The Costa Rica Multilingüe Foundation, a nonprofit housed at Casa Presidencial, has announced a new initiative to begin in January: JumpStart Costa Rica, an intensive English day camp for incoming seventh-grade students who attended rural primary schools without English teachers. The goal of the initiative, which this year will be held in the Los Santos region south of San José, is to prepare the kids for the classes they will begin at public high schools in February, by familiarizing them with English and reinforcing the academic skills they will need to succeed in seventh grade and beyond.
Costa Rica Multilingüe will be assessing and monitoring the students’ progress not only during the monthlong camp, led by volunteer EFL teachers from the United States, but also throughout their seventh-grade year, in hopes of expanding the initiative nationwide in coming years.
The foundation has set a fundraising goal of $5,000 in order to be able to provide lunch and snacks for the kids, print materials, offer special workshops for parents, and cover other camp costs. Donations at three levels, $25, $50, or $100, are suggested, though any amount will make a difference. Donors who provide contact information will receive updates about and from the kids on their progress.
Donations – tax-deductible in the United States – can be made online through Amigos of Costa Rica: www.amigosofcostarica.org/get-involved/express-donation/donate?reset=1&id=30. Donations may also be made to the foundation’s Banco Nacional accounts, 100-01-171-385-7 colones, 100-02-171-401-8 dollars, or SINPE accounts, 15117110010003850 colones, 15117110020004017 dollars.
For more information, check out JumpStart Costa Rica on Facebook, visit its blog at jumpstartcostarica.blogspot.com, or write to Academic Director Katherine Stanley at kstanley@crmultilingue.org.
