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 Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
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