Costa Rica 2018

On December 12, thirteen GNS students travelled to the Yorkín Indigenous Reserve in Costa Rica to spend several days helping the local BriBri community with a construction project. In addition to working to make a difference for this community, the students were keen to experience a different culture as volunteers rather than tourists. They had the opportunity to meet many new people from Costa Rica and the Bri Bri community and learn a lot about each other. Over the course of the trip, they became a tight knit group of friends. Student Testimonials: “It was so fun getting to see and experience a new culture with an amazing group of people!” “The food was delicious! It was different from what we’d normally eat but definitely better. I’m still craving plantains and chocolate. “ “If you love being around nature and love the wild life then this trip is for you. You get to learn about nature’s medicine in the rain forest and also see a lot of bugs!” One of the themes the students explored on the trip was the issue of climate change. “We looked at how climate change is impacting the tropical rainforest in this area and steps the community is taking to respond to those challenges, like the tree nursery,” said staff leader, Kim Waugh. “A goal we set for the trip was for students to understand the global impact of climate change and our responsibility as global citizens to work together to confront the problem.” The students worked with the STIBRAWPA in Yorkín to help with the re-construction of one of the small cabins used to host visitors, and to help improve the tree nursery they use for planting fruit, timber and cocoa trees. 10% of the fee that is charged to the students is donated to support the community organizations that host our groups. “I always wanted to do a service trip with the school, but it was always something I was scared of,” says Manon, Grade 12. “I totally recommend take a risk and doing something like a service trip to get out of your comfort zone.” The Costa Rice service trip runs every two years and is open to students 16 and older. For more information, contact Kim Waugh at kwaugh@mygns.ca.