July 2012
Alison Shank
Position
Overall Rating:
I had a wonderful time volunteering for four weeks at La Paz Community School. I worked as an assistant in the Kindegarten class where the lead teacher invited me to help her students with their daily reading, writing, math, and other classwork (art, Spanish, and drama). While I was at La Paz, I felt welcomed by all of the staff, students, and parents I met during my stay, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to be a part of this very unique school. The staff at La Paz is talented, enthusiastic, and very dedicated to helping children to develop in a holistic way, and I valued being able to see first-hand how this bilingual school operates on a day-to-day basis. I was very impressed with how staff and students work together to create a vibrant community where all are acknowledged, valued, and continually encouraged to learn and grow, to respect others and the world around them, and to help one another to be caring, responsible people.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
I feel I made a difference in that I provided valued support to an excellent teacher, and I had multiple opportunities to support and encourage the students with whom I worked through different classroom activities. I also think my presence as a 49-year-old volunteer demonstrated to those I met that there are many ways each of us can use our skills and interests to contribute in a positive way to the world around us throughout our lives. I was inspired by my interactions with the students and staff I met at La Paz, and the host family with whom I lived, and I hope they similarly felt valued and encouraged by their interactions with me. My presence in class gave the lead teacher time to work with certain students and to deal with important administrative tasks, and I was also available to put together an inventory of leveled readers for students in Kindergarten and First Grade.
Organization and communication:
The Volunteer Coordinator at La Paz was in touch with me before my arrival and throughout my stay. I spoke with her on a daily basis, and I could also email her at any time because I had access to email on campus and at my homestay. The teacher with whom I worked gave me a schedule my first day in class that allowed me to participate in class activities and school-wide activities (morning meetings), and the teacher with whom I worked always made sure I had breaks during the day. The campus where I was located is very small, and it was very easy for me to approach teachers, classroom assistants, or administrative staff with any questions I had. At La Paz Community School, I felt welcomed and invited to participate in school activities/lessons as much as I wanted.
Accommodation:
I was extremely happy with my homestay experience. I was given a private room with a double bed and a fan (VERY important!), and my family (mother, father, 3 daughters, and a son) were very welcoming, helpful, and enjoyable to live with. I feel we got to know each other well, and we enjoyed each other's company. I sincerely hope that we'll be able to stay in touch and see ach other again in the future.
Safety:
I always felt safe at my homestay, at school, and getting around the area by bus and on foot.
I chose this volunteer opportunity because I wanted to use my skills as a Spanish-speaker and an experienced ESL instructor to assist with instruction at a school for children in Costa Rica. After months of searching online, I found La Paz Community School, and I was thrilled. By volunteering at La Paz, I had the chance to support the School's scholarship program and contribute to the School's effort to provide a place where native Costa Rican children and the children of international residents can learn and grow together. I had a wonderful homestay experience, and I learned a lot about a bilingual educational program that emphasizes experiential learning, peace studies, and respect for the individual and his/her surrounding community and environment. La Paz Community School is a very unique place, and I am grateful for the chance I had to be a part of its community.
July 2012
Sofia Berggren
Position
Overall Rating:
I seriously don't have any complaints.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
I will never forget 'my' kids, and I just wish and hope that they'll remember me.
Organization and communication:
I couldn't have recieved anymore support or love from the beautiful and dedicated staff of La Paz.
Accommodation:
I didn't have any internet, hot water or AC. But I loved staying with my host family and it was far more comfortable than I had expected.
Safety:
I never felt unsafe in Costa Rica.
I arrived in Costa Rica in the middle of October '11. Incredibly nervous. A little bit unprepared depsite months of research. I was expecting tropical sun and hadn't even packed proper shoes. It rained constantly the first two weeks. I was relying on seven years of Spanish studies - which may sound a lot - but I couldn't even probably understand my host mom's question aboout my age when I first arrived. I blamed it on her accent, which was way different from the Spain-Spanish I'd been taught in school (but it was probably mostly me). To make matters worse I contracted some kind of bug on the plane, and had to leave early my first day at La Paz Community School. I kind of felt like the Swedish failure. My host mom fried me an egg for dinner (I don't particularly like eggs or, like, eat them AT ALL) and I thought 'OMG what if I NEVER adapt?". A thought that was proven completely absurd the next day. I had the best time all of my five months spent at La Paz.
I was placed with the Kinder-group (12-16 kids, aged 5-6) and fell in love. Nowadays I have the picture that one of the kids drew me up on my wall. It depicts me, Miss. Geneva and the whole class smiling under a beautiful Scarlet Macaw. Not a single day has gone by since I left when I haven’t thought about ‘my’ kids. Since the kids were young our days mostly consisted of learning the alphabet, numbers and simple spelling and math. Some kids could read, most could not. We listened to music and saw movies (I have a horribly funny memory of watching an informational film about seales where the seales got brutally eaten by polar bears – we threw ourselves at the TV) but mostly we read, sang songs (that are now completely stuck in my head) and did practical things with the kids. We talked about recycling, origin and hygiene. It was beautiful hearing the kids’ thoughts about things like the environment and responsibility for the world around us. They were unaffected and wise and I really loved the experience of being able to talk to them about important things – like why we really shouldn’t throw plastic bottles in the ocean and what actually happens if we do – and hear their wise opinions and thoughts. I think the La Paz-kids will grow up to be future world leaders, hyper-aware on their impact on the world and the consequences of their actions. And it’s all because of the admirable philosophy of La Paz School, a philosophy that I wasn’t fully aware of before I got there, but that completely agreed with my moral and values. I feel incredibly lucky for that.
I always felt like I had complete support from the staff of La Paz. They arranged eveything beautifully for me. I lived in Potrero, a small village by the ocean (I recommend it!) with a host family arranged by the school. My host family gave me a lift every day to school, as their son was a student there, and picked me up at the end of each school day. As I got more comfortable with my host family, I was able to borrow their car to drive myself around (I have no problem driving with a stick) and that was awesome because it allowed me to take driving trips with my host mom (she didn’t have a license). We drove to see the sea turtles lay their eggs or just across the bay to Flamingo to visit the pharmacy. But the roads were really horrible and I was a bit nervous driving around without insurance, so you might want to give that a thought.
The soul of La Paz is the kids and the teachers. Maybe mostly the teachers because I think the kids are really influenced by the calm and incredibly talanted people that work at La Paz. I never saw any bullying at La Paz, despite of (or maybe because of) its diversity and interesting mix of nationalities and personalities. I was just fresh out of high school when I left for La Paz and I had never seen such an inspiring environment for learning. Of course there were conflicts at La Paz, at least we did a lot of conflict management in Kindergarden (there were a lot of hard feelings about a particular white toy car) but the teachers always had an eye on things, always had a handle on the situation and everything was always resolved through communication.
I can’t strongly enough emphasis my positive opinion on La Paz, its kids and its teachers. Guanacaste is also one of the most beautiful places on the earth and that doesn’t hurt, either. I arrived as a pale, 18-year old Swedish high school graduate and left a little bit wiser, a little bit older and a lot more tan. I strongly recommend anyone who likes kids, who appreciates the opportunity to learn a lot and who shares the beliefs and values of La Paz to volunteer with them.
Ah, now writing this made me miss them like crazy.
Sincerely,
Sofia Berggren
February 2013
Caryn Robertson
Position
Overall Rating:
Working with La Paz was an awesome experience!
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Working with students was a lot of fun and very fulfilling.
Organization and communication:
Connecting with La Paz was easy and fast.
Accommodation:
My host family was so welcoming and their hospitality was above and beyond my expectations.
Safety:
I always felt very safe.
I volunteered at La Paz during my summer break from school. It was overall an amazing experience. The teachers and staff were so welcoming and really made me feel part of the La Paz community. The students were really fun to work with. I really felt like I was part of the La Paz family.
My host family was wonderful. They were so much fun to stay with and provided a perfect balance of accommodation and privacy.
I highly recommend it to anyone!
