Semester Program in Costa Rica
January 3 – March 20, 2013
Location
Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica
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5 Hours to San Jose
3 Hours to Liberia
20 Minutes North of
Santa Teresa & Mal Pais
30 Minutes to Cobano
Liberia
San Jose
CIRENAS
Caletas-Ario National
Wildlife Refuge
• Created in 2006
• Co-Managed National Wildlife Refuge
• MINAEM, CIRENAS, PRETOMA, Stakeholders
• 750 Acres of Coastal Land
• 12 Nautical Miles of Marine Protected Area
• Two of the Largest Rivers on Nicoya Peninsula
• 4 Species of Nesting Sea Turtles
• 250 Species of Birds: Migratory & Native
Our Campus
• Off the grid
• Solar Powered
• Local Materials
• Hand Built
• Sustainable
Our Students
• 12-14 Total Students
• From Public, Private, Charter
& Home Schools Worldwide
• US, International & Costa Rican
Students
• Need Blind Application Process
•Based on merit, determination &
character
Semester Overview
January 3 - March 20, 2012
• 12-14 Students;
• 5 Core Teaching Faculty,
• 5 Staff
• Visiting Faculty and Lecturers
• 6 Day Weeks
• Place-based, Interdisciplinary Courses
• CPR First Aid Certification Course
• Group Expedition
• Week-long Site Visits to Parks, Education Centers and Projects
• Work Study Programs
• Community Service Projects - Total of approximately 75 hours
• Final Project Symposium
Place-based Courses
• Tropical Ecology
Research, Fieldwork, Projects
•Social Studies / History
Costa Rican culture, Worldview,
US/CR Relations
•English
Scientific journaling, Non-fiction writing,
Environmental literature
•Mathematics
Statistics, Research data, Tutoring
•Spanish
Immersion, Costa Rican literature
•Leadership & Community
Teamwork, Public Speaking, Active Listening
Tropical Ecology
• Marine Ecosystems
• Watershed Studies
• Research
• Field work
• Projects
Social Studies
• Costa Rican History
• Costa Rica/US Relations
• Local Interviews
• Homestays
• Projects
Spanish
• Focus on Conversational Spanish
• Teaching English
• Local Interviews
• Homestays
• Projects
English
• Essay Writing
• Poetry (taught by Matt Miller, Exeter)
• Journaling
• Environmental Literature
• Public Speaking
• Projects
Mathematics
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Statistics
• Tutoring
• Projects
Integrated, Project Focused
Curriculum
• Turtle Conservation
•Research, Fieldwork, Interviews, Data
Collection, Scientific Journaling & Essay
Writing
• Identification Guide for
National Wildlife Refuge
•Flora & Fauna Identification, Data
Collection, Ethnobotanical Use of Plants,
Artwork, Interviews, Field Guide
Composition & Layout
• Sustainable Systems
• Ecological Restoration
• Journaling & Blog
• Final Project
Past Projects
• Watershed Educational Model
• Holistic Pasture Management
• Grey Water Recycling
• Chickens & Coop
• Medicinal Plant Garden &
Recipe Book
• Solar Ovens
•Turtle Nursery Business Plan
Activities
Our Returning Faculty
Tucker Szymkowicz
Caroline Grew
Annette Fischel
Co-Director& Founder/English
Co-Director & Founder/Outreach
Program Coordinator/Science
Master’s of Education:
Curriculum and Instruction
University of Washington, WA. USA
BS Communications
Minor Latin American Studies
Cornell University, NY. USA
Masters of Applied Science,
Natural Resource Management.
James Cook University, Australia
Certificate Non-Profit Leadership
UPEACE, Costa Rica
Certificate Non-Profit Leadership
UPEACE, Costa Rica
BS Biology: Major Ecology and
Sustainable Development.
University Latina, Costa Rica
BA English and Religion
Colorado College, CO. USA
Our New Semester Faculty
Andy Winters
Program Director/Social Studies
The Compass School, VT
MS Education
Integrated Curriculum Development,
Leadership and Community, Cultural
Anthropology
Lesley University,
Audubon Expedition Institute, MA
BS General Science Biology,
Secondary Education Certification
Michigan State University, MI
Elissa McLean
James DiCarlo
Spanish/Service Learning
Mathematics/Science
Phillips Exeter Academy
Ed.M: Learning & Teaching
Harvard University
Graduate School of Education
Masters of Science, Applied Physics
Stanford University, CA
BA: Environmental Studies and
Education
University of Vermont
BS Physics & Engineering Sciences
Dartmouth College, NH
Thank you to all of our supporters,
alumni, family & friends!
Gracias!
For More Information
www.cirenas.org | cirenascr@gmail.com