Anna Hoppel

Use a Notebook, Not a Phone!

May 5, 2023 by Anna Hoppel Leave a Comment

Traveling is an ideal opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture and learn a new language. Technology has made it easy to access language-learning resources on our phones. However, there is one thing we encourage CCC students to bring on their trips that may seem outdated: a mini notebook!

Taking handwritten notes has many benefits for language-learning. It allows for a more tactile and hands-on learning experience. Writing something down feels personal and helps you remember it more efficiently. Instead of passively scrolling through flashcards on your phone, actively writing and practicing the new language in a notebook leads to better retention and makes the learning experience more engaging.

A small notebook is more portable and convenient than a phone. You can easily slip it into your pocket or bag, and it doesn’t require an internet connection. This makes it a great tool for on-the-go learning, whether you’re exploring a new city or communicating with an indigenous community. Depending on where you are traveling, avoiding pulling out an expensive laptop or smartphone can also keep your interactions safer.

Another benefit of using a small notebook is that it allows you to customize your language learning experience. You can create your own flashcards, notes, and exercises that are tailored to your specific learning style and needs. You can also give your book to new friends and acquaintances to write in or create fun pictures, helping you remember new words, places, and favorite restaurants. Ultimately, this makes the learning process more efficient and effective.

In summary, using a small notebook while traveling allows for more tactile and hands-on learning, is more portable and convenient, and allows you to customize your language-learning experience. If you travel to multiple countries, you’ll slowly develop a collection of memories to look back on and reflect on your growth. So, next time you’re planning a trip, consider bringing a small notebook along with you to help you learn a new language.

Language Learning in Costa Rica

August 4, 2022 by Anna Hoppel Leave a Comment

Recently, CCC has been collaborating with students from Amigos de las Américas, an international language and culture immersion program. We had the opportunity to introduce high-school-age Amigos students from the USA to college students from the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The UCR students are studying to be certified as English teachers, so connecting them to the Spanish learners from the USA allowed all of the students to develop language skills in a positive learning environment.

We began the connection by matching students to digital penpals from the opposite program. The UCR students wrote letters in English introducing themselves to their peers from the Amigos program, who responded in Spanish. A week after this initial connection, students had the chance to meet in person for a tour of the UCR campus. For the American high school students, this was a valuable insight into what an international university looks like and how they function.

The Amigos students enjoyed a tour of the UCR campus.

Students then split up into groups to participate in various activities focusing on creativity. One project involved writing poems together about culture, a unique opportunity for them to develop effective communication and cultural awareness. They communicated in both Spanish and English to practice their language skills. One of the students from UCR, who is training to be an English teacher, expressed that it was their first opportunity to converse with a native English speaker.

Students participated in collaborative creative activities, such as poetry writing.

At the end of the connection, students shared a potluck on the UCR campus to celebrate their last day of classes. Students brought Costa Rican snacks, homemade banana bread, and local fruits, and our CCC leader provided snacks from Pennsylvania. This allowed students to try a variety of foods and have fun discussions comparing the similarities and differences. As they said goodbye, many participants exchanged social media accounts and expressed that they wanted to stay in contact with their new international friends. Connections like this are powerful ways for students to develop their identity as citizens of the world.

They shared a potluck of foods from Costa Rica and Pennsylvania!

About the organizations:

Amigos de las Américas provides volunteer and cultural immersion opportunities in the U.S. and Latin America for young people ages 13 to 22. Its mission is to inspire leaders through authentic service and immersion experiences.

University of Costa Rica (UCR) is a public university centered around a humanist teaching approach that encourages social work and research activities. It is the oldest and largest institution of higher learning in Costa Rica and the most important research university in the country.

Cross Cultural Connect is the glue that brings them all together!

Composting Connection – Marie M. Foster

June 9, 2022 by Anna Hoppel 2 Comments

This semester, I had the privilege of studying abroad in a rural city in Costa Rica called Turrialba. I lived at CATIE, an agricultural research center supporting farmers across Central America, and I had the opportunity to learn about agroforestry and sustainable farming practices. It was incredible. I’ve always been interested in sustainable food systems, so learning about CATIEs research while they were performing experiments and gathering data was an educational experience I’ll never forget. Then, taking my education a step further, I had the opportunity to put in place some of the connections I was making through a partnership with Cross Cultural Connect and Jorge DeBravo Educational Center, a local school.

With the help of many cool humans and skillsets, I helped spearhead a composting project on Jorge DeBravo’s campus. I researched different types of composting bins, prioritizing low cost and lower levels of maintenance so that the bin could be affordable and didn’t require a lot of human labor to the point that it would be a burden to the school. We also wanted a design that would still be pretty if it was forgotten for a few years because the buy-in behind the bin slowed. We landed on a design utilizing bamboo poles, chicken wire, and wooden pallets to build our bin, with all of our materials either being recycled or from a local adventure place (see image below). After building the bin, utilizing the skillsets of Kayla Angstadt and Ismael Rojas, the bin was ready to start turning food waste into nutrients!

After the bin was built, Ismael and his second-grade project class did a unit on composting, where Ismael taught his students how compost bins can turn food waste into fertilizer that can help new plants grow. He taught his students how compost bins need a balance between nitrogen (grass cuttings, food waste) and carbon (dry leaves, sawdust), and has them collect leaves for the bin weekly. The second graders are now the caretakers of the bin, making sure that it’s decomposing correctly with a balance of leaves and food waste, and stirring it so it decomposes faster. I loved watching the second graders compete on who could collect the most leaves, stacking leaves higher than the child holding the container at some point (image below). I had so much fun working and learning with them.

On the other side of the school, I led a composting session with the 11th graders, teaching about how food waste releases some carbon dioxide when it decomposes naturally, but when it decomposes in a landfill, the waste releases methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25% more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. The 11th graders helped put the finishing touches on the composting bin and created educational signs for the school on what types of food could go into the bin and what food could not. I personally loved this part of the project, because I connected with the 11th graders over music tastes, art skills (and my lack thereof), and just spending time with them.

As part of this portion, my social problems class visited the 11th graders, and they gave us a tour of the school. We talked about our lives, finding commonalities and differences, but my favorite part was talking about our various future paths. I loved hearing my partners’ dreams for the future (medical school and building businesses) and sharing my own (continuing my travels to learn about the world from the people living in it). During this session, we did a section on what problems are most pressing for them in Turrialba, in which one of the main issues was identified as waste management because a lot of waste produced ended up in the river. To me, learning about what my new friends were facing right then was eye-opening and real. These understandings mattered more than any math or grammar lesson because these lines of empathy and connection across divides are the future, and is how the world will have to work together to face the major issues we need to tackle together, like climate change. The issue of waste management was also cool because it connected back to the compost bins: compost bins are one direct way at finding better waste management solutions. This composting project filled a direct need identified by my Costa Rican counterparts, and it feels very purposeful to know I helped make it happen.

Using what I learned in school and from CATIE and getting to implement my education in a meaningful and impactful way is the definition of learning by doing and is how I want to continue my education moving forward. I learned so much from the relationships between CATIE, Verto Education, Cross Cultural Connect, Jorge DeBravo, and this project, and I hope that I made the same kind of impact on others’ lives that they made on mine. I have no doubt the compost bin will flourish under the watchful eyes of Ismael and the second graders. Who knows, maybe some of the second graders will take what they learned with our compost bin to build a new one somewhere else. After all, every connection, every step towards a solution compounds to create more impactful change that is so needed in our future together.

Side note: if you’re interested in building your own bin, I have linked some other models. The DIY tumbler is really nice for levels of maintenance (you just spin it 3-4 times a week) if you can find a big enough barrel and a barrel for a decent price. We didn’t use the tumbler idea because we needed something a little bigger to support the school, but it is the model that I recommend. Or worm bins but those don’t work well in hot climates like the tropics. Here are some other ideas for different compost bins. Let me know if you have any questions!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-m-foster

Instagram: _._.marie_._

Fuel Grammar School

May 26, 2022 by Anna Hoppel Leave a Comment

For years, CCC has been involved with Fuel Grammar School, an elementary school for low-income students. The school is found in the Falakuma district of Hyderabad, India, located in a neighbor-friendly and quiet alleyway. The students come from families who cannot read or write, single-parent situations, or orphanages. The Fuel Foundation provides all students in this school with free education, a rarity in India outside of government schools.

Due to donations from supporters of CCC, we were able to refurbish the first level of the school in 2017, giving students a common area filled with books, two beautifully painted classrooms, a principal’s office, and a fully functional kitchen. CCC held The Kirtan Music Event in October 2018 to continue work on the school and raised well over $3,000 for this cause. We are so grateful to all who participated in such a memorable event; because of your generosity, so much has been accomplished here at Fuel Grammar School.

Students using technology provided by your donations!

We focused the next round of donations specifically on developing the second level of the school. This floor is composed of classrooms and a common morning meeting area. We were able to finish and cement the brick walls and contract an electrical team to install the wiring for plugs and lighting. We also covered the stairwell to the roof to prevent further water damage from the rain.

We used leftover funds to fill the classrooms with materials and new technology for students! These renovations have given the school the ability to educate up to 200 low-income students, changing their lives for the better. The newly finished kitchen will provide free lunch to these students, so they are well-fed and well-educated. We are continuing to work with village schools to provide them with toilets and other basic necessities. Fuel Foundation will also be starting a night school in a farming village of Sindol to help students enhance their education.

Students gathered for a Republic Day ceremony on the newly finished roof of the school.

After the renovations were completed, a school assembly was held for Republic Day. We raised the Indian Flag, sang songs, played games, and our oldest students read speeches in English, Hindi, and Telugu (the native language of the Telengana state). The children were even joined by previous students who wanted to come back to support their school. These graduates now are working in higher-level entry jobs and attending various colleges thanks to Fuel Foundation!

Want to contribute to projects like this? Donate here, or reach out through our contact page to help out with future endeavors.

Cultural Experience in Wisconsin, USA – Clara Muñoz Aguado

May 12, 2022 by Anna Hoppel Leave a Comment

Flying to another country can be scary if you are a 16 years old high school student. I have lived in Costa Rica, a small country located in Central America my whole life. I had always traveled with my family, never by myself, until now.

Arriving at the airport was tough, I knew that I was going to miss my family so much. After saying goodbye to my family, I got together with the group of people that I was flying with. I was nervous, I didn’t know what I was expected to do.

We waited in the airport for a few hours, I tried to be very observative, I hadn’t had a single interaction with any of the participants. I sat at one of the airport’s tables and waited for the flight attendants to announce our flight. The moment finally arrived, the flight attendants announced our flight. I was exhausted. We left Costa Rica at 1:00 am and I didn’t have time to rest. We had to take another flight in Houston at 5:00 a. m. to get to Chicago.

We took a tour of the city. After two flights we arrived in Chicago. It was cold, but not that freezing. Our guide decided to give us a tour of the city. I tried my best to enjoy it, but being far away from my family kept me feeling weird.

*A picture of Clara looking at the Costa Rican landscape*

Culturally, my house is diverse. My mom is from Spain and my dad was born in Costa Rica, but my grandmother was Chinese and my grandfather Nicaraguan. At home, we have a different lifestyle and obviously different traditions.

I enjoy meeting new people and experiencing a new culture, that’s the main reason why I decided to participate in a cultural exchange to Wisconsin, USA.

Wisconsin is a state located in the US Midwest with two Great Lakes, the Michigan and the Superior. Milwaukee is its largest city, well known for the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Harley-Davidson Museum, which exhibits classic motorcycles. Wisconsin is also known for its popular beer companies located in Milwaukee, offering brewery tours.

A few hours later after our tour of Chicago, we took a bus ride to Wisconsin where our families were waiting for us. During the bus trip, I got to meet other Costa Rican high school students. They were nice, but I really wanted to go back to be at home with my family. I was scared. I didn’t want to stay away from my family for two weeks.

At the time that we were closer to our destination I got even more nervous. I didn’t want this moment to come, but the moment came. Other high schoolers were assigned to a certain family in Wisconsin. I won’t lie, I didn’t know what was waiting for me.

I opened the high school main door to get to the cafeteria where my host family was waiting for me. I couldn’t even walk, I didn’t know if I was nauseous because of the trip or because of my feelings. I had to walk, even if I didn’t want to. The high school principal introduced me to my new American family. They were gentle, but a mix of feelings were running through my mind.

My host family was very gentle and generous. I got to know them a little bit more after a few days staying with them.They used to drive me to school and on weekends they planned different activities so I didn’t get bored. Some activities were related to their traditions and others to their likes.

*My host sisters and me in the Packers Stadium.*

My host sisters were really good students. They used to drive me to school every single morning. I noticed a few differences between their high school and my high school. While I was walking in the hallways, I noticed how big the school building was. This American high school was bigger than the school buildings that I was used to see back in Costa Rica. I tried to search for an open natural area to study but I found none. In my high school we have some study areas surrounded by nature where you can relax while you work on school projects.

My high school is smaller but it certainly has more green areas which makes it unique and allows students to have more dynamic lessons during the school week. There are benches surrounded by trees which are great for giving students the feeling of fresh air while they are completing school work.

Being in an American classroom feels almost the same, but it feels awkward at the same time. Being a foreign student is in fact something that calls other students’ attention. I was the center of attention of teachers and professors which used to make me feel nervous because they always kept an eye on me. These professors don’t move from class to class like my Costa Rican professors do, they have their own class and the students are the ones who have to move to receive their assigned lessons.

*An American high school Precalculus class*

The American students’ schedule is quite similar compared to the Costa Rican one. In the US I had to wake up at 5:30 am to be at school by 7:30 am to leave at 2:30 pm. In Costa Rica, we have to get to school by 7:00 am to 3:00 p. m.

Something that I found interesting was that students in the United States call their professors by their last name while in Costa Rica we constantly refer to them using the word ‘profe’, which is a shorter version of professor in Spanish and sometimes we add their first name after it.

The lunch break was different from the one I was used to. In my school, you can buy lunch, you can bring your own food, and you can also go home and take it there. In America, most students buy their own lunch at school.

In my high school you have a decent variety of nutritious food options which may go from different salads, rice, beans, plantain to fish, chicken, meat, mashed potatoes, pasta, etc. This is something that caught my attention because in Mukwonago their high school lunch wasn’t that “nutritious”. The food options were very limited, you could choose between burgers, chicken nuggets, and pizza.

The dress code of both countries are very far away from being similar. While I was sitting down in the cafeteria I started looking around me. American students have a relaxed personal choice of clothes for going to school. They can use shorts, dresses, jeans, … In my high school we have a strict dress code, we have to wear our uniforms and take care of them.

Another aspect that I found interesting was the huge difference between school subjects. In Costa Rica we don’t have eligible subjects, we have to take the ones that are assigned for us. In America, while I was looking at the students’ schedules I noticed that students can make their own schedule with the subjects they are interested in. In the US they have clubs and teams in which you can participate like basketball, dancing, swimming, football, …

In summary, American culture has its differences and similarities with the Costa Rican, but being open minded and respecting each other’s ideas can make it manageable. This exchange allowed me to experience new feelings. I remember being terrified by the fact of being far away from my family for two weeks, feeling nervous about meeting new people, and being excited about visiting new places. I would never regret participating in an activity like this because it allowed me to meet new people and their culture. I find getting closer to other new cultures fascinating, it promotes the development of cultural awareness and global citizenship. Global citizenship encourages individuals to respect others, to think critically, and to minimize harmful thoughts and actions that could affect others in a negative way. That’s the main reason why I like to motivate others to be part of these experiences. This activity left a mark in my life, it taught me how we can be different from others and have different ways of living and respect each other, building social bonds. To the student who is reading this, just be yourself, don’t overthink everything and try to be open minded when you are about to meet new people and a new culture.

Earth Day Activities

April 29, 2022 by Anna Hoppel 2 Comments

This Earth Day, we continued the connection between the 10th and 11th-grade students of Jorge Debravo high school and Verto University college freshmen. They gathered in the botanical gardens on the graduate campus of CATIE, an international institute for agricultural development and biological conservation.

Earlier that week, CCC program moderator Kayla Angstadt led a classroom warm-up activity, in which students thought about their favorite meal and the global carbon impact of their food. It was clear that students were new to tracing the origin and production of their food, broadening their minds to global environmental issues.

The day started in the botanical garden, where students took a tour with lead educators of CATIE. They walked around sampling fruit to learn about their growth patterns, health benefits, and, most enjoyably, tastes. Much of the produce was new to students, even though they grew up in a tropical fruit country. Together, students collected fruit and edible flowers to be shared during their merienda, or snack time, at the end of the walk.

Next, students traveled to CATIE’s main campus, where multiple Verto students completed their capstone project by preparing lessons to share with the high school students. One group led a discussion about gardening, unpacking the personal benefits and environmental impact of producing your own fruits, vegetables, and spices.

Another group focused on sustainable businesses in Costa Rica. They tied in local issues, presenting organizations that could solve problems in their community. One of these is a successful local startup called “Blanco y Negro,” run by two sisters who own a sustainable organic farm and sell food products with only locally sourced ingredients. Students had the opportunity to try delicious baked goods made by the business, including cookies and brownies, all from sustainable sources!

Lastly, students played games together and enjoyed each other’s company over tea and fruits that they picked at the botanical garden. They also painted recycled CDs to hang in sustainability gardens that the Verto students are currently constructing. Jorge DeBravo students learned that the reflection of CDs repels birds, and would be used to keep them away from the vegetables as well as protect them from windows.

After the morning was complete, students said goodbye to their connections. With parental approval, some students exchanged social media to keep in touch with their new international friends. Many of them expressed that they enjoyed the experience and hope to do something like it again soon. When students participate in sustainability activities that are engaging and collaborative, they learn about environmental issues and develop a sense of personal responsibility to take care of the world around them. Read more about our past workshops here!

About the organizations:

Centro Educativo Jorge DeBravo is a local private school in Turrialba, Costa Rica that values multicultural education and global citizenship. Cross Cultural Connect has been hosting connections through their school around the world for the past 7 years.

Verto Education is a study abroad program available for first year university level students in the United States. Students have the opportunity to take their general education courses abroad in countries like Spain, Italy, England and Costa Rica.

CATIE, The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, is an international institute for agricultural development and biological conservation in Central America and the Caribbean, combining science, education and innovation. CATIE is the first graduate school in Agricultural Sciences in Latin America.

Blanco y Negro (black and white) is a small local buisness owned and operated by two sisters. Their mission is to provide local and sustainable food products to the greater community while educating students about organic farming.

Cross Cultural Connect is the glue that brings them all together!