-Pedagogy of the Earth and Culture of Sustainability by Moacir Gadotti
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On Friday we visited the Cloud Forest School, which was by far my favorite of our field visits. The mission of the school is "to encourage a new generation of ecologically aware, bilingual individuals with the skills and motivation to make environmentally and socially conscious decisions on a local, national, and global scale." The school is located in the cloud forest of Monteverde:















The finished product:



The visit to the Cloud Forest School provided a stark contrast to the public school, Escuela El Rodeo, that we visited earlier in the week. First, it is a private school. The budget of the Cloud Forest School is about $300,000 per year, excluding salaries. The budget of the public school is $1,000 per year, excluding salaries. Most students are on partial financial aid, but it still costs money to attend the Cloud Forest School, which provides a challenge for some families.
Public schools are becoming less and less prominent in Costa Rica, as families are opting to use their money to send their kids to better schools. This is creating an interesting dynamic and provides less opportunities to the children who do attend public school. Because tourism is the number one industry in Costa Rica, those who go to public school are at a disadvantage upon graduation due to their lack of English skills.
While the discrepancy in education was discouraging to witness, it was inspiring to see a school as innovative and unique as the Cloud Forest School. It was one of the most impressive schools I have seen anywhere in the world. The average class size is 16 students, with a maximum of 22 students in high school. Students interact constantly with nature and the environment, taking ownership over the activities that I have mentioned here. If only this school could become a model that is duplicated throughout Costa Rica and the world.
Brooke, this is the most inspirational thing i have seen. WOW! What an incredible experience. I love the school name too!!! and you. mom
ReplyDeleteLa sexta foto es la de mi hijo Daniel, ya ahora el tiene 8 aƱos. Que buen recuerdo.
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