Day two at the Chilamate Eco Resort and first school visits.
Today we were fortunate to visit two very wonderful schools in Chilamate. La Lucha was a small rural school with approximately 60 students while Cristo Rey was a larger school with over 500 students. What struck a chord with me was the similarity of being in the classroom here in Costa Rica compared to my class in SF. We saw students eager to learn and teachers working hard to provide the best education for their students. The schools today seemed very advanced from what I had expected. Both schools had had access to great technology and were eager to integrate into their curriculum. Working on the iPads with students at La Lucha was such a memorable experience! At Cristo Rey we observed many K-5classrooms and were fortunate to see a music class in action.
We also had the chance to experience white water rafting on the SarapiquÃ--the river that runs next to the Eco Lodge in Chilamate. I have to say that it was amazing to see the beauty of this region while floating down the river. I'm also happy to report that we all stayed in the raft!
Our dinner was especially amazing tonight, not just because of the food, which is prepared exquisitely and with love, but mostly because of the amazing conversations that took place. The Dinner of One's Own consisted of males and females of the Chilamate community sitting together with us and sharing their stories. It was a powerful and memorable experience that will stay with me always. We heard different stories about what it's like to be a woman in Costa Rica and issues that face them today. We talked about roles of women in Costa Rican society and had the opportunity to share our own stories as well. The men talked about the experience of sharing and creating solidarity stories with one another over a meal, among many other topics.
We are looking forward to beginning our home stays tomorrow as well as visiting more schools in the region.
Adios!
Rachel, Hilary, Meagan and Chris
"Be Brave. Take Risks. Nothing can substitute experence." ~Paulo Coelho
Kindergarten students playing and working at both Cristo Rey and La Lucha.
iPad lab at La Lucha
Video of music class at La Lucha
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