New Voices Costa Rica Servic

New Voices is produced by Prairie, Inc. Founded in 2009, Prairie produces New Voices and other community art programs which seek to bridge the gap between disparate socio-economic, racial and geographic communities and give voice to those excluded from dialogue on significant community issues. www.prairiecincinnati.com [email protected]

Service Learning Trip to Costa Rica

Student Information

Background

New Voices has been producing arts based service learning opportunities for high school students in the Greater Cincin- nati area since 2009. In these programs, students and their community partners work together to create bodies of expres- sive photographs which they use as prompts for sharing personal stories and perspectives on community issues with each other. In the course of over 75 artistic collaborations, high school students have helped hundreds of individuals in the community who are emerging from dependent circumstances to develop a new sense of confidence and a means to reconnect with the community in positive ways. At the same time they are serving the needs of individuals in the com- munity, students become ambassadors for change by sharing their discoveries and personal opinions about divisive is- sues, their “new voices”, with school, family and broader communities.

Going Beyond Tourism

New Voices offers a new service learning opportunity for Cincinnati area high school students through its collaboration with Asociation CREAR, an organization in Playa Samara, Costa Rica which provides educational and other support to school age children in the area. Through this collaboration, Cincinnati students will travel to Costa Rica to work directly with CREAR students on creative projects while exploring Playa Samara and its surroundings. Cincinnati students will not only learn by visiting and experiencing a magnificent and diverse country, but will also learn directly from their CREAR partners and other community members about issues which impact Costa Rica and the global community.

Learning about a region’s geography, resources, history, economy, religions, and languages provides insight into varying perspectives and ways of being and thinking around the world. Through their service learning work, students will devel- op the ability to think more critically about complex issues with a greater sense of empathy toward individuals and groups with differing and at times, conflicting viewpoints. They will gain both knowledge of new places and an aware- ness of global issues which they can directly impact.

What is Pura Vida?

Pura vida literally means “pure life” in Spanish and has become a motto for Costa Rica. It implies a pure, laid back and fulfilled sense of life. It is used in speech in many ways including as a greeting or farewell, to ask someone how they’re doing or even as an answer to that same question!

Service Learning Opportunity

New Voices students from Cincinnati will travel to Costa Rica to work directly with youth in Asociation CREAR pro- gramming on artistic collaborations which support CREAR’s mission in the community. This collaboration will engage New Voices and CREAR students on an equal footing in learning and using photography, video and mixed media to explore and interpret Playa Samara, to exchange personal stories and to develop a shared vision for positive change in both local and global communities.

In the course of this collaboration, all participating students will:

-Work in small groups consisting of both New Voices and CREAR students to engage in artistic and recrea- tional activities in and around Playa Samara throughout the program.

-Have their own cameras and learn how to create expressive photographs of sites of historic, environmental or recreational interest.

-Use a small selection of these images as prompts for personal reflections on their experiences.

-Create a final display, video and/or publication which expresses their shared discoveries and find ways to com- municate their ideas to friends, family, school and broader communities.

Asociation CREAR

Asociacion CREAR was founded in 2006 to provide supplementary educational, recreational and ca- reer opportunities to members of the rural communities surround- ing Playa Sámara in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Offered primarily to community youth with limited resources, CREAR’s innovative programs focus on creative and artistic expression, English lan- guage development, socio-cultural responsibility and women’s em- powerment.

Asociation CREAR Student

Playa Samara

Playa Samara is a small town of about 3,000 on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in the province of Guanacaste. While other towns in the north of Guanacaste have seen a significant tourism industry develop in recent years, Playa Samara has remained a relatively small town. In addition to the Ticos who call Playa Samara home, a growing international com- munity enhances the vibrancy of the area. Many hotels and restaurants are within walking distance of the beach. Banks, grocery stores and other amenities are all located within a five to ten minute walk from the city center. There are many opportunities to interact with others, both residents and non-residents in Samara. You will also undoubtedly encounter some of the “community” dogs, cats or even horses which have free run of the city.

The beachfront in Playa Samara is approximately one mile long and is bordered by natural dunes and estuaries. Many providers of surfing, snorkeling, paddle boarding and other water sports activities can be found on the beach along with restaurants that provide oceanfront dining.

In addition to beach activities, there are several other opportunities to discover the wonders of Costa Rica nearby. The Werner-Sauter biological reserve is on the site of a former farm about 15 minutes outside of Playa Samara. The reserve has examples of many of Costa Rica’s incredible old growth trees including the Guanacaste, houses many examples of Costa Rica’s extensive bird population and is the playground of many howler monkeys. Isla Chora is a small island just off the coast of Playa Samara. It can be reached easily by sea kayak and is also a good snorkeling site. Two wildlife res- cues, one in Nosara, about 45 minutes to the north of Playa Samara and one in Punta Islita to the south, provide up close encounters with some of Costa Rica’s many animals in educational settings.

Community Issues in Costa Rica

Education

As the Costa Rican economy shifts from agricultural and other commodities to services (mostly tourism), access to edu- cation is becoming a more critical path to success. It’s more necessary than ever to obtain language, technology and oth- er skills to find sustainable employment. While Costa Rica is a stable democracy, it has limited ability to provide human services and as a result, educational opportunities in Costa Rica are often dictated by personal wealth. Many of the youth served by Asociation CREAR whose families have less resources than others, find themselves in danger of being shut out of Costa Rica’s growing service economy. CREAR’s programs help fill the gap for Playa Samara youth by providing classes that help develop critical language, creative and technical skills necessary for success.

Environment

Another significant community issue in Playa Samara and throughout Costa Rica is environmental stewardship. While the growth of the tourism and other service industries has allowed some former agricultural areas to return to their natu- ral states, the construction of re- sorts and vacation homes is put- ting new pressure on coastal and other environmentally sensitive areas. In addition, non-indigenous plants which were accidentally or intentionally introduced through agriculture, such as teak, are also straining some of Costa Rica’s fragile ecosystems. It is critically important that Costa Rica’s envi- ronmental riches be understood and preserved. It is equally im- portant, however, for visitors to Costa Rica’s natural preserves to understand the balances which must be struck between environ- mental conservation efforts and the economic needs of Costa Ri- can citizens.

Playa Camaronal

Service Learning Goals

-Students will learn about the language, customs and culture of another country by forming personal relation- ships with their international partners and will gain new confidence in their ability to communicate with others outside of their own communities.

-Students will learn how to express themselves through photography and video by engaging in a series of photo exercises in collaboration with their partners. They will also learn computer and other technical skills associated with photography and video. -All students will learn about significant community issues in Playa Samara through interaction with their part- ners and other members of the Playa Samara community and will begin to understand the impacts of their per- sonal choices on both local and global issues.

-All students will gain confidence in their creative problem solving skills by producing a display, video or publi- cation which expresses the shared understanding of the group and which advances the mission of Asociation CREAR in the community.

Dates and Length of Service

Participating schools will arrange for dates which work best within their academic calendars and which also coincide with the academic calendar in Costa Rica. Costa Rican schools run on the calendar year, January through December, so school vacations and intersession periods in the US don’t necessarily coincide with similar periods in Costa Rica. Poten- tial dates for working with Asociation CREAR include the last two weeks of January and March through August. Ser- vice trips can take place over the course of one to two weeks depending on the needs of each participating school.

Booking and Payment

All booking will be handled by New Voices and includes:

-Flight From CVG To Liberia, Costa Rica -Transfers Between Aeropuerto Daniel Oduber In Liberia And Playa Samara -Lodging -Meals In Costa Rica -Entrances/Guided Tours/Activities

Not Included:

-Flight Insurance (optional) -Travel Health Insurance (optional) -Spending Money/Food And Snacks In Airport

Cost and Deadlines

-Cost: $2,000 per student -$100 non-refundable deposit upon acceptance to the program -50% due six months prior to departure (specific dates will be provided in application materials) -Balance due 90 days prior to departure (specific dates will be provided in application materials)

Financial assistance is available for qualifying students. Need based applications will be considered by school staff.

Chaperones

New Voices welcomes chaperones on this trip. The number of chaperones able to accompany the group will depend on the number of students enrolled and the availability of accommodations. Each chaperone will be assigned to assist spe- cific students throughout the trip.

Itinerary

Each program will have a curriculum personalized to suit the academic and logistical needs of both CREAR and Cincin- nati area students and to take advantage of different activities available in Playa Samara at various times of the year. Par- ticipating students will receive a detailed itinerary upon joining the program. All students, both high school students and their younger partners at CREAR, will take part in educational and recreational activities throughout the trip. It’s im- portant to the work of this program that all students have the same opportunities to learn and explore together. These shared experiences will also be great photo opportunities!

Each day will generally consist of one group outing for high school students only and one group session with CREAR students at CREAR’s facility in Samara.

Recreational and educational activities may include:

-Walking tour of Samara

-Environmental education programs or tours such as a sea turtle tour at Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge, SIBU wildlife refuge or the Macaw Action Network.

-Hiking tour of Werner Sauter Biological Reserve

-Surfing/Paddleboarding on Playa Samara

-Visit to Playa Carillo

-Cooking, dancing and language classes at CREAR

-Kayaking from Playa Samara to Isla Chora or on the Rio Oro at Camaronal Wildlife Refuge

Breakfast and dinner will be provided at local restaurants and lunches will be packed for students each day.

Travel to Costa Rica

Departure:

Flights from Cincinnati to Liberia in Guanacaste Province have one connection. Flights to Costa Rica from the connecting airport (usually Atlanta or Houston) are 3 ½ to 4 hours long. The group will be met by a van at Liberia airport which will transfer the group to Samara, about a two hour drive. Samara is on Central Standard Time (one hour behind Cincin- nati), so the group will arrive in Playa Samara in the early after- noon. Lodging will be provided at one of several commercial hotels located in Playa Samara.

Main Street in Playa Samara

Return:

The group will depart Samara between 9 and 10 am for our early afternoon flight from Liberia. We will have one con- nection before returning to Cincinnati between 10 and 11 pm.

Pre-Service Learning and Connection

To prepare for your service, your teacher will provide a short set of readings and exercises which will give you some background information about Playa Samara and Costa Rica. These exercises will also help you clarify the goals of ser- vice learning and your own expectations for this experience.

Students may also have an opportunity to correspond with each other in written form in advance of the program itself, depending on how far ahead each trip is booked..

Prerequisites to go on this Trip

-A desire to learn and connect with others!

-Complete application form and be accepted according to school criteria.

-Complete pre-service learning requirements set by faculty at your school.

-Have completed Spanish courses prior to the trip. (Specific course requirements will be provided on applica- tion).

-Meet all tuition payment deadlines and financial assistance application deadlines (if applying for financial assis- tance).

-Complete permission and other required forms.

Travel Preparation and Packing

Each participating student will receive a detailed trip preparation packet including packing list upon acceptance into the program.

Group Outings

Werner-Sauter Reserve The Werner-Sauter biological reserve is on the site of a former farm which has been incorporated into Costa Rica’s land trust system and is about 15 minutes outside of Playa Samara. The reserve has examples of many of Costa Rica’s incredible old growth trees includ- ing the Guanacaste, houses many examples of Costa Rica’s exten- sive bird population and is the playground of many howler mon- keys

Camaronal Wildlife Refuge/ Ora River Wildlife and Man- grove Kayak Tour During Costa Rica’s rainy season from May through December,

Kayaking on Rio Oro Camaronal is a great place to view nesting sites for sea turtles. These incredible animals can be observed leaving the ocean to build nests and lay their eggs on the beach. The Ora River which empties into the beach at Camaronal also provides an opportunity for kayaking and paddle boarding through a mangrove ecosystem while spotting herons, os- preys and howler monkeys.

Wildlife Rescue (Sibu or Macaw Recovery Network) Sibu Wildlife Refuge just outside of the city of Nosara is a non- profit which has been working for over twenty years to rescue indige- nous wildlife including howler monkeys, peccaries and others which have been injured or aban- doned in the wild or have fallen victim to human incursion into their environments. Sibu is located in a beautiful setting overlooking Playa Nosara. The Macaw Recov- ery Network in Punta Islita, about thirty minutes south of Playa Sa- mara, is dedicated to rescuing and reintroducing the Great Green and Scarlet Macaws back into the wild.

Rescued Infant Howler Monkey at SIBU

Playa Carillo Playa Carillo is a beautiful undeveloped beach about ten kilometers south of Playa Samara. Lined with palm trees, its calm surf provides opportunities for recreation and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. It’s a popular picnic destina- tion for families from the surrounding area and is a quiet alternative to Playa Samara.

Isla Chora Isla Chora is a small uninhabited island just off the coast of Playa Samara and is within an easy kayak ride of the main- land. Its white sand beaches provide a good opportunity to learn about the life cycle of coral reefs and the efforts to preserve and rebuild them. You might also have an opportunity to feed some of the many iguanas that live on the is- land.

Organizations and Staffing

Prairie/New Voices David Rosenthal, Prairie’s Executive Director, will lead the service trip to Costa Rica, accompanying the group at all times and guiding all photo/video and artistic activities throughout the trip. Rosenthal has been teaching studio pho- tography as well as creating and leading experiential programs for high school and college age students for the past 18 years. In the course of that work, Rosenthal has formed over 60 collaborations between high school students from the Greater Cincinnati area and local community organizations. These service learning collaborations give voice to those excluded from important community issues and provide opportunities for students to advocate on behalf of the indi- viduals and organizations they serve.

Asociation CREAR Asociacion CREAR was founded in 2006 to provide supplementary educational, recreational and career opportunities to members of the rural communities surrounding Playa Sámara in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Offered primarily to com- munity youth with limited resources, CREAR’s innovative programs focus on creative and artistic expression, English language development, socio-cultural responsibility and women’s empowerment. Lucy Barreto, CREAR’s administra- tive coordinator will supervise CREAR students and facilitate their collaboration in this program.

Carrillo Adventures/Samara Adventure Company Samara Adventure Company and Carrillo Adventures are private tour and transportation providers based in Samara and Playa Carillo. These family businesses have decades of experience providing a range of both recreational and edu- cational tours and activities in Playa Samara and beyond. Samara Adventure Company or Carrillo Adventures will pro- vide transportation, guides and educators for trips to Werner-Sauter, Isla Chora and Camanoral Wildlife Refuge.

Intercultura Intercultura is a Spanish language program with multiple locations in Costa Rica, including Playa Samara. The program uses immersion learning techniques in its language courses and also provides education about local customs and cul- ture. Asociation CREAR, through its relationship with Intercultura, will provide language instruction, salsa and cooking lessons to the group.

Service Learning Trip to Costa Rica Itinerary for Milford High School, January 18-25, 2020

(Specifics of itinerary and providers of lodging/tour activities may change depending on availability.)

Day 1:

Flight from CVG to Liberia with one connection. Departure between 6-7 AM and arrival around 2PM (Central Standard Time).

Transfer from Liberia to Playa Samara by Van, Approximately 2 hours.

Check in to hotel in Playa Samara. Possible lodging below (Specific lodging in Playa Samara depends on number of students and hotel availability.) The group will spend all seven nights at the same hotel in Playa Samara.

Tico Adventure Lodge https://www.ticoadventurelodge.com Locanda https://www.locandasamarabeach.com/ Pension Playa Samara https://pensionplayasamara.com/

Brief Tour of Playa Samara Dinner Group Meeting after Dinner Review Goals of Trip Team Building Photography Demonstrations

Day 2: Morning: Guided Walking Tour of Playa Samara Photography in Playa Samara

Afternoon: Visit Playa Carillo Beach Activities Photo Exercises

Evening: Reflection Image/Equipment Handling and Preparation Planning

Day 3: Morning: Subject Specific Spanish language Instruction with Intercultura

Afternoon: First Meeting with Asociation CREAR Samara Trails/Werner Sauter Nature Reserve Trip/Photography Evening: Reflection Image/Equipment Handling and Preparation Planning

Day 4: Morning: Kayaking/Snorkeling at Isla Chora off Playa Samara

Afternoon: Second Mmeeting with Asociation CREAR Review Photos Surfing Lessons/Photography Image Selections Evening: Reflection Image/Equipment Handling and Preparation Planning

Day 5: Morning: SIBU Wildlife Refuge or Macaw Recovery Network Visit/Photography

Afternoon: Third Meeting with Asociation CREAR Review Photos Cooking Lessons/Photography Image Selections Evening: Reflection Image/Equipment Handling and Preparation Planning

Day 6: Morning: Camaronal/Rio Oro Kayaking/Photography

Afternoon: Fourth Meeting with Asociation CREAR Review Photos Salsa Lessons/Photography Portraits Evening: Reflection Image/Equipment Handling and Preparation Planning

Day 7: Morning: Dolphin Watching/Snorkeling Tour/Photography

Afternoon: Fifth Meeting with Asociation CREAR Work on Final Project Final Interviews Present Photo Journals to CREAR Partners

Evening: Camaronal Sea Turtle Viewing

Day 8: Return: Depart Playa Samara at 9 AM for 1 PM Flight from Liberia Arrive at CVG at Approximately 11 PM EST Service Learning Trip to Costa Rica Student Application Trip Details

New Voices is an international service learning experience for Greater Cincinnati high school students in Costa Rica. This opportunity is available for up to 15 Milford High Schools students in the Winter of 2020.

Eligibility: Completion of Spanish 3 Trip Cost: $2,000 Trip Dates: January 18, 2020 – January 25, 2020

Parent and student information meeting: March 26, 6:00 pm. Milford High School Application Deadline: April 5, 2019 Acceptance Notifications: April 12, 2019 Financial Assistance Applications Due: April 18, 2019 Financial Assistance Notifications: April 22, 2019 $100 Trip Deposits and Enrollment Forms Due: April 26, 2019 50% Trip Deposit Due: July 1, 2019 Final Trip Deposit Due: October 1, 2019

Need based financial assistance is available for this trip. Partial awards to reduce trip cost will be determined based on individual need. Financial assistance applications will be distributed to all students accepted into the program. Trip deposits are applied toward the trip cost. In the event that more than 15 students are accepted and submit trip deposits before the April 26 deadline, a lottery will be held to determine final participation. Students not selected in the top 15 will be added to a waiting list and their $100 trip deposits will be returned. Students on a waiting list will be notified of trip availability after July 1, 2019. Additional trip preparation instructions and forms will be provided once student participation is finalized. Parents or guardians interested in becoming chaperones for this trip may indicate their interest on a form provided to all students accepted into this program. The number of spots for chaperones on this trip will depend on the final number of students enrolled on the trip.

Basic Information

Name: ______Address: ______

Grade: ______

Phone: ______Email: ______

Parent/ Guardian Name: ______

Parent/Guardian Phone: ______Parent/Guardian Email: ______

Please list below which Spanish classes you have completed and grades earned in those classes:

Class Teacher Grade Earned

______Please answer the following using the space below:

1. Please describe your interest in this program. Specifically, why you are interested in traveling to Costa Rica, collaborating with and serving youth at Asociation CREAR? What are you hoping to learn from this experience?

2. Please describe your involvement in any extracurricular activities at school as well as any activities you are involved in outside of school. Please include a description of each activity, how long you have been involved and how much time you spend/have spent in each activity and what you have learned/gained from participating in each activity.

Student Signature: ______

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______