Students heading to Costa Rica

Ten adventurous students from Rainy River District will be heading out to Costa Rica in March—but this trip down south is no holiday.
With the assistance of Canada World Youth, an organization that helps organize informal educational trips for young people around the world, the students will spend 13 days getting acquainted with this small Central American country.
“It’s long enough to let them appreciate the language, the food, the working conditions,” said Fort Frances High School teacher Allan McManaman, who is helping to organize the trip.
McManaman took a group of students to Costa Rica four years ago—and it was a great success.
“It went very well that time,” he recalled. “We had students who were interested in the environment, in eco-tourism, in seeing the rainforest.”
On that trip, students helped build an information booth in one of the country’s parks.
This time, McManaman said he hopes to get the students involved in a project that doesn’t require so much physical labour.
“This year we’re trying to look at more social-related issues, like working with seniors or students,” he explained, adding they’re still waiting to hear back from officials in Costa Rica on what project they would like to put the students to work on.
“This trip is meant to introduce our students to the reality of eco-tourism,” McManaman said.
The students—all in Grades 11 and 12—will stay in Nicoya, a city of 25,000 people near the west coast of the country. For most of the trip, students will stay with host families.
“That’s where a lot of learning takes place,” McManaman said, noting living with host families will expose the students to the language, food, and culture of Costa Rica.
Unlike some of its neighbours, Costa Rica is a developed and stable country with a fairly healthy economy.
“I think they’ll be surprised by the [standard of living],” McManaman said. “There is a large number of people in the middle class.”
Students will spend five days working, and also will have a chance to take some day trips.
“One trip will be to Guatil, a small community where most of the village is employed in making pottery. The students will get to see the whole process,” McManaman explained.
Some of the roughly 100 families in the village have been earning a living through pottery for hundreds of years, he said.
The students also will take a trip to see a volcano. “But not that close. Safety comes first,” McManaman noted.
They likely will visit a beach, as well, “so they can say they swam in the Pacific Ocean,” he added.
Before heading out, the students already have started studying some Spanish. McManaman said he has given each of them a 500-word lexicon to help them learn the basics.
“It’s amazing how fast they’ll learn when they’re hungry, or when they have to go to the bathroom,” he laughed.
The cost per student is $1,650, most of which is airfare, and they already have begun fundraising efforts to offset the costs.
“We’re hoping, if things go well, each student can take $200-300 off their costs,” McManaman said.
The students held a garage and bake sale in the Fort High cafeteria this past Saturday, which raised between $400 and $500—and are planning more events after first semester exams are finished.
“We’re hoping to have a couple of raffles and draws in the school, and possibly in the community,” McManaman said.
They’re also hoping to organize a spaghetti dinner in late February.
(Fort Frances Times)