The Coffee Source Meeting with Kids Share Workshops

Friday, Oct. 7th

Day 8: The Coffee Source Meeting with Kids Share Workshops

After a refreshing hike Friday morning, Lorena, Sister Schools president, and I traveled to San Jose to meet with Arnoldo Leiva, manager of The Coffee Source. The reason for this meeting was to discuss how Kids Share Workshops (KSW) could facilitate a week long visit with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) Source Employees in Costa Rica with Arnoldo’s coffee community members. Arnoldo was introduced to me through Winston Rost, GMCR Farmer Relations Manager in Waterbury, Vermont.

Our meeting went very well as I tried to navigate the jigsaw puzzle I was visualizing with The Coffee Source connection, GMCR, KSW and Partners of the Americas (Sister Schools).  Arnoldo explained to me that he was to bring 13 of his community members to Waterbury, Vermont, November 17. He asked if I would join them at GMCR, share my program and discuss how it could fit into their time with the employees. Arnoldo seemed to like the idea of Kids Share Workshops helping to bring community children together with the adults, through cross cultural sharing, during a short visit. Additionally, Lorena explained that Sister Schools & Partners of the Americas volunteers could assist in facilitating this cross cultural connection.

Lorena and Arnoldo made a connection with Escuela Santa Cecilia located in San Pedro de Poás, the province of Alajuela. We also recently discovered another GMCR source, Escuela El Socorro, Piedades Sur de San Ramón, which is called a unidocente because there is only one teacher with 12 students. Lorena will try to organize other unidocente schools to join us, allowing up to 40 students to participate in the program with GMCR employees.

I explained to Arnoldo what I was visualizing with GMCR for the week. I understood that we are to visit a handful of communities. Some if not all I would give a 1-2 hour program with the employees and youth. A recent example of this was in Oregon at the Bienestar Community School. Adults and children enjoyed a 1.5 hour program painting and decorating recycled containers from their newly created tissue art. The activity was so much fun, and it can be used on many different objects to create beautiful pieces of work. It also brought us all together and created a special friendship. Later I was to receive beautiful thank you cards from all the children!

In addition to creating art I hope to organize in a couple of community’s environmental exploration, where the children take the adults on an adventure, approved by me but a surprise to the adults. That activity would have to be carefully considered depending on the adults endurance. One such surprise was recently in Guatemala when I announced to the children that we will play on a zip line and draw the rainforest in our newly made journals from recycled material.

Bringing adults and children together through playful, fun activities like these are thrilling for me! Wish us luck as we work with this idea for the first time in Costa Rica! I am excited to bring smiles and fun to not only the children’s faces but the adults who may have never been to this beautiful country!

About Arnoldo Leiva, quoted from National Coffee Association’s Website

“As General Manager of The Coffee Source, Inc., in San José, Costa Rica, Arnoldo Leiva is not only responsible for all aspects of sourcing green coffees from Latin American countries and exporting them to Europe, the United States and Asia, he also manages the import and sales division for the U.S. market.  Mr. Leiva is also active with several coffee associations both in Costa Rica and the United States and is currently President of the Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica and Sintercafe and sits on the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s International Relations Council representing Costa Rica. Mr. Leiva received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de C.A. in San José and an MBA from the National University of San Diego.”

Visiting Pan-American & Sistema Educativo San Isidro Labrador Schools

A special note from Kristina, Program Director:

“I am obviously home from my site investigation, adventure in Costa Rica. Each week  I am sharing each day’s exciting development as to not overwhelm you with the entire three week journey! What we have coordinated thus far with Sister Schools (Partners of the Americas is: three schools in Costa Rica connecting with two schools in Oregon and hopefully one school in Vermont for the 2012 KSW program. As I am writing this blog I am sitting in the back seat of my car in front of the public library in Montpelier, VT before meeting a friend for dinner. My followers and volunteers mean a lot to me!”-Kristina, Dedicated Program Director

Wednesday & Thursday-October, 5 & 6

Day 6: Pan-America School in San Antonio de Belen, Heredia

Lorena wanted me to see an upscale school in Heredia to have a clearer panorama of elementary education in Costa Rica. I was greeted by Caroline Magnus, Early Childhood Coordinator. Caroline  gave me a quick tour of the school. Many of the students at Pan-America School come from upper class families. The facility was very friendly. The students are so used to teachers from the U.S. they did not notice me while I passed through the hallways. Children here receive one of the best educations Costa Rica has to offer.

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Although, I will not be teaching at this school because it does not fit the profile Kids Share Workshops seeks to facilitate, I felt this was a valuable connection for me. Perhaps Pan-American School will be interested in including less fortunate educational communities for a possible afternoon workshop? Bringing children together from vastly different economic backgrounds could show children at a young age the value of sharing lives through compassion.

Day 7:  Sistema Educativo San Isidor Labrador, Heredia

Upon entering this school we were greeted by a friendly faculty and quiet school. The children were in the classrooms. The administrator Cecilia Solis kindly gave us a tour of the school. Our first stop was a beautiful mural painting that was created by a famous Costa Rican Artist.  It’s vibrant colors and depiction of well known birds was very inviting for any age. As we began to walk through the small, well laid out school I began to see more beautiful mural art by students and visiting artists.

The classrooms were on two floors with a very nice garden out front. The landscaping of this small area was warm and inviting with a sitting patio under a large tree.  We noticed hidden, small vegetable gardens which were beginning to sprout.

When I was introduced to the students in every classroom, they were very friendly and well behaved! Lorena and I commented on this school having very well disciplined children.

Finally, I gave a presentation to the faculty. They enjoyed learning about KSW and showed a lot of interest in the enrichment program. I am working to coordinate this school with Sister Schools (Partners of the Americas) to cross culturally share with a sister school in Oregon for next winter. The art and English teacher will be able to assist me. They requested this program be taught during the school hours. Wish us luck!

Ps. You can see Don Ruff, the Chapter President in Oregon visiting this school after I had left. I was fortunate enough to have an afternoon with Don before leaving the next day to Vermont. Thank you Don for doing a wonderful job with connections!