During my first day visiting communities with Juan Gabriel (Juanga) from Casa de la Juventud in Pérez Zeledón, as we traveled down winding mountain roads, I marveled at the lush greenery around us. Juanga closed a WhatsApp audio message to a community member with the phrase “pura vida,” and I remember reflecting on how pura … Read More
Field Note Category: Palmares, Costa Rica
Palmares, Costa Rica: Meet Your 2019 Project Director, Mira
Posted by lyoung
¡Hola a tod@s! My name is Mira (she/her/hers pronouns), and I am so thrilled to be the Project Director for the Palmares, Costa Rica project this year! I write to you after my survey trip to Costa Rica, where I was moved by the beauty of the mountains, forests, and stunning views from the communities … Read More
Participant Perspective: Campamento in San Pedro
Posted by lyoung
This blog was written by an AMIGOS participant who discusses their experience at a weekend “campamento” (camp) in the community San Pedro from July 20-22, 2018. Todos llegaron a la casa del staff en horas de la mañana el viernes. Comenzamos a compartir con las personas con las cuales interactuaríamos durante los próximos tres días, … Read More
Briefing y Bienvenida
Posted by lyoung
Hace solo una semana, los participantes se encontraron ocupados en entrenamientos, dinámicas, jerga tica, y un montón de intercambio cultural. Ahora, están en las comunidades con sus compañeros y familias anfitrionas, y están conociendo todo lo que ofrece Costa Rica. Just a week ago, participants found themselves busy with trainings, dinámicas (games), tico slang, and … Read More
Palmares Project Arrival
Posted by lyoung
The participants on the Palmares, Costa Rica Project arrived safely last night at the airport, where they were met by the Palmares Project Leadership Team.
Prepping for Participants
Posted by lyoung
It’s been a big week for the Palmares staff! We’ve hit many milestones, and we could not be more excited to welcome our participants to San José. Last weekend, we went on a retreat to the Río Macho Forest Reserve with our Costa Rican counterparts from our partner agency Casa de la Juventud. Our time … Read More
First Impressions of Palmares
Posted by April Hearne
Before I arrived in Costa Rica, I wasn’t sure what to expect from our staff house in Palmares. Now that I am here, I couldn’t be more excited about the set-up. The staff of our project is staying at Jóvenes Que Salvan Jóvenes, a sister organization to our partner agency, Casa de la Juventud. The … Read More
All in a Day’s Work
Posted by lyoung
Recently, the Palmares, Costa Rica team has come together to make the final installments for the project’s staff house. Joining us were members from Casa de la Juventud (CASA), our in-country partner agency, and dozens of local youth from surrounding communities. Given that this summer marks the launch of this brand-new project, there was a … Read More
Palmares, Costa Rica: Meet Your Project Director!
Posted by primergrey
Palmares, Costa Rica: Meet Your Project Director! Hi everyone! My name is Derek Schadel and I’m from Findlay, Ohio. I’m passionate about culture, social and economic inclusion, education, and Colombian tinto (coffee)! I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Spanish from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I also have a graduate specialization diploma in Social Evaluation of Projects from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. During … Read More