During my stay at Blue Osa, I got the opportunity to learn about one of their special partnerships—the Corcovado School in the nearby community of Puerto Jimenez.

Aren’t they the cutest?

About 20 miles from Blue Osa, Puerto Jimenez is a small, tight-knit community of 1,780 (and growing), known for agriculture, commercial fishing and ecotourism. Nestled at the doorstep of Corcovado National Park, nature and adventure seekers come for the wildlife and adrenaline rush, but many tourists don’t realize the reality of the town.

Largely rural, many jobs are tourism based, which is not entirely positive because at the education level, children are affected. Public education in Costa Rica is based on learning by memorization, and doesn’t teach future generations critical thinking skills or autonomy.

Blue Osa has been working with the local school for some time and hopes to change the face of education on the Osa Peninsula.

Corcovado School is a privately funded school that rose out of the necessity to educate the young population of Puerto Jimenez and covers children in the preschool years up until Grade 6. If you were to meet the students, you’d find kids that are all smiles, curious and interested in the world around them.

The teachers, staff, and advising committee hope to build a school that the local community can be a part of, but also be proud of. Curriculum is place-based learning, which allows the students to experience events, building their self-esteem, confidence and cognitive abilities. Subjects are taught in Spanish and English to give the students a global education since both languages are spoken and utilized in a number of countries.

The truth is Corcovado School is in transition. The students need tools in the form of sponsorships and the teaching and administrative staff requires assistance with infrastructure. The cost to sponsor a child is $3,000 USD per year, which goes directly to their daily needs. Blue Osa is asking for a commitment of six years to sponsor a child, but even one year would make a difference.

If you’ve ever traveled to Costa Rica and fallen in love with it, remember that in many ways its local population is still developing and giving back in equal amounts to what the country gave you would not only feel wonderful, but right.

Want to help this Costa Rica charity? Become a sponsor!

If you want to sponsor a child at the Corcovado School visit the sponsorship page on their website or email them directly at: corcovadoschooldirector(at)gmail.com.