No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveJumpStart’s holiday fundraiser in full swing

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.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Role in US Deportation Drama with Salvadoran Migrant

A Salvadoran man at the center of a heated US immigration battle could end up in Costa Rica if he accepts a guilty plea,...

Costa Rica’s Sibö Chocolate Wins Bronze at Int’l Awards

Chocolate Sibö once again stood out at the International Chocolate Awards, the largest fine chocolate competition based in New York. The Costa Rican brand...

Costa Rica Marks National Parks Day with Free Entry This Sunday

As everyone knows by now, our country stands out for its strong focus on protecting the environment. It leads in conservation efforts, manages its...

San Jose Airport Achieves Top 5 Global Ranking in Passenger Experience

Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica's main gateway managed by AERIS, has earned the prestigious Level 5 Customer Experience certification from...

Route 32 Reopens Following Preventive Closure Over Landslide Risk

Route 32, which connects San José with Limón, was reopened this morning after being closed for nearly 12 hours as a preventive measure due...

Fan Violence in Latin American Football Spurs Debate on Security and Culture

Images of a fan jumping from the stands to escape a beating as bottles, rocks and seats fly through the air at a game...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica