Mission of SCLC
The SCLC focuses its efforts in four areas — environmental education, community development, conservation, and tourism — in order to help form future environmental leaders, raise the organizational capacity of local communities, promote sustainable land use, and connect tourists to the local community. Our programs which are run by international volunteers and community members serve hundreds of local people and thousands of ecotourists each year. These programs include environmental education, rural tourism activities, English classes, community outreach, women’s groups, and scholarship funds for high school students.
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The Sarapiqui Conservation and Learning Center was originally founded in 1993 as a local community library, with the vision to offer educational opportunities to the neighboring area youth. Twenty years later, the library is still a thriving center that boasts a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres and titles in Spanish and English for all ages, from children and young adult readers to adults. Computers are also available for homework help and other resources.
The library has recently undergone some reorganizing and renovation, in order to better showcase and feature titles that will be appealing to readers of all interests. We are also preparing to hopefully acquire more books in the near future from a nearby library that was forced to shut down.
The Learning Center’s library, from its initial beginnings to the present day, is still one of the centers of focus for our outreach to the local community through education. Tourists and local area members alike are encouraged to stop in and browse our books – we’d love to see you!
By Gina Covert, Short Term Volunteer |
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With volunteer programmers coming in and out of the center it has been difficult to maintain consistency with regards to the after school program. My vision for this semester is to take on a multi-disciplinary approach to environmental education while incorporating the Ministry of Education’s science‚ social studies and agricultural sciences prescribed learning objectives. I hope that this new approach will help with attendance and overall satisfaction with the program.
My goal for this semester is to work mainly with the Chilamate elementary school as well as Linda Vista elementary school. I will also be attempting an outreach after school program in neighbouring La Virgen‚ Cristo Rey or Puerto Veijo. There will be a strong focus on recruiting members of the community to come and assist with certain themes and presentations. I am looking forward to putting this plan into action and seeing the communities’ responses.
By Cena Rouzes, ASP Coordinator & EFL Teacher
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EFL for Kids on Saturdays |
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Our first session of kid’s English classes has come to an end. I am happy with how this first semester went and I think many of the kids are as well.
What started out as a pilot project has sparked much interest in the community and as a result I am looking forward to more applications coming in for the following three month course. I will once again be evaluating the previous three months and attempting to make some changes to how the program is being run. Based on the number of kids who matriculate‚ I will not only be placing kids according to the age but mostly based on their English level. I feel this will make the classes more enjoyable for teachers and kids alike. With less time being spent focusing on the students who have a lower level‚ the more advanced children will have more opportunity to develop their English skills. The same can be said for the lower level students who will be given more class time to perfect their foundational English skills.
Many of the children enjoyed the dynamic teaching methods and the incorporation of educational games. We also included arts and crafts as well as some physical activity into our Saturday classes. Overall‚ I think the semester went quite well and I am looking forward to seeing returning faces as well as new friends!
By Cena Rouzes, ASP Coordinator & EFL Teacher |
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Come and volunteer with the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center! If you are interseted in coming to experience the Costa Rican culture please go to the VOLUNTEER section of our website for more information or contact the volunteer coordinator at
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Besides our long-term volunteers that are in charge of specific programs, we also welcome short-term volunteers year round. Whether you are interested in staying for two weeks or two months, the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center invites you to share your skills and become part of the community here in Chilamate.
In addition to individualized projects which volunteers are invited to propose, the SCLC short term volunteer are always invited to help with our ecotourism program, assist English teachers in local schools, work in the garden and/or contribute to our after school program!
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