Reflections and Wrap-Ups: Lessons Learned from the Last Three Weeks

As the students wrap up their final days on campus, they’ve spent extensive time this week working on final projects, enjoying cultural activities and community service events, and hanging out with good friends. These activities included painting a local restaurant, clearing nature trails and pathways from debris, working in community gardens, having a "mejenga" (a pickup game of soccer) and team building activities with Santa Elena high school students, and much more. One thing is for certain, we are all reflecting on the past few weeks we’ve spent together here, as our travel day home quickly approaches. 

The final projects for Climate Change Mitigation students are focused on addressing a current issue related to climate change with an innovative project solution. What is the problem? Who are the beneficiaries of this proposed project? What is the purpose and vision? How is the plan for project implementation and what would the budget and supporting resources necessary to see the project to fruition? The goal for these projects is to propose radical solutions to everyday issues we face in combatting the ever-present challenge of a changing climate. These solutions can be anything from small and individual to societal level. These projects are not just a grade in an academic course, but a culmination of knowledge the students have gathered over the past three weeks as to how we can make a true real-world, positive impact on the climate crisis when we work together with passionate and creative minds. We look forward to their presentations this week, culminating the lessons learned throughout the program with their own personal knowledge and experiences. 

It is our hope that the lessons and experiences remembered from their time here in Monteverde will translate into action from these inspired young leaders once back home. Not only have we learned a lot in our subject areas, but we’ve also experienced a new country and culture with 30+ new friends and made memories to last a lifetime!