell University, NY. USA
Certificate Non-Profit LeadershipUPEACE, Costa Rica
Annette Fischel Program Coordinator/Science
Masters of Applied Science, Natural Resource Management. James Cook University, Australia
BS Biology: Major Ecology and Sustainable Development. University Latina, Costa Rica
Our Returning Faculty
Our New Semester Faculty
Andy WintersProgram Director/Social Studies
The Compass School, VT
MS EducationIntegrated Curriculum Development, Leadership and Community, Cultural
Anthropology Lesley University,
Audubon Expedition Institute, MA
BS General Science Biology, Secondary Education Certification
Michigan State University, MI
Elissa McLeanSpanish/Service Learning
Ed.M: Learning & Teaching Harvard University
Graduate School of Education
BA: Environmental Studies and Education
University of Vermont
James DiCarloMathematics/Science
Phillips Exeter Academy
Masters of Science, Applied PhysicsStanford University, CA
BS Physics & Engineering SciencesDartmouth College, NH
Gracias!
Thank you to all of our supporters, alumni, family & friends!
