THE Institute for Central AmericanDevelopment Studies (ICADS) and CostaRican student Freddy Villalobos wereboth honored Wednesday at the 2005Latin American-Iberian Summit in Honorof Educational Excellence, in Punta delEste, Uruguay.The summit, organized by the Peru basedCouncil in Honor of EducationalExcellence, honored individuals, schoolsand organizations from across LatinAmerica and Spain.ICADS, based in the western San Josésuburb of San Pedro, runs various programsaimed at educating “First World citizensabout Central America,” according tothe institute’s Web site, www.icads.org.The institute also works with people,communities and grassroots organizationsin Costa Rica and Nicaragua that have“demonstrated a commitment to learningand/or a dedication to social justicework.”The council honored Villalobos, 19,because of his work on drafting a bill thatwould reform Costa Rican law to wideneducational opportunities for youth, especiallythose with disabilities, said AlbertoCabezas, treasurer of the National YouthVolunteer Center.The bill is currently under considerationin the Legislative Assembly.
