Cross Cultural Connect

The road between schools just got shorter.

Service Projects

Composting Connection – Marie M. Foster

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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

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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.

Global Citizenship Bracelets

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CCC’s Global Citizenship bracelets have made a difference around the world!

This project initially began as a grassroots fundraiser in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Students communicating with penpal connections in Allentown, Pennsylvania were struggling with unreliable internet and old computer hardware, which made it incredibly challenging to host video calls or even send emails. We realized that we needed new technology to enhance the connection and decided to create bracelets as a fundraiser.

The project started in two classrooms but quickly spread across the school until all students wanted to participate. A school-wide competition concluded in over 1,000 bracelets. Students were so excited and decided to sell the bracelets in their community as well as to their peers. The students in Pennsylvania wanted to continue their connection and, in their writings, offered to help sell bracelets as well. Out of their own initiative, students made enough money to purchase fifteen laptop Google Chromebooks. The following year they earned five tablets to assist in continuing research.

Students create bracelets for one of our first fundraisers.

In 2020, students quickly became in charge of running their own drive. They set their personal school goal by figuring out how much they needed to benefit their school and how they could assist other schools in India. They wrote the card that comes with the bracelet and kept in contact with the schools. Each year, their connections become even stronger as they are able to access a higher quality of technology.

This fundraiser has become an empowering and enjoyable activity that allows the students to make a positive impact on their school. It demonstrates to them how their hard work and efforts pay off in the long run. Bracelets have been made in multiple schools in Costa Rica, India, New Zealand, and more.

100% of the proceeds from these bracelets go to purchase the necessary technology that meets the specific needs of each school. Once the school’s goal is met, the remaining money is put towards new schools in need. Much developmental work has been accomplished for schools in India as well as indigenous schools of Costa Rica thanks to the kindness of students in countries around the world.

Our most recent batch of bracelets, handcrafted by these students!

Most recently, in 2021, bracelets were created by high school students in Turrialba, Costa Rica, who will be participating in the next CCC global connection. Their current fundraiser goes towards a laptop cart for their school, Jorge Debravo, as well as future service-learning projects to benefit upcoming connections from lower-income schools. These bracelets were sustainably handcrafted from wood and acai beads to reduce plastic consumption, and are for sale at multiple locations in the US and Costa Rica. Contact us to learn more about how you can participate!

We thank you for your donations and we hope that these unique bracelets serve as a reminder that we are all globally connected!

Cabécar Students and COVID-19

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Although the COVID-19 pandemic is a universal issue, it has disproportionately affected Indigenous communities across the world, amplifying and exposing the social inequalities they already face. Indigenous populations have been left behind in the first waves of relief. Issues such as food insecurity, language barriers, and lack of access to healthcare are being exacerbated by this global health crisis. For the Cabécar community of Costa Rica, COVID-19 has highlighted a lack of educational resources that will likely have long-term effects on a generation of their children.

Quarantine has drastically changed the lives of the Indigenous population of Costa Rica. Poor access to healthcare makes COVID-19 a greater health risk for isolated communities, such as the Cabécar village of Yoldi Kicha, where the nearest hospital is 25 miles away across rugged terrain. The population of Yoldi Kicha is taking as many precautionary measures as possible. Outsiders must now receive special permission to enter the community, as well as pass through a gated entrance with guards after a temperature check. Before, the Cabécar would get food and supplies at the local town of Turrialba; now, they have supplies delivered to them in trucks to limit their interaction with people outside of the community. Like most of the world, they have also been forced to close their schools to decrease the risk of transmission.

CCC interviewed one 10-year-old student, Joyce, who lives in Yoldi Kicha. We first met her 4 years ago when we established a connection program between her school and the local school in Turrialba. She told us that when she first learned about the pandemic, it seemed like an issue for the outside world that would never come to Costa Rica, let alone her village. COVID-19 restrictions have also impacted the Cabécar’s ability to connect with other local communities. Before, the Cabécar would travel regularly to Turrialba, patronize shops, and socialize with the non-Indigenous population. Cabécar students would also interact with students from the school in town, through programs like the one Joyce took part in. Now, little to no face-to-face cultural exchange is possible. This lack of intercommunity interaction affects how the Cabécar are viewed by the non-Indigenous population. Although they receive regular government support and interact with nearby towns such as Turrialba, they remain a pervasively invisible group in much of Costa Rica. Social isolation will increase non-Indigenous blindness to the Cabécar’s needs. This could have long-lasting ramifications, increasing inequalities such as lack of representation in local government and the lack of access to education that the Cabécar are struggling with now.

Due to COVID-19, students globally have been forced to transition to online-only learning. However, the ability to utilize online learning tools at all can be impossible for students who already live within education deserts. This problem is not exclusive to the Cabécar community: around 1 in 10 of the poorest children living in the U.S. don’t have access to the Internet or the technology that online learning requires. This puts low-income students at a disadvantage, furthering the education gap, which is already a product of generational wealth inequality and a variety of other socioeconomic factors.  Education presented difficulties for the Cabécar community even before COVID-19. On average, the non-Indigenous population of Costa Rica are in school for 7.6 years, yet for the Indigenous population, the average is only 3.4 years, and illiteracy is 30%.

Before COVID-19, teachers would walk several hours from the nearby town of Turrialba to the school, stay for one week, and then return to their homes. Now, the Cabécar are having to establish new methods of educating their children. Although the Costa Rican government donated computers to the Cabécar schools at the beginning of 2020, students will not be able to use them this year due to limited access to the Internet. Patricia, the principal of the Cabécar school Kjalari, gave her perspective on these issues. To obtain more educational materials or even cell service, she must either drive a motorcycle for an hour or walk three hours over uneven terrain. While there is internet installed in the school powered by solar panels, it does not work most of the time. She believes that the situation is going to get worse before it gets better, and does not think they are going to start school again this year. 

Online learning is not an option for the Cabécar. However, because of new restrictions, teachers are only able to travel to the community in person once a month. Not only does this mean the teachers must prepare a month’s worth of paper educational materials and hand-deliver them, but students are now forced to wait for extended periods of time to receive grades and feedback on their work. These extremely delayed grades mean a student could have incorrect answers for up to two months, hindering the academic growth of an entire generation.

There is also a language barrier to consider. The nationalized school system continues to offer materials only in Spanish, even after efforts to produce bilingual materials that would suit the needs of Indigenous children. Some Cabécar students, such as Joyce, are lucky enough to have parents who read and write in Spanish, but most do not, forcing them to reach out to other members of the community to assist them in their studies. Studies have shown that this type of education gap has long term effects on a population, with consequences such as a limited capacity for upward mobility, increased risk of poor health and hygiene, and shorter lifespans. Unequal access to education also contributes to gender inequality, potential exploitation, and the restriction of a given community’s political power.

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified barriers to education that will affect Cabécar children for years to come. Indigenous populations such as the Cabécar must be prioritized in efforts towards COVID-19 relief. Internationally, we need to listen to their needs and include them in government solutions. Only by amplifying Indigenous voices can we ensure that their rights are respected as we move forwards in this global health crisis.