JumpStart’s holiday fundraiser in full swing
It’s a difficult truth: If you know English in Costa Rica, you get farther in life. In theory, the nation’s grade schools require students to study English, to help them become competitive in later years. But according to some estimates, as many as 45 percent of these schools have no English teachers at all, leaving behind a quarter of students. Not surprisingly, the school systems most lacking are based in rural and underserved communities.
This holiday season, the JumpStart Costa Rica program is running an ambitious fundraising campaign. Created by the Costa Rica Multilinguë Foundation (CRML), JumpStart has proven true to its name: The program started in 2012 with only 23 students, yet after a successful pilot period, JumpStart now expects to serve 600 students from 30 communities. Their goal for 2014 is to provide additional training to 35 public school teachers, which should directly benefit up to 5,000 students.
The month-long camps are designed to give seventh-grade students a crash-course in English grammar and vocabulary, as well as a broader academic curriculum, including math, science, technology and engineering. Four-hour sessions take place daily, and education is largely “project-based.” Most teachers are volunteers from the United States, many of them enrolled in the Peace Corps.
At the moment, JumpStart is funded entirely by donors. Donation levels begin at $25 (equivalent to a textbook and writing materials), and continue to $200 (by “adopting a jumpstarter,” donors receive photos and updates) and even $4,000 (full tuition for 20 students for a four-week camp). For more information, visit: http://jumpstartcostarica.org/inicio/en/como-ayudar.
You may be interested

PHOTOS: The 2019 Festival de la Luz in San José
Nate Doughty - December 15, 2019The holiday season was in full swing Saturday night during the Festival de la Luz in San José, where thousands…

Slothy Sunday: Oatmeal, a story of hope
Ally Chamberlin / Toucan Rescue Ranch - December 15, 2019Meet Oatmeal. Oatmeal is a four-month-old, two-fingered sloth that was brought to Toucan Rescue Ranch as a young orphan. We…

Pic of the Day: Stunning views on the road to Monteverde
The Tico Times - December 14, 2019The drive to Monteverde isn't an easy one, so it's best to have some patience and let yourself enjoy the…