Hola de Costa Rica! I'm here in Santa Ana, a small city outside the capital of San Jose, studying abroad until August. While I'm here, I'm studying Spanish (4 hours every weekday for about 6 weeks) and Sustainability through Civic Engagement. What is this, you ask? Well, allow me to elaborate.
I study Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University through a residential college focused on using the arts to improve community relationships. In June, I will be placed in a town in Costa Rica, and with the community develop a participatory-based research project to diagnose and solve problems within this community. I don't start this portion of my study abroad for about a month, but I'm so excited to learn more about this amazing country and the people who live here.
On Thursday, we traveled to San Jose, the capital and visited both the Museo Nacional and the Museo de Oro, both rich with artifacts of Costa Rican history from both the indigenous communities and the Spaniards. Did you know that Costa Rica abolished their army in 1948? The former military barracks now houses the Museo Nacional, showcasing the extraordinary legacy of this country.
This past weekend, my classmates, professor, and me traveled to Palmichal, a mountain town about an hour from Santa Ana away from San Jose. There, we talked to the teacher at a local high school about building a program for the students centering around environmentalism and reforestation, helping to repair some of the devastating damage done to the surrounding rainforest during Hurricane Nate in 2017. Next, we talked to the founders of a future children's care center, and discussed the next steps in helping them establish themselves as a trustworthy and reputable resource for the underserved people of the community. There are many hills still to be scaled, but their determination is strong to help the children of Palmichal live the best lives possible.
Every weekend, we will be traveling to another community like this to assess their needs and discuss what kind of aid we can give them in solving issues like these through participatory research. Stay tuned for updates! Until then, enjoy some photos from this amazing country that is Costa Rica.
