1 Project Information 1. Summary Main Category Natural Habitats Secondary Category (optional) Education Third Category (optional) Project Title Environmental education program “Creating the Environmental Leaders of the New Millennium” Project Short Name (Max. 30 characters including spaces) Project Total Duration (in months) Creating Environmental Leaders Total Amount Requested—US $ (Enter amounts in US funds, rounded to the nearest thousand dollar. Example: 361,253 = 362,000( $ 60,000 USD Total Project Budget—US $ (if different from requested) $ 80,000 USD Geographic Location (Country) Costa Rica Coordinates (according to Google Maps; http://maps.google.com/) 8.762938, - 83.598459 24 months 2. Abstract (200 word limit) The Osa Peninsula is considered one of the most important areas for conservation efforts due to it’s amazing nature and biodiversity. Osa’s depletion of natural resources goes hand in hand with poverty and its limited access to job opportunities and education. In order to achieve long term solutions: we believe that a sustained environmental education program will help the new generations think differently about their natural resources. The Corcovado Foundation environmental education program has created awareness and has empowered hundreds of children during the last ten years, working in 14 schools in Drake Bay and Costa Ballena. However the program has never been funded properly and has always had limited resources. After ten years of implementing this program, the foundation has initiated a new stage called “Forest in the hands of the children”. Thinking that the best way to learn is by acting, the foundation will start a process in which it promotes the planting of trees on farms, public areas and 1 2 river basins. The most accomplished and involved children will then participate in a leadership program. We are convinced that there is a need to enrich society with teenagers who are agents of community development, empowered to make a change. 3. Background Corcovado National Park, located in the Osa Peninsula, is the most important National Park in Costa Rica’s, Park System. This national park was again put under pressure by the growing price of gold in the international markets. The problems and the pressure to Corcovado National Park are always coming back, “like tsunamis” said Alvaro Ugalde. In our opinion, there have been two missing elements in the conservation efforts in Osa in order to achieve long term solutions: economic development and environmental education. Without proper economical options communities will keep going back to poaching and gold mining no matter the consequences. With a sustained environmental education program new generations will think differently about their natural resources and Corcovado National Park. Unfortunately both components have been absent from most conservation efforts in Osa. This project aims to improve both situations from the bottom up. Meaning, we will start working with children in order to 1) create awareness about the importance of natural resources for local communities 2) build leadership among young people, that will push the changes needed to obtain economic development. In order words we will build a new generation of environmental change makers. The Corcovado Foundation environmental education program, as small as it is, has created awareness and has empowered hundreds of children during the last 10 years. However, the program has never been funded properly and has always had limited resources. After 10 years of implementing this program, the foundation has initiated a new stage called “Creating the Environmental Education Leaders of the New Millennium”. Thinking that the best way to learn is by acting, the foundation will start a process in which it promotes the planting of trees on farms, public areas and river basins. As part of this program, the Corcovado Foundation is working in 14 schools in Drake and Costa Ballena Bay in order to promote the conservation of natural resources in Osa. Aim and scope The “Creating the Environmental Education Leaders of the New Millennium” project will try to get the children to get involved directly in conservation efforts. Hands on activities, specially reforestation, will be performed as normal activities of our environmental education in the 14 schools. Also recycling, beach clean ups and other activities will be implemented in order to provide children with a more experiential understanding. The foundation will start negotiations with other no-profit organizations or government institutions to acquire 1000 trees to be planted by 500 students during the course of a year. Later these students will be responsible for nurturing and protecting these trees until they are big enough to survive. We want the children to be part of their community change, being responsible of their own little 2 3 conservation project like decreasing deforestation in their community, being also an example for the rest of their family and the whole community. The most accomplished and involved children will then participate in a leadership program. We are convinced that there is a need to enrich society with children and teenagers who are agents of community development, empowered to make a change. That is why we intend to focus on capacity development in older children and adolescents in order to complement formal education with alternative strategies. This will allow capacity building, which will empower them to make decisions, take responsibility independently and exercise their rights and duties as members of a better society in Osa. That is why we intend to focus in older children and adolescents in order to complement formal education with alternative strategies. This will allow capacity building, which will empower them to make decisions, take responsibilities independently and exercise their rights and duties as a member of a better and more sustainable society in Osa. Then it could develop a generation of new entrepreneurs aware and respectful of the environment. Specific targets Eight schools in the Drake Bay area and surroundings and six schools in Dominical and Costa Ballena, (for a total of 14) receive monthly environmental education and engage in hands on environmental education activities, such as tree planting, recycling and others. Five children’s environmental groups in Drake Bay area are empowered and work weekly on environmental education projects as an extra- curricular activity. At least 20 of the most accomplished children will participate in a leadership program in which they will visit other communities, will learn about teamwork, community development and being a changemarker. 4. Methodology The major goals for environmental education are “to provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment” (UNESCO, 1978, p.26). To accomplish that we will: 14 schools will receive monthly environmental education lessons. These lessons will be focus on providing theoretical knowledge about the importance of the natural resources and its conservation. We will examine major environmental issues from a local, national and international point of view as The Tbilisi Declaration Recommendation (http://www.gdrc.org/uem/ee/tbilisi.html). The pedagogical methods use for that purpose will be; Simulating and Gaming/ Basic Case Study/ Film viewing and discussion/ Field Study. (Hungerford, Marcinkowski, Volk, 1990). 3 4 Field Study Method: We will use reforestation of their communities as their own investigation project. Autonomous investigations allow students to make an investment of their talent, interest and time in a preferred issue. Not only do students become experts regarding that issue, but they also derive a sense of ownership toward that issue. This sense of ownership or feeling of responsibility provides an impetus for action taking in a positive manner. . (Hungerford, Marcinkowski, Volk, 1990, p.120) For the reforestation of the communities we will use the Anderson Plantation Method. In this practice, seedlings are planting in groupings. This ensures that at least one of these will develop to maturity. (Ruiz, 2002) Five environmental groups will meet weekly to address the theoretical environmental education lectures in the schools to create a group of children that voluntarily will work in respect, self-organization, team building, conservation, recycling and other activities in a practical way. In order to promote leadership, the five environmental groups will also receive talks about leadership: leadership definition (honesty, the desire to succeed, intelligence creativity, kindness and a being a role model) and actions of leaders that children can relate to for example: not following the crowd, standing up to bullies, doing the right thing and helping others. We will read children books about famous world leaders and their lives. Specially women such as Hellen Keller, Harriet Tubam, Eleanor Roosevelt, Catherine the Great, Rosa Park and Susan B. Anthony. Also female leaders in Costa Rica, who overcame the gender segregation and led new spaces for women in the country: such as María Carvajal aka Carmen Lyra, Emma Gamboa, Teresa Obregón and Angela Acuña. We will also play leaderships games and play scenarios. Children that excel at these processes will participate in exchanges and trips in order to talk to kids in other communities and learn from organized groups such as Boys and Girls Scouts, and others. Year 1 Environmental education for 14 schools 1000 trees planted 5 children groups formed Most accomplished children chosen Leadership group formed 2 Groups exchanges Year 2 1st Trimester 2nd Trimester 3rd Trimester 4th Trimester 5th Trimester 6th 7th 8th Trimester Trimester Trimester X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 4 5 5. Expected result 1000 trees planted by children in public and private lands in order to encourage personal responsibility, promote conservation and restoration of the rainforest. 14 schools will receive monthly environmental education lessons. 5 environmental education groups will meet weekly to talk about conservation and practice hands on activities such as recycling, beach clean ups and others. 20 young kids, between ages 8 and 12 will participate in a one year program destined to promote leadership. The 20 kids mentioned above will participate in at least 2 group exchanges with other leadership groups. You may also provide links to related videos: Link 1 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQzLQiyO7vc Link 2 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJUaKlsph7M Link 3 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd0cJ27lcrI Link 4 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKRkvtJJi2w Schedule and Budget Please elaborate and detail the schedule and budget according to the sections and milestones mentioned in the methodology section. Please add a short justification for each budget item. Budget items: Environmental Education Coordinator (EEC): This item will pay for 50% of the salary of a biologist trained in children environmental education. He will coordinate and lead the activities performed during the 2 years of this project. He will plan and execute environmental education lessons and Environmental Education Specialist (EES): This item will pay for a second biologist part time, who will support the environmental education activities. The amount of schools and activities that this project intakes requires the work of at least 3 people. Local liaison: This item will pay for 60% of the salary of a local community member who will act as a connection with the local community, will inform local groups about the efforts of the foundation and the Environmental Education Program Environmental Education Supplies: This includes water colors, temperas, paper, scissors, books, cardboard and other art supplies that will be used for presentations, making crafts and other activities. Transportation: Environmental Educators will need to visit schools in communities located up to 70 kilometers away from their base town. Therefore, we will need to 5 6 cover the gasoline cost, motorcycle reparation and other cost related to transportation for the 3 members of the personnel. Exchanges: includes food, lodging and transportation for children and staff in order to visit and learn from other groups. Trees: The foundation will either need to purchase trees or will need to transport and care for the trees once planted. This funding will pay for buying those trees and will provide an small stipend to land owners for maintaining the trees. Current available funds for this work: The Corcovado Foundation is holding a wine event in order to financing the Environmental Education Program. We are hoping we will raise at least $20,000 USD for this program. We will also raise money by promoting a program called Make a Difference. This program consist in several hotels and travel agencies asking for $1 or $2 USD per room/per night. This program started working in hotels in the Osa Peninsula and in Ballena Coast. Applications now pending with other funding organizations for this work: (Please indicate the date by which you expect to receive notification and include electronic copies of any relevant budgets.) We have a proposal presented that would pay for $25% of the budget for 2014-2015 of the Environmental Education Program. We will receive notice of this proposal on November 2013. If other applications are listed above, are they alternative to this request to Greenvolved? If “Yes” and an alternative grant is received, you must notify Greenvolved. No, they are only complementary. 1. Gantt diagram 6 7 Year 1 Year 2 1st Trimester 2nd Trimester 3rd Trimester 4th Trimester 5th Trimester X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Environmental education for 14 schools 1000 trees planted 5 children groups formed Most accomplished children chosen Leadership group formed 2 Groups exchanges 6th 7th 8th Trimester Trimester Trimester X Applicant Information (The Applicant must be the Project Administrator.) 1. Please enter the following information for the person who will be heading the project (Project Administrator): Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) First Name Mrs Alejandra Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Monge-Jiménez Institution Corcovado Foundation Department N/A Current Position and/or Rank Executive Director Street Address Calle Manuel Solano Jimenez City San Rafael de Moravia State/Province San José ZIP/Postal Code 00000 Country Costa Rica 7 8 Telephone Number (506) 2297-3013 Additional Telephone Numbers (506) 8981-5519 Fax Number (506) 2241-2906 Email Addresses (at least one) alejandra@corcovadofoundation.org, funcorco@racsa.co.cr info@corcovadofoundation.org Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 12/07/1971 Country of Primary Citizenship Costa Rican 2. Educational Background Highest Degree Awarded Master in Business Administration School/Institution University of Costa Rica-Fundepos Department or Major Marketing Year Degree Awarded 1997 3. Relevant Experience of the project administrator (Special qualifications of the Project Administrator for the proposed project—250 word limit) Alejandra Monge is an undergraduate in Tourism and a Master in Business Administration with a Specialty in Marketing from the University of Costa Rica. She also participated in several training courses such as The Organization for Tropical Studies course of ecological principles for sustainable development in Latin America. Alejandra has been the executive director of the Corcovado Foundation, for the last 10 years, a non profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the natural resources in the Osa Peninsula, promoting sustainable tourism among hotels in Drake Bay and the Osa Peninsula. Under her lead, the foundation has taken an important role in conservation in Osa, promoting sustainable tourism and environmental education. The foundation has also been a key partner for the Ministry of Environment in Osa and has worked as a link between private companies and local or governmental projects. This year the foundation presented it’s the Environmental Education Manual for Osa Peninsula as a complement for its 10 year ongoing environmental education program. 8 9 With thirteen years of experience in sustainable tourism and 10 years in conservation, Alejandra was responsible of writing the text book for sustainable tourism, for the National Apprenticeship Institute in Costa Rica. She has also organized a couple of dozen workshops for the topic and shows for tourism and environmentally friendly products and has being a consultant for several hotels that today feature the highest levels in sustainable tourism in the country. 4. Please attach CV Additional Participants Additional participant 1 Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mr First Name Alvaro Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Amo Institution Corcovado Foundation Department Environmental Education Current Position and/or Rank Environmental Education Coordinator Street Address 500 m West Cocalito Beach City Drake State/Province Puntarenas ZIP/Postal Code 21122 Country Costa Rica Telephone Number 8886-9405 Additional Telephone Numbers 8888-5163 Fax Number (506) 2241-2906 Email Addresses (at least one) alvaro@corcovadofoundation.org alvaroamo@hotmail.com 9 10 Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 09/12/1981 Country of Primary Citizenship Spain Highest Degree Awarded Master Tencnología Ambiental School/Institution Internacional University of Andalucía Department or Major Year Degree Awarded 2008 Additional participant 2 Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs First Name Helena Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Pita Institution Corcovado Foundation Department Environmental Education Current Position and/or Rank Environmental Education Specialist Street Address 100 mts West Escuela Los Angeles City Los Ángeles de Drake State/Province Puntarenas ZIP/Postal Code Country Costa Rica Telephone Number 8439-3575 Additional Telephone Numbers 8424-2122 Fax Number (506) 2241-2906 Email Addresses (at least one) asistente@corcovadofoundation.org helena.pita88@gmail.com 10 11 Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 12/01/1988 Country of Primary Citizenship Spain Highest Degree Awarded Licencia en Biología especialidad Ecología School/Institution University Autónoma de Madrid Department or Major Ecology Year Degree Awarded 2011 Additional participant 3 Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs First Name Mayra Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Cano Institution Corcovado Foundation Department Environmental Education Current Position and/or Rank Local Liaison Street Address 300 mts West Mirador Hotel City Drake State/Province Puntarenas ZIP/Postal Code Country Costa Rica Telephone Number 8669-4161 Additional Telephone Numbers 8765-4850 Fax Number (506) 2241-2906 Email Addresses (at least one) enlacelocal@corcovadofoundation.org 11 12 Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 27/06/1968 Country of Primary Citizenship Costa Rica Highest Degree Awarded Primary School/Institution Drake School Department or Major Year Degree Awarded 1981 Previous Greenvolved Applications Reviewers Please enter the names and complete addresses of three (3) individuals competent to provide us with an appraisal of your project and/or evaluation of your qualifications and ability to successfully do the work involved. Greenvolved Committee reserves the right to contact reviewers other than those listed here. Reviewer 1 Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) First Name Mrs Etilma Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Morales Institution Ministery of Environment Department Director Street Address City Golfito State/Province Puntarenas ZIP/Postal Code 00000 Country Costa Rica 12 13 Telephone Number (506) 8817-9544 Additional Telephone Numbers (506) 2775-1210 (506) 2775-2110 Fax Number Email Addresses (at least one) Etilma.morales@gmail.com Reviewer 2 Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) First Name Mrs Nikole Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Andruseski Institution Socio Metrics Research Institute Department Executive Director Street Address City Coronado State/Province San José ZIP/Postal Code 00000 Country Costa Rica` Telephone Number (506) 8895-6706 Additional Telephone Numbers Fax Number Email Addresses (at least one) nandruseski@hotmail.com Reviewer 3 Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) First Name Mr. Federico 13 14 Middle Name Last Name (Surname) Solórzano Institution Planet Conservation Department Director Ejecutivo Street Address 100 metros Oeste del Kinder Fray Felipe, Barrio Cooperativa City Perez Zeledón State/Province Puntarenas ZIP/Postal Code 00000 Country Costa Rica Telephone Number (506) 8916-7264 Additional Telephone Numbers (506) 2772-4720 Fax Number Email Addresses (at least one) Federico@planetconservation.com P.I. Certification on Ethical Issues Have you obtained all the necessary permits needed for executing the suggested project in the country in which it will be conducted? Yes we have. If not, when will you have them? What, if any, will be the local response to your project? Will it in any way offend cultural or religious sensibilities of local communities? What can you do to prevent that outcome? To what extent does your project enhance local environmental awareness and activity? This project is the product of 10 years of experience working with local communities. We believe our program has never offended cultural sensibilities, but has brought a new perspective, especially for children whose parents are hunters, illegal loggers or others. Children have accepted the program will excitement and enthusiasm. More and more parents have started to reach us, talking about the importance of protecting their natural environment. This new stage will only bring a more hands- on experience and will give added value to their participation, by nourishing environmental aware local leaders. 14 15 Our project will promote the active participation of 500 children in 14 schools and will produce a new generation of environmental leaders that will promote conservation in their communities in years to come. Are you aware of any political, cultural, legal, or any other issues that could cause problems in executing your project? No Organization name: Corcovado Foundation Lon Willing Ramsey Junior 15