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Past Connections

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!

Filed Under: Past Connections

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_._

Filed Under: Past Connections, Service Projects

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.

Clara in Spain with her family

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. 

Milwaukee Public Museum Village
Harley-Davidson Museum exhibitions

A Milwaukee’s brewery 

Clara in Chicago

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.

Fiserv Forum (Bucks 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. 

Mukwonago High School

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.

Centro Educativo Jorge Debravo 

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. 

An American high school cafeteria 

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. 

Costa Rican high school students

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, …

Mukwonago’s  dancing teams

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.

Filed Under: Past Connections

Earth Day Activities

April 29, 2022 by Anna Hoppel 1 Comment

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!

Filed Under: Past Connections

Costa Rica Connection Meets In Person

March 20, 2022 by Anna Hoppel Leave a Comment

Recently, CCC had the unique opportunity to facilitate an in-person workshop with one of our global connections! Last month, we connected nine 11th-grade students from the school of Jorge Debravo in Turrialba, Costa Rica, to nine American college freshmen studying abroad with Verto Education. Verto Education gives students the opportunity to take general education courses in a foreign country during their freshman year of college. These students were enrolled in a college course titled Social Problems, which examines a variety of perspectives about issues facing society today.

Before they met, CCC program moderator Kayla Angstadt began the connection by engaging students in discussions around effective communication and multicultural awareness. In their separate classes, students shared interests and doubts about meeting and collaborating with students from the other country. They made observations on how an individual’s values and viewpoints are affected by their culture, surroundings, and experiences. At the end of the discussion, the Jorge Debravo students wrote individual letters in Google Docs and shared them with the Verto students. Letters included information about the student, their school, their values, and questions about their connecting partners.  

After connecting online, students had the opportunity to meet for a three-hour workshop to practice their communication skills. The day started with a warm-up introductory activity, where students learned each other’s names while practicing the principal concepts of effective communication; empathy, open-mindedness, honesty, and active listening. Without introducing themselves beforehand, students were asked to call out each other’s names and toss a whitewater rescue rope bag back and forth between the groups. They were thrilled to discover who their digital penpals were in person!

Verto students were then given a tour of Jorge Debravo and got to practice answering questions in person. Verto students worked on their Spanish speaking skills, while the Costa Rican students practiced their English. 

One ambitious Verto student named Marie decided to spend her volunteer hours at Jorge Debravo, working on a service-learning project about the importance of composting. Using her research, she first engaged the 2nd-grade classroom in her project and then introduced it to the 11th-grade classroom and other Verto students. She presented her project and educated the students about composting and sustainable agriculture. Her work extended to the cafeteria workers as well, effectively changing the culture of the school to be more environmentally conscious.

The 11th-graders and Verto students worked together for the next hour in two groups. One group created posters about what could go in the compost mix and the other group worked together to put the finishing touches on the compost bin. 

In the last activity, students had an hour-long session speaking in small groups about global issues. They then participated in a seminar-style discussion led by the Verto college professor, María Fernanda Batista Lobo. MA., professor of international relations and humanities. Students broke into smaller mixed groups and discussed different global issues throughout the world. They came back to the classroom with one focused issue that they see in their community.

Issues such as equal education, pollution of rivers, poverty, and greenhouse gases were brought up.  They then discussed possible real-life solutions to each issue. We concluded the discussion with the example of compost, and they decided that it served as a real local solution to the issue of greenhouse gases.  This experience gave the high school students from Jorge Debravo the opportunity to engage in college-level course material for the first time.

To conclude the activity, Jorge Debravo School invited the Verto students and staff to eat lunch in their cafeteria. Students enjoyed a typical dish of chicken with rice, plantains, and refried beans. Students sat in a mix of groups and laughed over how nervous they were at the beginning of the day. They exchanged social media (after completing permission forms provided by CCC) and many of them have remained in contact with their new friends over the past few weeks. Overall, many students reported that this experience was something that was very enjoyable and has become one of their favorite memories of the year.

We continued the connection at the end of April when the Verto students hosted the 11th-graders on their campus. Read more 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.

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

Filed Under: Past Connections

Pandemic Penpals

March 7, 2022 by Anna Hoppel Leave a Comment

Clara writing a letter from her school in Costa Rica.

Quarantine has caused an unprecedented amount of global isolation and loneliness. For many, penpal relationships are a way to alleviate this lack of connection. In 2021, we connected two high school students named Abby and Clara, who exchanged letters from the US to Costa Rica. Conversing with a peer from across the world can provide a sense of community for students, which humans need to thrive. For Abby and Clara, it also helped them develop their skills at effective communication with those from different cultural backgrounds and served as a way to document history as it unfolds in this pandemic era.

Abby independently reached out from the United States through the Cross Cultural Connect website, hoping to make an international connection. We connected her to Clara, one of our most advanced English students in Jorge Debravo, Costa Rica. They began communicating by exchanging digital letters through Google Drive. According to Clara, she had some initial anxiety: “In the beginning, I felt nervous, I had no idea how she would react. I was scared of saying something rude or something that could make her feel offended.” 

Clara found it easy to overcome these cultural barriers and connect on a human-to-human level. “Humans can be able to start a relationship even if they have different characteristics. Language and some cultural aspects may make this process complex, but not impossible.” Gaining confidence in forming multicultural connections empowers students to engage empathetically with people throughout their lives.

Abby and Clara practice effective communication over video chat.

Both students also utilized CCC’s Effective Communication module, which helped them develop the social skills to have meaningful conversations and practice active listening. When asked about her definition of effective communication, Clara wrote: “​​Effective communication is the ability of sharing thoughts and messages staying away from accusations. By sending and receiving clarified messages, there is no room for misunderstandings.” As students practice these skills, they form deeper relationships, avoid conflict, and learn about each other as individuals.

Later on in the program, they connected over video chat and shared what it was like to experience the pandemic in their communities. Clara gave Abby a tour of her school in Costa Rica, which was still holding classes in person. In the United States, Abby was experiencing virtual learning, as her school had been closed due to quarantine restrictions. Sharing your personal feelings through a pen-pal connection has been a cathartic way for many people to cope with Covid-19.

Clara gave Abby a tour of her high school.

Learning how each country handled quarantine differently was enlightening for Clara. “​​I learnt a lot about politics and health care in USA. While we were writing to each other she described me how USA was trying to control the pandemic. I learnt about USA’s restrictions and the new educational system.” Alongside mental and emotional benefits, having a written record of individuals’ experiences and reflections during this time could prove historically potent in years to come.

Afterward, Clara used the lessons she learned to write her 10th-grade final project, which centered around her experience in the program. In her final reflection, she wrote: “The program is a great start for understanding and for challenging intolerance. With the help of this program, I changed my mentality. While I was interacting with my penpal, many cultural aspects made me realize what is truly important and what is not. As humans from around the globe, we have our differences, but we are still human beings. I challenged stereotypes and ideologies that were taking control over me. Nowadays, I consider myself a more open minded person.” Penpal connections like these provide students with global citizenship skills that will shape their futures for years to come. 

Clara’s final project focused on the lessons she learned during the connection.

Filed Under: Past Connections

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