Abriendo Mentes

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Potrero!

2011-12-07T05:55:00.001-08:00

Written by: Anna Hergt

Some United States holidays aren't commonly celebrated in Potrero, but for the sake of fun, we like to spread the word. On Thanksgiving, that word was “THANKS!”. We started off the day with Kindergarten kids, who had been learning about the letter N, so we decided to make Native American headdresses. They wrote their names and colored nature-related things on their headbands and then taped on the "feathers." It’s quite nice how excited they were to tape on their scrap paper triangles and celebrate proudly with us.

Kinder with their head dresses!

Grades 3^rd, 5^th, and 6^th were all in the next class, so we made a Tree of Thanks! Up on their mural they each posted colorful fall leaves, a strange concept here, and effortlessly wrote in English, “I am thankful for...” Most of them said "friends" and "family" and "my house," all blessings we sometimes take for granted.

Tree of Thanks!

Color-by-Number rainbow turkeys was the last activity for the 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th graders. Colors and numbers are subjects that they are especially good at so they had a blast and kept very quiet as they concentrated. A quiet classroom is rare here at Abriendo Mentes! When they were done the noise began again as we talked about how to say "thank you" in different languages. Our German volunteer Lynn taught them “Danke!” and we continued on to try and pronounce many other world languages.

Nayelli coloring her rainbow turkey

This Thanksgiving, we’d all like to say Gracias, Merci, Arigato, and any other way we could possibly let you know how thankful we are that there are people out there supporting AM even by something as simple as reading this. Salud!

A Healthy Community is a Happy Community

2011-12-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

Written by: Shannon Ghere

When it comes to health and nutrition, Potrero is struggling like communities all over the world. Obesity is an epidemic among adults and is creeping into the lives of children. Diabetes is becoming more and more common and many people in Potrero are unsure exactly what the disease is or how to address it. It is because of this that the women of the AM women’s group, Mujeres Activas de Potrero (MAP), asked for more information on nutrition. We invited Dr. Judith Lipton to join us at a MAP meeting and share information on nutrition and healthy habits.

Traditional Costa Rican food provides a healthy and balanced diet. The province of Nicoya, just about an hour from Potrero, was named one of the 5 “Blue Zones” in the earth. The five Blue Zones include: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Icaria, Greece. The populations in these regions commonly live active lives over 100 years old and suffer from a small fraction of diseases that commonly plague other communities. While a traditional Costa Rican diet is nutritious and healthy, here in Potrero processed, fatty, salt and sugar heavy foods have filled our shelves and our bellies, creating an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Living in poverty, many families do not have the knowledge or opportunity to change their current path and their children are beginning a similar pattern at a young age.

Dr. Lipton shared healthy eating tips with MAP, taught us how to read product labels effectively, and answered our questions about our own nutrition and child nutrition. She stressed the simple rule that we should all try to follow: Eat like your grandmother ate as she was growing up.

This information can be especially powerful and effective in the hands of women. In an epidemic such as this, the women of MAP can be crucial in changing the eating habits of the community as they are primarily responsible for the food in their households. Dr. Lipton will continue to join MAP to discuss other health related topics in the future including self breast exams and sexual health. Following up on our nutrition class, Dr. Lipton will be joining us early January to help us make healthy New Year’s resolutions and take our weight, measurements, and blood pressure to track our progress each month.

A Fun Filled Trip to the Feria Forestal

2011-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Written by Caroline Kirkendoll

The first Saturday in November marked the inaugural outing for our freshly restarted women's group, now known as Mujeres Activas del Potrero (Active Women of Potrero). After an early morning departure from Potrero we made the 2 hour drive south into the mountains to a town called Hojancha. Hoja Ancha literally translates into "wide leaf" and was named by the locals after a tree with large leaves that is found throughout the area.

Hojancha is known throughout Costa Rica for its incredible biodiversity, so it was fitting that this feria forestal (forest fair) took place in an area well-practiced in the art of forest sustainability and Eco-conservation. Six Potrero women and their eight children accompanied the Abriendo Mentes volunteers as we went about exploring the rows of booths inside sun-shaded tents. Although we visited on the last day of a 3-day festival there was still lots to be seen!

Verenice, Dilan and Emanuel on the park slide!

We were instantly mesmerized by an eye-popping display of dozens of butterfly specimens and a fish tank full of live koi. Each booth had representatives ready to pass out information and we walked away with lots of brochures, and a desire to make a trip back to the area to explore the underground caves of Barra Honda!

Anna & Ilene browsing the booths

What was particularly encouraging to us was the number of booths manne d by single women selling everything from rosaries made from tree seeds to jewelry made from painted glass. We learned that Hojancha also has a women's group, called Hojarte - get it?! - and they sell all kinds of handmade items, such as bags and jewelry, made from recycled goods. It was very inspirational to see how successful they are!

Judit with some of the beautiful jewelry

After a morning exploring we loaded everyone up and set off back to Potrero, full of ideas and inspiration for our mujeres activas! We are very excited to continue expanding the horizons of our local women, and hopefully sometime soon we'll have our own booth at a local feria! Many thanks to Andres of Bahia del Sol for organizing transportation and making this trip

Caroline and Andres enjoy some traditional meat on a stick

Fun Friday: At the Garden!

2011-11-20T19:47:00.000-08:00

By: Ilene Solomon

Fridays are typically filled with fun (yet still educational) activities, in order to expand the kiddo's minds and hearts, and to provide them with more hands-on, experiential ways to learn. Last Friday was no exception! Fun Friday was run by the Garden Team: Lynn, Peter and myself...and with the help of parents who lent us their garden tools (thanks padres!), we all got our hands dirty with our first Garden Day of the new dry season.

The kids getting geared up for X-treme Garden Makeover

With about thirty students--from kinder all the way up to 6th graders--and seven volunteers, we raced out to the back of the salon, home to the Abriendo Mentes garden. Past volunteers and donors helped create a beautiful garden space, but unfortunately, due to the heavy rains of September and October and a horrible iguana attack, the garden looked like it needed some major TLC! Luckily, the students were excited to help. We managed to weed the entire plot plus remove all of the trash! Phew.

Tatiana with her bunch of weeds

But the greatest show of all, was when volunteer and Garden Committee Co-Chair Peter shimmied up the 5 meter tall tree with his travel-sized saw! He helped us trim down the tree to let more light shine in. Afterward, he instructed the big kids in how to safely use his travel-sized axe to chop the branches for the compost pile. One of our older boys, Oscar, was put in charge of showing the other older students how to handle the axe. This was a special moment for Oscar, as he was able to sharpen his leadership capacities...after all, education doesn't just happen in the classroom!

Peter teaching Oscar to use an axe to trim the tree

After about 2 hours of work, the kids were thirsty and the volunteers were tired, so we packed up and called it a day. Next on the garden agenda includes securing the garden beds and re-soiling the area. If you'd like to help support the garden, consider donating to Abriendo Mentes!

Third Session: Big Changes Can Happen Quickly!

2011-11-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Written by: Shannon Ghere

As the Third Session of Abriendo Mentes’ programs has come to a close and our fourth and final session of the year is underway, it is a marker for me to look back at the enriching time I have spent in Costa Rica thus far. I arrived on the dusty roads of Potrero in the beginning of August, just before the the Third Session began. Recently graduated from college, I was full of desire to make real change. I was ready to begin, but truly had no idea the journey I was embarking on.

Shannon in classes with Dilan making an igloo

Potrero at first seemed quite different from the life I was used to, but I quickly fell in love with it. The town is comprised of Guanacastecos, some of Costa Rican origin, others immigrants from Nicaragua. Poverty is prevalent in the region and has a strong hold on many families. But what is even more difficult is the lack of opportunity to change ones circumstances. It is clear after living in the area for a few months that not only is there a deep need for increased education, but also a clear desire from the community. This is what makes Abriendo Mentes such a success: they are addressing real needs and the community embraces them in their efforts.

The AM kids pile on the soccer field

Of course I was excited to dive into AM’s English classes and the Third Session classes did not disappoint. The youngest classes were always my favorite and I loved all the songs and English games we played with the kids. The older classes reminded me of some of the activities I have done in my own courses as I was learning a new language. From week to week I could see improvements in the students’ English. And thanks to a great idea by past volunteer Linda, AM was able to implement a new attendance program for the Third Session which more then doubled our number of regularly attending students! The impact was immediate and sustained throughout the session, leading AM to implement a new schedule in order to create smaller class sizes.

Kinder class! With Sofia and Daniella

We celebrated some fantastic holidays during the Third Session including Mother’s Day, Children’s Day, Independence Day, and the Festival of Corn. During each event I had a great time with the students and, of course, at all the AM fiestas we threw for the kids. Children’s Day was by far my favorite and, I think, something we should consider adopting in the United States! AM held carnival for all the children in Potrero and included many games and events I always loved in carnivals as I was growing up.

Shannon in charge of the UFO disc toss station

Since I arrived in Potrero the AM family has grown quite a bit! For the majority of my initial time in Potrero there were just three volunteers. Now the team has grown to eleven people in total. The largest Abriendo Mentes team to date!

With volunteer Lynn and some AM students making picture frames

Looking back on the few months I’ve been here, it is astonishing just how much can be accomplished in such a short time. From the wonderful teaching experiences I have had and the growth I have seen with the students, to the various successes Abriendo Mentes has had. I have built strong relationships in such a short time with community members and the other volunteers alike. And even the changes I have seen in myself: the improvement in my own work, my changing concepts of the community I have become a part of, and my lack of screaming at the various bugs, toads, crabs, and scorpions that wander into my apartment.

Shannon and Emily - Las Gallos Pintos at the Halloween party

When you look at life in Potrero and the immense amount of work Abriendo Mentes does, it can seem daunting at the beginning. But looking back at the past few months, who knows what can be accomplished in such a short amount of time.

We the Women of Potrero!

2011-11-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Written by: Lynn Hessbrueggen

A lack of educational possibilities and after school activities has centered Abriendo Mentes’ primary focus on the children of Potrero. As we all know, children are our future. But where do all these energetic, smart little ones come from? Who brings them up, feeds them and loves them? La Mujeres de Potrero (The Women of Potrero)!

A few important women of Potrero share smiles and stories during the first meeting

To honor this strong and essential part of our community, AM has created a women's empowerment group program. The group strives to be a place, where all women of Potrero (young and old, from Costa Rica or abroad) can gather together, discuss, learn and spend quality time just for themselves. A place where there is room for questions concerning women’s health, child care and economic independence; a place where no woman has to restrict herself; a place for women.

Shannon with some of the women of Potrero spending quality time together

This past Thursday at 5pm (más o ménos) we started our first new Women’s Group meeting. To our delight, the small room was filled with women of all ages. After Meradith had welcomed everyone in Spanish, and the buffet of food, which was provided by volunteers and village women alike, was emptied onto our plates, AM introduced the ideas of possible activities that we had thought of in advance: healthy cooking, Yoga, swimming classes, women’s health, Spanish-English intercambio… and the list goes on. There was plenty to talk about while enjoying fruits, chips, dips, rice and chicken.

Meradith enjoying arroz con pollo and conversation with Maritza, Margarita and Tina.

Everyone discussed, with openness and excitement the different possibilities of the women's group. A lively exchange of opinions full with laughter and jokes created a comfortable atmosphere: surfing and snorkeling were dismissed, in a fit of laughter, everyone imagining themselves on a surf board, and many new ideas were added. Next week, everybody is going to come with a towel, ready to learn how to give and receive a relaxing massage. Having attended the first meeting, I’m really looking forward to the next one.

Always Expect the Unexpected

2011-10-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Written by: April Simon

Having stalked Abriendo Mentes online for nearly nine months, I thought I knew what to expect upon my arrival in Playa Potrero. Reality, as I am often reminded, trumps the Internet every time.

A rainy season front yard in Playa Potrero

I first discovered AM while searching for a host organization for the Fulbright grant project I am proposing. The program is based on the Literacy Through Photography model and will explore concepts of self, community, and future aspirations with children aged 5-14. Having exchanged many an email with Meradith, I felt it time to make the trip from North Carolina to see for myself how the project might play out with the AM kids.

My partner, Brian, and I arrived on the rainiest day of the season. After a five hour shuttle bus trip into the Potrero, we were eager to get out and explore the village that we hope will be our home soon. Following the only road we saw, we soon found ourselves at the soccer field that serves as the center of town. From there, we could hear the sound of children singing through the downpour.

Looking out onto the soccer field.

The AM classroom buzzed with the energy of barely contained chaos. The teachers and volunteers moved around the room, helping the kindergarteners paste scraps of paper in the shape of an apple. Brian and I were invited to jump right in with the lesson.

Justin helps Dayra with her apple art.

Between the older and younger groups, I chatted with the children and let them play with my camera. One boy, Gerald, quickly established himself as the class clown- mugging for every single shot. A few others asked me to take group photos- and, like all eight-year-old boys are want to do, gave each other bunny ears for posterity.

Over the next few days, I got the opportunity to get to know more of the children, several of their parents, and many of the other community members. In true Tico fashion, the citizens of Playa Potrero are incredibly warm, open, and kind.

The corn king and queens of Potrero

We were able to take part in the Corn Festival, and I was given the recipe for the traditional corn and rice soup that was boiling in a huge cauldron over open flames. When all of the electricity in the area went out during our dinner at a restaurant, the owner casually brought us a candle, a drink refill, and a flashlight for our walk home.

Truly Guanacasteco: cooking arroz de maiz over an open flame.

Though we were sad to leave Potrero behind, Brian and I look forward to returning along with our own two children next year. I am excited to begin working in earnest on both my project, and with AM in their regular afterschool programs. While village life has its challenges, I am also very eager to have my family in a place that is removed from the bustle and anxiety of the city... and if I ever need to find my children- I’ll never have to look farther than the soccer field.

A Busy Week at Abriendo Mentes!

2011-10-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

By Ilene Solomon

Between exams for all of the students, the Corn Festival, Game Day with Ilene and Peter, and Gymnastics Day with Lynn and Shannon, this week has been non-stop action!

All of the kids have been studying extremely hard for their exams. 1st grade has been learning all about pets, hobbies, and clothing, while 2nd grade has been busy with hobbies, traditional games, and clothing. 3rd and 4th grades spent the week working on leisure time activities, utensils, clothing, and food. Lastly, 5th & 6th grades studied different types of entertainment (hobbies), stores and places around town, legends and cooking recipes.

In our hands-on approach to learning, Abriendo Mentes volunteers created innovative ways to teach the students. Anna put together the pets and clothing topics for the younger students by making paper-dolls. But these weren't your average paper-dolls to clothe...instead, the kids got to choose outfits for their pets! Shannon and Emily helped the kindergarten students learn about the letter "K" by making king's crowns, while Ilene and Peter hand-made a Memory Game set with the Spanish and English words for various fruits and vegetables. The kids got a lot of study time in, but more importantly, they had fun!

Another big event took place on Wednesday: the Costa Rican Corn Festival! Fiesta del Maiz is held in mid-October to celebrate corn production; clothes are made out of corn husks and corn-based foods are enjoyed. At school, each grade chose a male and female class representative, who strutted their stuff down the runway. From shirts made of corn bags, earrings studded with corn kernels, and dresses lined with dyed corn, each kid's outfit was beautiful and so unique! A parade around Potrero's plaza gave the whole town a chance to see the kids decked out in corn. We finished off the fiesta with a delicious chicken, rice and corn soup and Costa Rican style snowcones.

Verenice in her corn outfit

To end their week of studying, the AM volunteers planned fun activities and a Gymnastic Day for the kids. They crawled through the tunnel like lions, climbed up the mountains, dodged the poisonous snakes in the swamp, and jumped over hot lava in our Costa Rican obstacle course, and danced the afternoon away to a freeze dance game, accompanied by Peter's guitar. On Friday, they learned how to warm-up like real gymnasts and do somersaults and handstands!

Good thing we have a break next week from classes...after so much activity, we all need a rest!

Lynn even helped out volunteer Peter with his handstand!

Christmas in September

2011-10-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Written by Emily Hric

I arrived in Potrero late in the evening almost two weeks ago. The drive to the coast from San Jose was long and arduous, but luckily my driver, Miguel, had a sixth sense for avoiding the thousands of pot holes that lined the dirt road into town. Tired, and a little apprehensive, I settled into my new casa , not knowing what to expect from Potrero or my time working with Abriendo Mentes.

The following morning, I was greeted bright and early by Lynn, another volunteer, who was tasked with giving me the official Potrero tour. I was introduced to the three super markets, which all seemed to carry the exact same products (though I would soon learn which super had best for produce and which had the best selection of my favorite cookies). And 20 minutes later, as the tour concluded (seeing that Potrero really is the smallest town I have ever been in) I caught a quick glimpse of the most gorgeous beach I have ever seen; only a few minutes’ walk from the center of town.

But then it was straight to work. I had arrived just in time to help distribute new school supplies to all of the children. Because of the great support from friends, families, and donors, this year the children were able to receive new pencil cases, filled with pencils, erasers, and sharpeners as well as a new set of colored pencils, a folder, and a new notebook.

Being a bit of a nerd myself, I know the excitement that new school supplies can bring, but I was in no way prepared for how thrilled these children were to get their hands on a new notebook. As each child filed into the Abriendo Mentes’ office, a line formed that ran from the top of the stairs all the way down and out the door. For some of the children, choosing between a pink pencil case and a polka dot pencil case, or a motorcycle notebook and a cool football notebook, seemed like it was the most important decision they had ever made in their lives. They sat there, almost in agony, debating between the two before they would look to a friend for guidance. And as they walked down the stairs, holding their new supplies tightly against their chests, not one of the students could contain their eagerness to show their friends and parents which supplies they had chosen. I have now been here two weeks, and still the pride that these kids take in having their own pencils and notebooks – that belong only to them, amazes me.

After only two weeks I have fallen in love with the kids. I can’t walk down the street in Potrero without three or four children calling my name or running over to give me a hug. Enthusiasm and affection just radiates from them, and it is entirely contagious!

A day for the children

2011-09-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Written by Shannon Ghere

Mother's Day and Father's Day are well known in the United States, but here in Costa Rica they add a new holiday into the mix, Children's Day! Recently, Costa Ricans celebrated the national holiday of Dia de los Ninos to celebrate all the children of Costa Rica. Often on this day children receive gifts from their families and there is a small town celebration. Of course, this holiday did not pass by quietly at Abriendo Mentes!

Flor and Sucelli's Children's Day sign.

To celebrate the children of Potrero, Costa Rica Abriendo Mentes hosted a Carnival in the community salon open to all the children of Potrero and beyond. More then 50 children came, many of them arriving early (which those who have spent time Costa Rica know is something rare!) to stand outside the door, excitedly watching us set up the party. After grabbing their carnival tickets, they rushed in to begin the fun!

Lining up...

We had filled the carnival with some of our own favorite games that we remember from carnivals and fairs when we were growing up including a fishing pond, Frisbee toss, bingo, and basketball hoop. We also included the classic game, the cake walk, where winners received brownies. And an arts and crafts station was set up for children to decorate their own goody bags and more. After each game children would excitedly pick out a prize that they had earned such as pencils, bracelets, or key chains. But the crowd favorite was clearly the face painting station! The line for face painting was always long, with children typically requesting flowers and butterflies or pirate faces.

Classic Go Fish

A new addition (thanks Shannon) E.T. frisbee

Needless to say, it was a wonderful and fun afternoon for everyone and a great way to celebrate the Potrero children!

Lynn our resident face painter!

Give a hoot, don't pollute!

2011-09-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Written by Drew Ragland

What do diapers, fishing line, a car tire, a toilet seat, shoes, and ceramic tiles have in common? They were all among the various articles of garbage that were hauled off of Potrero Beach during a community wide beach cleanup event that took place on Monday, August 29. During the rainy season, swollen estuaries and strong tides deposit copious amounts of trash along the beach in Potrero Bay. This accumulation of refuse is an environmental hazard as well as a detraction from the aesthetic value of this otherwise pristine setting. Pollution on Potrero beach is a big problem that can be tackled with small solutions.

Mhia working hard to clean the beach.

The Las Catalinas team!

Spearheaded by Bahia del Sol Hotel, the beach cleanup was a collaboration between local businesses, Abriendo Mentes students, Las Catalinas Development and community members. With garbage bags in hand, over 20 students, parents, residents, and even a few tourists set out from Las Brisas on a mission to scour the beach for litter. Another group struck out from Hotel Bahia del Sol towards the “new marina.” From tiny plastic bags to a large tractor tire, no piece was too big or too small to be collected. The two cleaning crews rendezvoused back at Bahia del Sol for a much needed refreshment and to sort all the garbage for recycling. Glass, plastic, metal, and trash; everything was accounted for and loaded up to be taken to the recycling center. In total, several hundred pounds of litter was removed from Potrero Beach and everyone went home tired, proud, a bit malodorous, but most importantly satisfied in fulfilling a civic responsibility. We are looking forward to seeing everyone come out for the next beach clean. Stay tuned for the time and date and tell your friends and neighbors because the more the mejor.

Drew giving Luis a ride back to Potrero.

Yoga in the wild

2011-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Written by Lynn Hessbrueggen

Energetic, hyperactive kids wouldn't possibly enjoy a calm, centered exercise such as yoga... at least that’s what you would think, until you meet Colleen Stacey, yoga teacher extraordinaire. This stunning woman managed to get a group of elementary aged kids to master "sun salutations" and "downward facing dog" with ease and sans complaints.

The kids and Colleen in a plank pose, part of the Sun Salutation.

This past Friday, Colleen joined Abriendo Mentes for a second children's yoga class. Following her famous dinosaur yoga in June, she came prepared for a new favorite, jungle yoga (yoga de la selva). Adding some roars and claws to regular yoga exercises made the half hour of yoga go by in a snap. No one even realized they were even exercising as the Salon slowly transformed into a humid, cloudy jungle adventure.

Luis, a true jungle cat.

Colleen had the kids walk through an imaginary jungle while doing the different exercises, and adding a little fantasy to regular yoga positions. First we became leopards by kneeling on hands & knee, stretching one leg up in the air (the tail, of course). The kids almost started to be afraid of themselves... well, almost. Accompanied by cobras and sideways walking crabs the journey through the tropical yoga rainforest continued. Monkeys and dangerous mangrove boat trips (good exercise for your abs) followed. At the end of their adventure Colleen enchanted the little ones to sit still as little turtles. Not an easy thing to do as all AM teachers know.

Colleen helping Verenice with her turtle pose.

After a 30 minute class, we transported back to Potrero from our selva adventure, still with the thoughts and feelings of a wild trip to the Amazon jungle.

The simple joy of arts and crafts

2011-08-25T09:40:00.001-07:00

Written by Shannon Ghere

On Friday, I had the opportunity to lead an art class with a fellow volunteer, Lynn. We helped a small group of children create and decorate picture frames and then create paint or draw a picture to put into the frame. I was surprised at how much fun everyone had with the activity, including myself.

In the United States, I always love when my nephew brings home a craft that he had made at daycare and the pride he has in his creativity and the final product. We usually hang his “works of art” on the refrigerator. While this seems like such a simple part of a child's life, in Portero the children have little opportunity and resources to develop their creativity skills and create a final project they can be proud of and bring home.

As we created our crafts, it was exciting to see each student’s creativity and how much fun they had making their frames and paintings. Some made paintings for their parents while others painted pictures of butterflies in their favorite colors.

Without activities, such as the ones Abriendo Mentes provides, the children's afternoons would be spent idling. Instead, we were able to practice our English skills while we made crafts. It was simply just an enjoyable, fun afternoon together!

At the end of each day after I leave classes, I look forward to seeing the kids the next day and helping them with whatever they may need. Whether it’s English learning, help with a computer, or simply a friend to pass the time, I am excited to help and appreciative for the opportunities and services Abriendo Mentes provides.

Looking Back from America

2011-08-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

Written by Alex Carelli

What did I find in Central America? What did I do? What did I change? These questions have been swirling through my mind as I have been attempting to find a semblance of normalcy and make my way in a new city. It’s, interesting, looking back and trying to place myself on those dirt streets in that ramshackled village with children swarming at my feet and waist speaking in their imperfectly beautiful Spanish. It’s strange, looking back out my floor to ceiling windows to the blinding chaos of the one and only New York City and placing myself on the deserted beach near where I saw that dead monkey hanging on the wire. Who did I become during those months? Who am I now?

There is no doubt in my mind that those countries - that country - Costa Rica, changed me. And there is no doubt in my mind that in my own small way, I changed it.

What did I find? What. Did. I. Find. I found the beauty in simplicity. I found death and life in the bloodied broken wing of a bird on a Tuesday afternoon, and I found hope in the dark smiling eyes of the children I taught. I found how hard it is to make change, and how there are always three steps forward and two steps back. I found the ease in which children and people make connections across language and cultural lines when you pull a little compassion and understanding into the equation. I found the raw, exquisitely visceral wonder in turning a piece of hopeless land into the black gold of possibility. I found that even in the worst of situations, human good can always come through. I found that when you give people a choice, a chance, an opportunity - they will take it. And they will run with it, as far as they can go. I found these things and many more, and I took them with me.

I spent my time in Costa Rica working on two main projects that I conceptualized early into my time in Playa Potrero: a Community Garden and a Women’s Empowerment Group. By the time I left, both of these had been fully realized and had taken on a life of there own. These two projects spoke deeply to my passions, and I recall many moments of working to manifest these ideas and thinking, “This is it. This is exactly what I want to be doing. This is perfect”. At Abriendo Mentes, I was able to creatively solve problems, implement solutions, and brainstorm ways in which we could make this community better and more livable for its inhabitants. I was able to channel my passions into projects, and I poured all of my energy and heart into making sure they became a reality.

The process of taking an idea and watching it grow and take shape into something I was never quite sure would manifest was exhilarating, empowering, and life-changing. I left Costa Rica knowing that I had changed something. I created something new. I planted an idea and I let them run with it.

By the time I left, the Community Garden had seedlings sprouting, compost composting, and the beginnings of a beautiful public space in the making. Many of the surrounding families had taken an interest in the compost pile, and were throwing their fruits and vegetables in every morning. Each day when I would head over to water, Jeffri, a three year old boy that lives next door to the space, would come over and help me haul buckets of water (well, I would give him cups), weed, and tend to the growing plants. I taught him how to stay on the paths between the sprouting veggies, how to gently pick off the browning lower leaves, and how to evenly spread the water throughout the bed. Other children would find sprouting mango pits in the streets, and bring them back to plant in the bare patches of earth. They were learning the trade that has been forgotten by many members of their community. They were learning how to care for the earth, and the fulfillment that comes from nurturing the land and watching it thrive.

By the time I left, the Women’s Empowerment Group was running on it’s own fuel. Local women had stepped up to leadership roles, and were actively organizing activities and meetings to keep the momentum going. The group steadily grew from 5 to 15 and then to 20, and the women kept coming. They were learning dancing, box making, rug weaving, card making, and had ideas about businesses and options to turn their group into a sustainable economy. These women, many who had been beaten or abused by men or have never been able to find steady work, were empowered by their new found opportunity. I remember hearing one woman say after completing an activity, “I am so proud of myself”. Proud. Proud of MYSELF. That’s what we created. We created an outlet for self-empowerment. We created a way for the women to see the value in themselves, and run with it. In the group, they saw a future, they saw ideas, they saw possibility. It was incredible to see how a conversation could turn into a such a life changing and powerful manifestation. The women gave me so much hope.

So, did I change anything? I think so. If nothing else, I know I changed myself. Strangely enough, I didn’t go to Costa Rica to “find myself”. I didn’t go to learn things about myself I didn’t know. I didn’t go to find a book of stories, life-long friends, or the perfect photo. I went to let it all go. I went to see what happens when you leave your ego behind; when you leave your clothes, your house, your other life. When you leave all the things you thought mattered, and give your life up to a cause that is greater than yourself.

I believe I accomplished that task. I threw myself into the unknown, and out of it my passions emerged. Passions that were perhaps slightly buried under the buildings, fancy dinners, urban outfitters clothes, wedge heels, book after book after book. Passions that were obscured by the vintage shops, the indie flicks, art museums, internships and concrete streets. It wasn’t until that was all gone, it wasn’t until I had no other options, that I was able to fully realize my SELF. And not only realize it, but USE it for the only thing I knew how, GOOD.

I want to thank Abriendo Mentes, and Meradith, for giving me the outlet with which to do this work. I want to thank Omprakash, for believing in my thoughts and ideas. I want to thank my boyfriend, for going every step of the way with me. I want to thank the people of Costa Rica, for everything they allowed me to give them, everything they accepted graciously, and everything they gave me.

And we just want to thank you Alex! - Abriendo Mentes

Story Learning Workshop in Playa Potrero

2011-08-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Written by Sarah Littlefield

Story Learning is a way of teaching adults using their personal narratives to stimulate learning. I have used memoir to help illiterate people learn to read, to help veterans deal with war trauma, and to help non-English speakers learn English. Adults and children alike love to speak and read about themselves, so motivation is high.

Sarah Littlefield, Founder of Townsend Learning Center

When I first thought about coming to Costa Rica, I asked Meradith Leebrick if I could work with parents and other adults associated with the children coming to Abriendo Mentes. She and Drew gave me an enthusiastic green light, so the project was started in the winter of 2010. Twelve or more adults, mostly from Nicaragua, came to the class. Working individually, I interviewed them in Spanish, and translated their narratives into English with help from volunteers. Personal photographs were incorporated, taken from digital cameras that I sent down to Potrero ahead of time. I published a small book through IPhoto, and each participant received a copy. An unexpected outcome was that they all wanted to read each others stories, thus expanding their learning.

Sarah working with the AM adult students in 2010

I returned to continue the project in February of 2011, working with more adults and more volunteers. The outcome was a gorgeous 70 page book, which is now being used for English lessons. We hope to continue the project, adding workbook exercises to facilitate learning. The best thing about Story Learning is that people learn to use meaningful words to talk about themselves and their own lives. Nothing could be more useful!

Reyna, Charlotte and Robert with the 2011 Story Learning books.

Patricio, Milena and Milagros pose with volunteer Sara and their books, very proud.

Abriendo Mentes: Helping children succeed

2011-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Written by Melissa Howard

I am an ESL Resource teacher in the states and came to Potrero to volunteer with Abriendo Mentes to learn more about teaching English as a second language. Because of Abriendo Mentes, my teaching has changed for the better. I was blown away by the students’ abilities with AM! Students came on their own everyday to learn English with AM. The staff, interns and volunteers have such a passion for teaching these children giving them so much energy and strength to learn each and every day. Although my time with Abriendo Mentes was only a few short weeks, I plan to continue to help raise money and volunteer next year with this wonderful program. I believe in this program and that it will continue to strive and teach the children of Potrero the language and skills they need to succeed in their lives.

AM: Short Time, Large Impact

2011-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

Written by Megan Hettwer

To be honest, I didn't quite know what to expect when I first arrived in Playa Potrero. Its safe to say that my decision to come to Costa Rica to volunteer with Abriendo Mentes (AM) was an impulsive one - and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

For volunteers looking for an organization that will fully integrate them into the community they are serving, look no further than AM. Meradith and Drew truly give their volunteers the opportunity to take on a variety of tasks within this rapidly growing organization. From teaching English classes, to organizing field trips, writing blog posts, and even overall organizational management, volunteers are encouraged to participate in any component of the organization that interests them. If all of that isn't enough to keep busy, Potrero is simply a wonderful little place to pass away the days- a town where everyone will come to know your name and you'll come to love everyone there.

All I knew was that I wanted to have an impact, even for a short period of time, in the community I was working in. Thanks to Meradith, Drew, and the entire AM team, I was able to do just that!

My experience at Abriendo Mentes

2011-07-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Written by Sheila O'Brien

My experience at Abriendo Mentes was nothing short from amazing. The level of energy that the staff,interns, and volunteers exuberate is inspiring and it definitely motivated myself to come back and volunteer next year. The program opens your eyes to the real issues of Potrero, a community where education is not the priority but where family values and hard work governs the town. Abriendo Mentes is making an exceptional effort at trying to help the town's lack of educational systems, especially when it comes to teaching the English language. Although my time volunteering was only a few weeks, I was able to notice significant differences in the childrens' performance. Not only are the children sweet and adorable but they are smart and show great potential for higher education. I would definitely recommend spending some time at Abriendo Mentes to anyone I meet because it truly was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Women's Empowerment Continues!

2011-07-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Written by Sara Llansa

This week in the women’s group we did a new artisan project led by Sandra’s daughter, Rosa. Sandra is the mother of a young boy that consistently goes to Abriendo Mentes classes. I usually see Sandra when she drops off her son at English classes, and one day I started talking to her about the women’s group that we had just begun. I told her that the women wanted to learn handicrafts, and she immediately lit up. She told me that her daughter has taken courses on how to make different crafts, and would love to share her knowledge with the women in Potrero. I was ecstatic, and told her to bring me an example of what we would be doing. The next day she brought me an example of the cardboard box that we would be making. She told me that on Friday her daughter would come to show me how to make the box so that I could at least help facilitate the class.

Before Friday I asked my host dad, who works at the supermarket, if he could save cardboard boxes for me. Usually they just burn these boxes so it was nice to know that we were going to put them to use. Friday afternoon, after the English classes, I went with Rosa and Sandra to the Abriendo Mentes office so that they could teach me how to make the box. It didn’t take long to make, and it really did turn out beautiful. I asked Rosa if she would feel comfortable leading the class on Wednesday, and she said that she would be happy too.

Wednesday came along, and we took all the materials to the salon so that everything would be ready for Rosa. I arrived 30 minutes late because I teach the Adult English class from 4:30 to 5:30, and as soon as I entered I was glad to see that the class was going well, and that the women seemed to be enjoying themselves. Rosa also seemed to be in a good mood, and had definitely taken control of the class. Other Abriendo Mentes volunteers and I helped here and there, but it really was a class for the women led by the women. They enjoyed making the cardboard boxes so much that we’re already thinking of future projects that we could do with them, such as: make little boxes for Mother’s Day and put chocolates in them to sell and also to make cake boxes for Lourdes, a woman who owns a bakery here in Potrero. Some women weren’t able to finish their boxes that day so we told them that they were welcome to show up on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. so that they could finish and decorate their boxes.

On Thursday quite a few women showed up to finish up their boxes, and then around 5:30 p.m. we had a short dance class led by the same women that gave the class last week. In short, the women’s group is growing and so far is going very well. It’s a shame that this session is wrapping up which means that we’re all going on vacation for about a month, but I think that the women’s group will be able to continue in our absence.

AM begins a women's empowerment group

2011-06-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Written by Sara Llansa

Several weeks ago we began planning a women’s group in Potrero. We had several meetings together in order to figure out the questions that we would ask the women and how we envisioned the group would be. We all agreed that we wanted this group to be for the women by the women. We, the Abriendo Mentes volunteers, wanted to be more like facilitators than the actual leaders of the group.

Urania designing her bag

Last week we kicked off the women’s group with an art class designed by AM volunteer Reshma. Right before the class started I began talking with a few women that were waiting for the class to begin, to see what they wanted to get out of the women’s group, and what they wanted the focus of the class to be. I was pleasantly surprised by how many ideas the women had. They began giving me a wealth of information about the direction they wanted the group to take. They told me that their main preoccupation as women in Potrero was the lack of economic opportunities available for them. They were most interested in learning artisan crafts so that they could develop some marketable skills, and benefit from tourism in the Guanacaste area. After we talked for a few minutes, it was time to start the class.

Maria and Milagros concentrating hard

We had a group of 6 women, and I started off the class by saying - bienvenidos al club de mujeres – welcome to the women’s club, and the women began applauding and they all looked very excited. It was wonderful to see the joy in their faces, knowing that there was a group that was specifically geared towards them. We taught them a paper quilling activity where the women decorated bags. The class started around 5 p.m. and didn’t finish until close to 7 p.m. The women seemed to really enjoy learning something new, being artistic, doing something completely different, and spending time with other women. It was wonderful to see them all concentrated on the activity, but at the same time sharing with other women in Potrero.

Elizabeth and Fresia goofing off

One of the women, Milagros, called me after the activity to ask me when the next one would
be, and she told me that she had really enjoyed feeling like part of a group with other women since she didn’t know many women here. The day after the activity we had an impromptu meeting with a few of the women to talk more in-depth about what they wanted to get out of the class, and so far it seems like we really will be facilitators of the group just as we had wanted. One of the women said that once a week was not enough so we’re thinking of holding 2 classes a week for them.

One of our paper quilting creations

I’m excited to see where this group goes, and I’m very proud to be a part of it. I love how Abriendo Mentes is expanding opportunities not only for the children, but also for the adults.

Potrero Garden Project: Problems in the Garden!

2011-06-20T08:05:00.001-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli

There is yet to be a project on the face of this earth that is seen through to completion without some trials and tribulations, and our garden project is no exception. Yesterday when I went out to do the daily watering, I was greeted by the horrific sight of stripped pepper plants and disappearing bean sprouts. Where just a day earlier stood a healthy, stoic clump of leafy green peppers, now stood little more than a green stick, stuck pitilessly in the dirt. And to make matters worse, the little bean stalks that had so ceremoniously poked their heads out of many corners of the garden (apparently they grow well in Costa Rica), had been reduced to barely visible white stumps. All of my trash hauling, bed building, soil preparing, fence raising, compost starting efforts had been wasted. Enter: overwhelming sadness.

Jefree working so hard on the flower beds

It is certainly tough to see something that you have worked so hard on destroyed overnight, but alas, I must remember that all was not lost. The cucumber and radishes are still doing excellent, two of the largest pepper plants had been spared, and the cluster of unidentified seeds were left untouched. Thank God. Plus, the compost pile is rapidly degrading into the sweet, black gold that will provide an abundance of nutrients for our modest endeavor. So, maybe I am being a bit overdramatic, all of my efforts were not in complete vain, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less!

The kids helping with the compost during the waste race lesson

Initially, I was quite a bit confused about what sort of animal/person would take to completely stripping plants down to their naked stems. I couldn’t even think of an animal that would be capable of such a feat. The only conclusion I could draw was that it must, without a shadow of a doubt, be endowed with opposable thumbs. How else could one so meticulously prune each and every leaf, flower, and stem from a two foot tall plant? But, of course, wrong again.

Again???

Lizards. Huge, spiny, scaly, multiple foot long, vegetarian lizards. Iguanas to be exact. After a brief conversation with a neighbor to the garden, we were informed that gigantic iguanas have made our plants and compost pile their make-shift reptile cafeteria. If you thought lizards lay on rocks all day, using their silly-putty tongues to seek out unknowing insects, you are dead wrong. Apparently, there are many species of vegetarian lizards, and they have an unprecedented appetite for garden-variety peppers and beans.

Our beautiful herb bed pre-plants and pre-lizard

We phoned a local gardener to see how they deal with these cold-blooded pests. Her response, “We kill them”. Unwillingly, we were enlightened to the local practice of setting lizard traps in various locales around the garden, and either removing them and re-homing them in another location, or killing them on the spot.

Ooook, we probably won’t be doing that. Thanks for the tip though!

Luckily, google exists, and thus we are able to temporarily free ourselves from the traditions of the developing world. After a brief search, I found some information on natural “garlic spray” being a great lizard deterrent, and you can make it at home! Now, this sounds more up our alley (Omprakash Volunteer, Lacey Worel, has a recipe for garlic spray here). Today, I am going prepare the garlic spray, douse my beloved sprouts, and hope for the best. Oh developing world, you truly never know what you are going to get.

You have to rely on smiling faces to get you through.

Crocodiles, boats, and swamps at Hacienda El Viejo

2011-06-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photography by Adam Barber

Children squealed and peaked through their spread fingers as a 6 foot long crocodile leaped from the water to catch a flopping fish in its gigantic jaws. Their babies sunbathed on the shore, clusters of tiny crocs that all but blended in with the surrounding mud. Exotic birds flew over-head, while others dove headfirst into the murky waters for a morning snack. A gnarled and spiky Jesus Christ lizard perched gracefully on the branch of an overhanging tree, and nearby bats hung upside down alongside coconuts and giant leaves.

Amidst swarms of mosquitoes and the shrieks of children, we witnessed many of nature’s miracles mere meters from our tiny motor boat during our field trip to Hacienda el Viejo wetlands. As we slowly drifted through the lush, jungle swamp lands, we were greeted by some of the best wildlife Costa Rica has to offer, and the kid’s couldn’t have been more excited. To everyone’s delight, the guide’s pointed out a variety of birds, monkeys, and water creatures, most of which no one in attendance had ever seen before. Thanks to our generous donors, AM students were able to learn about many of the wonders of their home country, and see first-hand the raw circle of life at work.

After a fruit breakfast, a boat ride through the wetlands, a big tipico lunch, and a tour of a sugar cane plantation, the AM volunteers and chaperons were ready for an afternoon nap. But, of course, the AM students were still filled with energy and inspired by their latest foray into the world of knowledge. The bus ride home echoed with chatter and excitement about the amazing spectacles we had just witnessed. As the volunteers rested their heads on the vinyl seat backs, they were lulled by tales of teeth and moments of childhood glory, satisfied that the children of Playa Potrero had been given another life-changing experience.

Thank you to all the wonderful people that made this trip possible!

Playa Potrero Garden Project, Part 3.

2011-06-12T10:52:00.001-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photography by Jonathan Katzenberg

This week we made incredible strides in the development of the Playa Potrero Garden Project. On Monday, we still had a borderline vacant lot with a few piles of stones, but by Saturday we were watering plants, turning compost, and building a beautiful stone path. Watching it come together piece by piece, and knowing that at one time this was little more than an idea floating around in my overzealous brain, was an absolutely enlightening experience.

Monday, Jonathan and I set out building the herb and vegetable beds out of rocks that we purchased and some that we collected. I had a vision of creating a free-form, organic space with winding paths and concentric circles filled with herbs, trees, and sprouting beans. Rocks were the perfect medium to execute this vision. They gave us the freedom to place beds in the patchy spots that sunlight hits and make the most out of otherwise unusable space. Since we are incorporating permaculture techniques into our garden project, I felt it important to work with the space we had in an organic manner and not force it into rigid grid-like structures.

Mini Permaculture Lesson: Building a permaculture garden is a lot easier than the name suggests. The premise is simple: plants in nature thrive off the remains of other flora, so we should mimic what happens in nature for a healthy, robust garden. This premise is based on an equally simple science: plants thrive on carbon, and dead plants and tree trunks provide carbon, thus when you plant near organic “waste” your plants will thrive. Many permaculture projects are large farms, with a lot of space to plant near organic waste or fallen trees. In our garden, there is a lot less space, so we have to mimic permaculture on a smaller scale. To do so, we are layering brown leaves and pieces of trees in our vegetable beds for the same effect. We will not be using any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and instead will make our own natural pesticides and use compost as a fertilizer. These tactics will allow us to grow fruits and vegetables that are truly part of a natural process, and are not subjected to the torture of contemporary agriculture practices.

On Thursday, we organized a “Waste Race” with one of our volunteers, Reshma, a sustainable designer from India. This project was meant to teach the kids the difference in organic and inorganic matter. We collected all different types of trash, and the kids had to race to put the pieces in the correct bin. At the end of the race, we ceremoniously brought all the organic waste to the compost area for a composting lesson where Brandon, an AM student, starting eating some of the rice we were trying to compost!

Between lessons and other every day duties, we spent the majority of this week bent over and dripping sweat from every limb, but by the time Friday rolled around it was completely worth it. The seeds that we planted in the plastic bottle planters had sprouted over the past couple weeks, and were strongly peeking their heads over the edges of their containers. So, we decided to have a planting day on Friday to transplant into the new beds. It was incredibly satisfying to finally be placing plants in the dirt after 2 months of talking, planning, and working to get the garden underway. Today, when I went to water the plants and sow some beans, I noticed that many of the cucumbers and radishes were shooting right up! Thankfully, we haven’t had any rain the past couple days, so the seedlings have had some time to take root and gather their strength for the storms that lay ahead.

AM reaches out to Costa Rican tradition!

2011-06-06T14:43:00.001-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photography by Jonathan Katzenberg

Here at Abriendo Mentes, we spend a lot of time preparing the youth of Playa Potrero for the future. We teach them the language, skills, and concepts that will allow them to propel themselves into the developed world, and leave their lives of poverty and discomfort behind. However, quite often when communities are rapidly industrialized, trademark ties to the traditional culture are completely lost. Songs, recipes, clothing, and dances that have been a hallmark of the community for generations are dissolved into a new culture of ipods, skinny jeans, and cell phones. The youth become distracted by their new access to the greater globe, and no longer have an interest in learning the secrets and trades of their elders.

This problem is something that we, as an organization, have a deep appreciation and awareness of. We see the differences in the lives of the grandparents and grandchildren, and while we recognize that many of these changes are positive, some are certainly a sad movement aware from the beautiful, traditional culture. As we move forward in assisting in the development of this rural community, we want to insure that the traditional Costa Rican culture moves forward with us.

One of the traditions that has already begun to be lost on the youngest generation, is that of the traditional Guanacaste dance. This dance is one of the oldest surviving relics of ancient life in Central America, and one of the few things that has not changed as the country has become one of the most desirable tourist hot spots. Recently, a few community members came to us and suggested we begin teaching lessons in traditional Guanacaste dance. So, last Tuesday, thats exactly what we did.

We recruited Maritza, a young woman born and raised in Playa Potrero, to teach the dance classes to the AM students. When the day came to hold the class, the room was completely packed with kids ranging in age from 3-15. Maritza lined up the students from smallest to largest, and began teaching the steps that would prove to be one of the most difficult, and sweatiest, lessons I have encountered in quite some time. But alas, the kids loved learning it and we even caught some of them practicing once the class was over!

AM Field Trip: Cooking Class!

2011-06-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

To kick off the month of June we had a delicious field trip to Bahía del Sol which is a local hotel. Meradith has some contacts there and was able to set up a cooking lesson for the kids. Around 25 kids ended up going on the field trip, and they were all extremely excited from the very beginning. We told them to behave themselves on the field trip since we were going to a hotel and had to respect the hotel guests, as well as the hotel employees that would be giving them their cooking lesson. The kids behaved very well, and had tons of fun. First, the kids received a natural resources lesson from one of the employees at Bahía del Sol. He gave them a power point presentation, but also made it interactive by asking the kids questions.

After this presentation we split up into 5 cooking groups and waited for instructions. Each table had their own Bahía del Sol employee as well as a few Abriendo Mentes volunteers. While we waited for the master chef to get to our group’s table we went around the table, reading the recipe. Bahía del Sol was nice enough to give us some delicious juice that the kids absolutely enjoyed. When the chef got to our table he put the ingredients together in the bowl, and each time he’d put in a new ingredient we’d ask the kids how to say that ingredient in English. They knew more than I thought they would! The kids were so excited to be making cookies, and put a lot of chocolate chips on each cookie. They also gave us a few cookie-cutters so the kids made cookies in the shape of stars and fish. After we finished rolling the dough into cookie form we stuck the sheets of cookies into the oven.

We then had to wait around 20 minutes so we played duck-duck-goose on the grass near the cooking area. Finally, the moment that we had all been waiting for arrived – we tasted the cookies. I thought that kids would be fighting for cookies, but they were very respectful of each other, and one of the students, seeing that I didn’t have a cookie, gave me one of his biggest ones. All in all it was a great experience for the kids, the volunteers, and the employees at Bahía del Sol. A big thanks to Meradith for making the field trip possible, and to Bahía del Sol for leading such an entertaining activity for the kids. It was a great start to a new month at Abriendo Mentes.

Plastic Bottle Planter Project: Part 2

2011-05-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday, dirty hands and smiling faces were abound in the Salon Comunal, as the AM students packed their planters with soil and seeds for the second part of our plastic bottle project. Here is how we did the project:

1. Gather the painted bottles, Popsicle sticks, markers, seeds, and soil.

2. Instruct the kids to choose a type of seed, and write the name of the plant on their Popsicle stick. (Be sure to monitor this step closely, as we have a few “Omboosi Guiam” species in our garden now).

3. Have the kids fill the bottles just over halfway with soil, and poke three holes up to the knuckle on their pointer finger.

4. Place a couple seeds in each hole.

5. Cover the seeds with some dirt, and place the Popsicle stick in!

The T-Shirt Project!

2011-05-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my amazing sister and her wonderful boyfriend led a T-Shirt decorating project in the Salon Comunal with all the AM students! Last week, while they were still in Boston, Chrissy and Matt got shirts screen printed with the AM logo and bought a TON of paints to do the project. Not only did this project get us the shirts that we have been dying for, but it also provided the kids with an extra piece of clothing. Some of the AM students wear the same clothes to class day after day, so it was nice to be able to give them something fun and useful. Needless to say, it was a huge success; the kids loved their shirts and the whole thing went off without a hitch.

BIG THANKS to: Chrissy Carelli & Matt Wentworth, Sue Carelli & Gerard Guillemette, Bonnie Venuti, Maureen Ramos, Deb Winters, Boston Sweats, and all the AM Volunteers who helped out!

Ugh, mud puddles in the classroom!

2011-05-26T17:25:00.001-07:00

Last night marked the official beginning of the Costa Rican rainy season with hour upon hour of insanely heavy downpours. Unfortunately, it also marked the beginning of the problems associated with heavy rains in a poorly drained environment.

When we arrived at the Kids Club today for our T-Shirt Project, the place was literally filled with mud. As I unlocked the door and pushed it open, I was greeted with sheets of dirt caked on to the once pearly white ceramic floor. The mud puddles extended from the front door, to the classroom, to the bathroom, to the storage room in a thick sludge of wet, grassy, disaster. It was heartbreaking.

I started trying to clean the area with a broom, but too no avail. This mess is going to need more than a broom to clean up. The one stroke of luck is that the mess didn’t reach the electrical outlets and ruin our computers, or start a fire.

I suppose there is always a glimmer of hope in every disaster. Oh, developing countries, how you provide such a plethora of trials and tribulations.

Decorating Door Hangers!

2011-05-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Written by Sara Llansa

My name is Sara Llansa and I arrived last week on a Tuesday. During the week I helped out with the kids' classes in the afternoon and I also began organizing the curriculum for the adult classes. Friday came along and Meradith explained to me that each Friday AM does an art project with the kids. Verenice, the young girl in my Costa Rican homestay family, told me how much the kids enjoyed the art projects on Friday so I was excited to be involved.

Joel, excited to be in Art Class!

Meradith and I were at the office that Friday and she started to look at the materials that we had available for the art project and she found some foam sheets in different colors. As soon as I saw the foam sheets I thought of this foam door hanger that I have at my house in Texas that my friend made for me. I told Meradith that maybe we could make door hangers with the kids that day and she liked the idea so we started thinking of which materials we could use to decorate them, and how we would explain it to the kids.

Cynthya ... always so creative.

We found some letters that the kids could stick on the foam sheets in order to write their names and we found a few other fun materials that they could use. As soon as we got to the Kids' Club we saw all the kids waiting for us. We were hoping to separate the kids into two rounds so that the room wouldn't get too crazy, but we weren't able to do this so all the kids did the project at once.

Sucelli, Oscar and Genisus, some of our regulars.

The kids got more creative and more creative as the afternoon went along. They started out by simply putting their names, but then they used all sorts of decorations. Some of the kids even made door hangers for their mothers. Other kids made more than one!

Cesar with his awesome door hanger!

By the end of the afternoon the kids still had energy so we put some music on (thanks Charlotte) and we had a mini-dance party. Most of the kids were happy to show off their dance moves. The dance party was a nice end to the Friday art project. Cleaning up went by quickly because we had the help of some of the girls in the AM classes. Verenice made a door hanger for herself and one for her brother, Dilan and they're hanging in the house right now. I'm looking forward to the next art project!

Plastic Bottle Planter Project: Part 1

2011-05-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photography by Jonathan Katzenberg

As you may already know from my earlier posts, Costa Rica has a significant waste management problem, and one of the most prolific culprits is the plastic bottle. To help combat this issue, and to teach the kids about creative recycling, we decided to do a Trash Art project this past Friday with plastic bottles. Since we are in the process of starting a community garden, we thought it would be cool to use the plastic bottles we found in the garden area to create planters, and have the kids paint them as a fun, creative art class! Here is how we did the first part of the project (collecting, cleaning, painting):

1. Collect as many plastic bottles as you can: any shape, any size, and color. It is best if the bottles still have tops!

2. Cut the bottles in half. Both the top and bottom can be used for the project, so save both parts.

3. Wash the bottles; if they aren’t cleaned properly they will start to attract ants (and all of the developing country dwellers know what a nightmare that can be).

4. Organize the kids. I am assuming you already have a space to use, and some paint, so just arrange a time to do the project. Be sure to cover EVEYTHING that you don’t want painted, we were on our hands and knees scrubbing the floor after this project.

5. Paint! The kids has an absolute blast doing this project. I made one “example” beforehand, and thus we ended up with a lot of striped bottles, but alas, they looked great!

6. Slice a small hole on either side of the bottle and thread with string so you can hang the planter. Or you can sit them on the ground, its up to you.

7. Be sure to cut holes in the bottom for drainage as well!

The kids and volunteers had an absolutely amazing time with this project, and at the end we had tons of beautiful planter bottles ready for, well, planting. Stay tuned, next week we plant the seeds!

Down with Domestic Abuse!

2011-05-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli

Today, I was made aware of another layer of problems in Playa Potrero, one that often flies under the radar of the local gringos because it is one that can not be seen or heard in the streets: Domestic Abuse. We were meeting with a prominent community leader, Elizabeth, a woman who has made it her own crusade to act as a surrogate teacher and parent to many of Potrero’s offspring. We were discussing the backgrounds of the AM students, when the conversation abruptly shifted.

Elizabeth spoke passionately about the families that live in a small squatter community outside Potrero, with entire families living in one room and many children never attending school. She said that when she sees some of the kids that are bound to this godforsaken area, they will speak candidly about how their father drunkenly beat their mother the night before. She told stories of men battering their wives black and blue while they are 8 months pregnant, with their 5 other children looking on. She relayed moments of horror, when Indian women would be beaten publicly by their husbands, as mothers and wives looked on, cheering. She spoke of women that aren’t allowed to leave the house, and that have told her straight-faced, “I am stupid, I am worthless”, with scars and bruises across their cheeks.

I wouldn’t say I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I was even alarmed. As the days and weeks go on here, it seems that I learn about a new unfortunate issue each day that passes. It is a never-ending story of sadness, of self-sabotage and relentless hopelessness. Even beautiful Costa Rica is not without the horrific markings that define the developing world.

Alas, Elizabeth was telling her tales of woe to the right group of women. As Charlotte, Meradith, and I listened, the wheels were turning in our heads. Then and there we decided that Abriendo Mentes would have to expand. That we will begin a program to help these faceless women, give a face to themselves. We will start small, with a simple class, to bring them together in an effort to build solidarity, community, trust, and most importantly, self-esteem. We will collaborate with community members to bring this issue to light, and stop the cycle of violence that has been allowed to continue unbroken for far too many generations. In a place with no options, with no where for these women to go, with no one for them to tell, we will provide an outlet. We will begin to open the minds of not just Potrero’s children, but of the women as well. We will empower women to empower themselves, in whatever way we can.

Playa Potrero Garden Project, Part 2.

2011-04-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photos by Jonathan Katzenberg

Seeing one of your ideas come to fruition is one of the most satisfying experiences one can have. From a random thought, to a plan, to discussions, to organizing, to actually sticking the first shovel in the dirt is a mental and emotional roller coaster that is seemingly controlled by some unseen force. You never know what parts of your idea is going to see the light of day, where it is going to fail, who is going to laugh in your face and tell you no, and how it is ever going to come together; but somehow, with determination and little passion, you pull it off.

When I first determined to come volunteer at Abriendo Mentes, one of my first thoughts was, “Hey, I could build a huge community garden there with the kids”. However, knowing how rampant the community garden movement is in the states, I tried not to get my hopes too high, assuming that someone had already manifested that idea. But, upon my arrival into Potrero, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only had no one started a garden, but no one had even thought of one. Phew, the idea was mine for the taking.

Meradith was incredibly responsive to the idea and set-about helping me organize meetings and plan an area to house the garden-to-be. After a meeting with the President of the Potrero Association, we were granted permission to use the area behind the “Salon” (a large, open air community structure in the middle of town) for our garden. At first, this news was exhilarating, and then, I took a look at the space.

This rather large plot of land was a completely overgrown make-shift landfill that looked like it hadn’t been tended in, well, ever. There was almost no sun coming through the thick mess of dead trees, and the land it self was a terrific hilly slope, not the best land for planting. The task ahead was daunting, but then I couldn’t have know how the community would come together to help us clear and clean this area to create the garden.

Yesterday, we had our clean-up day. It started out around 8 am with , 9 volunteers, 2 donated Tico workers from Las Catalinas, 2 puppies, and a lot of determination. Our group set out chopping trees, cleaning trash, collecting plastic bottles to be used to hanging plants, hauling pieces of sheet metal, and raking like mad. We had bags full of random articles such as shoes and fake hair, huge piles of scrap metal, and a small mountain of concrete bricks. We spent hour upon hour laboring, sweating, and admiring how quickly many hands can turn something so ugly, into someplace so perfect.

Throughout the day, we were joined by many other community members. Parents of students or random passerby would nonchalantly show-up and grab a shovel, and start digging into the earth with as much vigor and passion as anyone else. Many of the AM kids showed up and helped out through their comical game of “Jefe and worker”. At one point, we had as many as 30 volunteers, kids, and community members all working together to beautify this little corner of the world. It was touching to see a young child of 8 or 9 working alongside their neighbor of 70, with one common goal: to help. If that isn’t bringing an idea to fruition, I don’t know what is.

By the end of the day we had done more work than I ever could have imagined. The entire area was cleared, cleaned, leveled, and ready to have the beds made and flowers planted as early as, well, today. Meradith and I were on the verge of tears seeing how the community and ourselves had really made this happen. It was certainly a beautiful moment. While all this cleaning and gardening and community building may not solve all of the world’s problems, it is helping pave the way for a cleaner, greener, Playa Potrero.

Ready, Set, Clean!

2011-04-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photos by Jonathan Katzenberg

Ever since the rush of tourist traffic during Semana Santa, Potrero hasn’t looked quite like itself. The endless stream of families, campers, and day trippers brought copious amounts of trash that now line the streets and beaches of our beloved village. The tourists typically bring the majority of their food, drink, and accommodations (i.e. a tent) from home, leaving Playa Potrero with little income from the rush of revelers, and a massive amount of rubbish.

To combat this annual problem, AM organized a Potrero Pick-Up day with the students to help beautify the area and spread awareness about proper garbage management. The participating students and volunteers divided into groups, and set out to eradicate the relentless rubbish. Meradith took every opportunity to teach the kids much needed lessons such as, “burning your trash on the side of the road is ineffective” and, “did you know glass doesn’t burn”?

Truthfully, picking up trash has never been so much fun. The kids got really into finding the largest pieces they could, and ending the clean-up at the beach was a welcome consolation. By the end we were all dappled in debris and sweat soaked, but I am happy to report that Potrero was truly more beautiful than ever.

Playa Potrero Garden Project, Part 1

2011-04-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli

After a few weeks of discussions and planning, we finally got the OK yesterday to begin a community garden project in the village center. The garden will be a great opportunity to teach the kids about organic gardening, permaculture techniques, composting, recycling, and taking care of the earth.

While Costa Rica, and all of Central America for that matter, is traditionally an agriculture based economy, at this point most communities have been pushed into the tourism sector and as a result the earth around them suffers. Not only do tourists from the developed world come baring unchecked levels of garbage, but as the people themselves adopt practices from industrialized nations they become disconnected with the environment and increasingly rely on unsustainable products.

Trash, landfills, and pollution are a massive problem in Central America. There are no major recycling facilities, so what little materials make it to the sparse recycling cans, end up being dumped in the landfill like everything else. Recycling and proper garbage management in general are “new” concepts in Costa Rica that are still only being purveyed at the grassroots level.

The real culprit here, is plastic. In some of the most beautiful areas in Costa Rica, such as Nosara, there are massive landfills filled with towers of plastic bottles, wrappings, and packaging. The plastic doesn’t even begin to decompose, and thus in the rainy season is catches water and creates stagnant breeding grounds for mosquitoes and disease. In Nosara, the landfill is in the process of being closed down due to it being declared a public health hazard. Because people in Central America throw their toilet paper in the trash instead of the toilet, the stagnant water is met with human waste and landfills become major breeding grounds for e.coli and dengue fever. Sadly, cases of these fatal diseases are reported in large numbers around the landfills.

Anyway, back to the garden. Some of these problems, can be prevented with a little bit of education. My hope is that by teaching basic lessons on these subjects we can keep a few plastic bottles out of the landfills, make the center of Potrero more beautiful, and raise awareness of the importance of taking care of the earth.

The first order of business is to clean the site of the Garden-to-be. The area that we will be “beautifying” is currently, well, a complete and total wreck. It is littered with the loathed plastic bottles, bags, old fans, twisted metal and any other random bit of waste you can think of. In short, it’s gross. But, Meradith and I are getting a team of volunteers together on Friday to re-vamp the area and I have a feeling that we will be in good shape after clean-up day. We will keep you updated as things progress!

Candy, Presents, and Games, Oh My!

2011-04-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli / Photos by Jonathan Katzenberg

There are some things that put a huge smile on a kid’s face, regardless of country, age, or economic status. And Friday, smiles were certainly seen on each and every child’s face in Playa Potrero. In an effort to give the kids a little something special before their week-long break for Semana Santa, Abriendo Mentes organized an “Easter” event with plenty of candy, small gifts, and pick-up soccer.

The afternoon kicked off with a classic Easter Egg hunt, something the kids of Potrero have never experienced. (Semana Santa - one of the biggest Latin American Holidays of the year - falls at the same time as Easter, but the two Holidays are celebrated in completely different ways). Meradith and a few volunteers hid eggs all over the plaza, while Drew, Jonathan and I entertained the eager participants in the Kid’s Club. When Meradith gave the signal, the kids burst onto the plaza and scrambled through the grass searching for the colorful, fun-filled eggs. I was helping one of the younger kids, Esteven, with this search, and considering we were in an open field those eggs were pretty tough to find! The Hunt lasted about 30 minutes, and by the end each kid had collected enough jelly beans, chocolate, stickers, and bracelets to fully understand the beauty of the “Easter Bunny”.

After the Egg Hunt was over, kids and volunteers alike assembled on the field for a pick-up soccer game. The game went strong for well over an hour, with Javier and Steven scoring goal after goal while Jessie, an AM volunteer, tried to fend them off through brute height alone. But the kids brought their skills - and endurance - to the table, and volunteer after volunteer fell to the wayside as the game went on, and on, and on. Alas, the kids were having an absolute blast, and the AM volunteers got to show off some of their skills too!

As a new volunteer to the AM scene, the event was a perfect opportunity to meet tons of AM students, and it was a great forum to start making a meaningful community connection. It also helped me see that AM is not only a school, it is a community building project that takes advantage of every opportunity to provide a positive outlet for kids to exist and express themselves. I couldn’t think of a more fun and satisfying way to accomplish all of these tasks!

Spring Break, Abriendo Mentes style!

2011-04-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Written by Alexandra Carelli

In early March, a group of 12 UNC Chapel Hill Students split ways with their Cancun bound classmates and spent their spring break volunteering their knowledge, skills, and time to Abriendo Mentes. This dedicated group of students selflessly spent 4 days engaged in various development activities such as: teaching art classes; decorating the Mardi Gras float and participating in the Mardi Gras parade with 10 of the kids; and helping out with Renate’s workshop, about marine conservation, the ocean, a dance of the tides "spiral dance", and an activity to simulate the senses of sea turtles. Needless to say, their trip was jam-packed with fun, educational opportunities.

Jay with Cesar decorating the Mardi Gras float.

All the volunteers were given a full cultural immersion experience by staying in home stays with families of AM students. This immersion allowed the volunteers the opportunity to practice their Spanish skills, try out local foods, and gain a deeper understanding of daily Costa Rica life. We also organized team-building events for the UNC group and other AM Volunteers. The first night the group arrived, we had a group dinner “Welcome Party” at Sol y Mar restaurant for everyone to meet. The last night, we had a big beach bonfire on Penca as a goodbye gesture, and spent the evening gazing at the stars recounting the week’s obstacles, triumphs, and learning experiences.

Skye representing Abriendo Mentes in the parade.

The group was led by Ashley Fiala, head of the UNC Chapel Hill Business Fraternity, who contacted me last year interested in starting a partnership between the fraternity and Abriendo Mentes. In addition to volunteer trips, the Fraternity plans to do a Golf Tournament supporting AM this Spring. The hope is to create a sustainable relationship between the Fraternity and AM that will encourage future projects.

Maya and Ashley enjoying some time with AM.

I must say, this trip went so well that we cannot wait to welcome the next UNC volunteers! Thank you all so much for your hard work, time, and dedication to making Playa Potrero a more well-rounded community.

Lisa and Cesar hanging out!

A Costa Rican Mardi Gras Extravaganza

2011-03-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

Written by Megan Hettwer

Directly translated Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French, and it refers to the practice of indulging before Lent begins the next day on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras tends to conjure up images of crazy celebrations, particularly of the New Orleans variety. But don't be fooled- we also celebrated the event this past Tuesday here in Costa Rica.

Yes, you read that correctly! On Tuesday March 8, 2011 Playa Flamingo hosted its own Mardi Gras float parade and celebration. All of us at Abriendo Mentes were thrilled to join in on the fun. With a team of thirty kids and volunteers we decorated a beach-themed float for the parade. As if a fun parade wasn't incentive enough to participate, we were also getting "points" toward acquiring Playa Potrero's status as a Blue Flag beach. Floats were also charged a fee to participate, with all of the proceeds going to local charities and nonprofits. We owe a huge "thank you" to Las Catalinas and Jorge Mendez for donating the money for our entrance fee, as well as to Las Catalinas again for donating the use of their truck for our float!

One of the floats featured in the parade- Marie's Restaurant.

The day began normally enough. The volunteers and students met in the Salon to begin the decorating process. We cut waves out of the blue posters the students had painted the day before, blew up tons of balloons to tie around the truck (accidentally popping quite a few along the way), and painted some awesome signs.

The students and volunteers worked together to get the float decorated quickly.

Upon completion, we loaded up the truck with volunteers (in addition to 3 'regulars,' we also had 12 UNC students with us for the week!) and the students rode with Meradith and Drew. We began the drive and reached Flamingo, but then our driver kept going, and going, and going...all the way past Brasilito! We finally realized what was going on and made the trek back to Flamingo, arriving just in time for the parade to begin. Phew!

The beginning of the parade.

The procession of floats began driving down the road, with music blasting, people dancing, and candy being thrown everywhere. The students had a blast throwing candy to the crowds following the floats, and the crowds had an equally great time scrambling to see who could grab the most candy.

Some of the volunteers from UNC staffing the float and throwing candy!

Johnny and Drew representing AM!

After a long and sweaty march from the Banco Nacional to Flamingo Beach the parade was finally over, and we gathered the kids to head back to Potrero. Everyone had a great time, and this time we even made it to our destination without getting lost!

The students were more than happy to spend the afternoon participating in the Mardi Gras parade!

We Couldn't do it without Them! A "Thank You!" to our Supporters

2011-03-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

By: Megan Hettwer

Simply put, the generosity and selflessness of people can be amazing. The continuous outpouring of support that Abriendo Mentes has received from the community of Potrero, and from around the world, is truly inspirational. Today we wanted to take a moment to recognize and thank the many groups and individuals who have recently donated supplies, time and other resources to help advance our mission. Abriendo Mentes wouldn't be nearly as successful as it is today without the benevolence that these wonderful people have shown us.

Terry, Ava, Dylan, Chloe and Chantel Romanow visit Potrero.

On February 14th and 15th we welcomed the Romanow family to our classes. Terry, Chantel, Dylan, Chloe and Ava ventured to Potrero all the way from Canada! In July 2010 Terry and his family generously donated to us the use of their office space in the Casa del Sol complex. It's been wonderful to have a space to house all of our supplies and teaching materials. Speaking of supplies, the Romanows also brought two HUGE suitcases filled with school supplies. Thankfully we have the office to store everything!

Two suitcases of supplies from the Romanows spread out over the office floor!

Just when we thought that things couldn't possibly get any better, AM received yet another supplies surprise. Matt and Natasha Craig, owners of Point Break Surf, have been organizing an outreach program to help the communities of Brasilito, Flamingo and Potrero, and their current program is geared toward helping Abriendo Mentes. They worked with Pastor Patricia Covington, whose congregations in Virginia donated FOUR massive suitcases of school and art supplies to us. The students were absolutely delighted when Meradith revealed the contents of the bag to them. Take a look at this short video to see just how elated they were, and don't forget to check out the Point Break Surf outreach mission!

http://www.pointbreaksurf.com/site/outreach/

Since we had such a myriad of resources, we also wanted to "pay it forward" to the local Potrero school, and so Abriendo Mentes donated supply packets to each of the four classrooms. These packets included folders, notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, pencil sharpeners, geometry sets, crayons and colored pencils for the students to use in class. This has created a new partnership with the school, where they feel comfortable asking us for any supplies that they might need.

Some of the supplies from the Point Break Outreach program that AM donated to the Potrero School.

We've been extremely lucky to have so much donated to us this year, and being able to share everything that we have received has allowed us to continue moving toward our mission of enhancing education awareness, increasing education opportunities, and empowering students within Playa Potrero.

Vamos a Fantástico Mundo! -- We're going to Fantastic World!

2011-02-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

Written by Megan Hettwer

This past Friday, Abriendo Mentes made an exciting announcement to its English class students- there would be a field trip to Fantastic World this weekend! Sunday February 20th finally arrived and 50 students, parents and volunteers met bright and early at the A.M. office to hop on a bus and head out of Potrero for a day full of fun. Thanks to generous support from Bahia del Sol and Elizabeth Cole and transportation provided by Las Catalinas Development, Abriendo Mentes was able to take the children to nearby Fantastic World- home to many different types of inflatables (some even boasting water!). Full of energy, the kids boarded the bus with anticipation for the great day ahead of us.

Despite their intense excitement, the students patiently waited in line

We arrived at Fantastic World around 10:00 am. The children quickly changed into their bathing suits and ran to the back of the park, toward the inflatables with water. A break from the heat was just what everyone needed! The giant waterslide was a huge hit, and the kids barreled down it at top speeds.

Racing toward the giant waterslide!

It's hard to tell from pictures, but this slide was fast!

The dragon slide and pool were also popular. Luckily, we had volunteer Emily to monitor how many kids were on the slide at once- too many and the inflatable might collapse! We also used the trip to continue working on the action words we had practiced in class throughout the week. The kids had a great time showing and telling us how to swim, jump, bounce, and slide. It's amazing how well they retain information when they can use their knowledge to talk about activities that they enjoy.

The dragon may look a bit scary, but looks can be deceiving!

The pool at the bottom of the dragon slide was very cool and refreshing

The students spent the morning excitedly running around from one inflatable to the next, playing happily with each other and all of the volunteers. After everyone was done eating lunch the volunteers and parents began rounding up the kids to return home. The students obediently boarded the bus to head back to Potrero, noticeably sleepier then they were when we had arrived . . .

Melissa had so much fun she fell asleep on the bus ride home

As the bus dropped everyone off in Potrero, all of the students thanked A.M. profusely for putting on such a fun field trip. But, we couldn't have done it without all of the help and support we received from Bahia del Sol, Elizabeth Cole and Las Catalinas Development. Thanks for making this field trip so wonderful!

Everyone had a blast!

Libros para Todos - Books for Everyone!

2011-02-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

By: Meradith Leebrick

Friday, February 11th kicked off the distribution of the Libros para Todos book drive, organized in our area by Las Catalinas Development and Bahia del Sol Hotel.

The national Libros para Todos poster

Libros Para Todos is a national effort, spearheaded by Grupo La Nacion, the national Costa Rican newspaper. The ultimate goal is to provide every child with donated books in the four core subjects, Spanish, Math, Science and Social Studies, for the 2011 year. Abriendo Mentes helped this goal become reality for Potrero, Tempate and Huacas.

All of the Puerto Potrero primary school students

The day could not have been better. Drew and I were invited to the book distribution event in the Potrero primary school, and we were greeted with smiles, hugs and "how are you"s from all of the A.M. students. We were also joined by Charles Brewer, the President of Las Catalinas Development, Michael Garcia, also from Las Catalinas , and Maria Fernanda Esquivel from Bahia del Sol Hotel.

Stacks of the donated books!

It was an action packed morning; the third graders sang (featuring Cindy Yuelka with a solo), the dance troop did a routine (of course, with Austin as the signature boy dancer) and we all presented the books to the school and students - over 400 books in total! After the presentation of books, all the students and guests enjoyed a proper Tico breakfast of gallo pinto and squeaky cheese to celebrate the book donation.

The third graders singing

What a great dance!

I can honestly say that I have never seen children so happy to start a new year of school and receive text books. Friday made everything worth it.

Barbara, Nayelli, Valentine and Cesar greet us in school

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

As we gear up for a new year of Abriendo Mentes classes in 2011, I wanted to take some time to recap the end of 2010. November and December came and went quickly, but these months were packed full of events, activities and wonderful volunteers.

The end of November closed with a farewell to volunteer Bonnie and her two sons, Adam and Ian. The three had been volunteering with Abriendo Mentes for three months, since the end of August, and were very much a part of the Abriendo Mentes family by the end of their stay. Together, we all experienced rainy season, classroom and class changes, a backpack drive courtesy of Bonnie and the boys, a trip to try to see the turtles in Ostional, and much more. Thank you to Bonnie, Adam and Ian for all they contributed to Abriendo Mentes. To read Bonnie's testimonial, follow this link.

Donald and Estiven model their new backpacks. Bonnie, Adam and Ian donated 22 backpacks to the AM students.

One farewell brought in a new introduction, when Brett arrived to help for the last three weeks of classes. Brett was enthusiastic, adventurous and caring. She was only here for a short time but was able to help us with our end of the year pool party, hosted by friend Elizabeth Cole at Cabinas Estival. Fifty Abriendo Mentes kids came together to celebrate another successful year of Abriendo Mentes classes. I have never seen kids so happy, they could have played in the pool all day long, which they did until dark. We were able to drag them out for food (side dishes made by all the moms and the largest pot of arroz con pollo made by wonderful Margarita), a pinata, water balloons and three legged races.

Cinthya and Brett rush to the finish line in the three legged race!

Prizes were contributed by two more dedicated volunteers, Steve and Jenn, who were with us for one month. Straight from Toronto, they brought loads of Canadian gear - t shirts, teddy bears, baseballs and more. Steve was a huge help in successfully getting us started on our grant research and proposal writing, which we will pursue further this year.

Jenn with Cinthya and her prize for winning, a Canada shirt, very cool.

We were also able to squeeze in one last local field trip to Hotel Sugar Beach - a huge and continued supporter of Abriendo Mentes. Abriendo Mentes is one of three local organizations that is supported by Sugar Beach who donates 1% of their monthly profit towards worthy local causes. We packed into 3 cars and Jose Pablo, manager and friend, met us at the entrance of the hotel. He gave us the grand tour, explaining along the way the different positions available in the hotel and why knowledge of the English language is important in these different jobs. We ended the day by playing on the beautiful Sugar Beach.

The group on Sugar Beach

Classes officially ended on December 7th, but Abriendo Mentes volunteer Charlotte, along with new friends and volunteers, Tom and Katie, kept the adult classes running throughout the holiday break. We are very lucky to have such dedicated volunteers! Charlotte has been with us since September, and will be starting the new year with us, focusing on planning extra-curricular events, workshops, guest speakers and field trips as our community coordinator.

Charlotte with a few Abriendo Mentes students, during her surprise, Halloween themed birthday bash.

Abriendo Mentes classes start again on Monday, January 17th. We are very excited about this year. We will welcome new volunteers Jan, Emily, Johnny and Ericka in the next three weeks. Sara Littlefield, who did a Story Literacy Project with Abriendo Mentes last Spring, will be back in February to do a second workshop with the same adult students one year later. We will also welcome Terry and his family from Canada, who have generously donated us our official Abriendo Mentes office space and private classroom. And I am personally very excited to have the Kenan-Flagler Business School Fraternity from my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill, visit us for a week during their Spring Break at the beginning of March! It is shaping up to be a great first session!

3 Months of Change: A Volunteer's Perspective

2011-01-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

Written by Bonnie Ditlevsen

When we arrived in Potrero, it was in late August and in the throes of the rainy season.

Bonnie, Adam, and Ian arrive in Potrero with school supplies to donate to the students

When we left for Portland, it was Thanksgiving back home, but in Potrero, many of the little rivulets, creeks and potholes had gone from gushing with mud to completely bone dry, dusty like somewhere in the American Southwest.

This change came about quickly, after a long period in which the norm was for us to make our way through the village in sandals coated with mud. All of a sudden, Potrero sprang into summer season: Tourists began arriving in greater numbers. Businesses that had been closed for the green season opened up. The afternoons became less rainy and more conducive for walks, a swim at the beach, or an excursion to somewhere fascinating.

Drew, Adam, and Ian searching for baby sea turtles on Playa Ostional

And so it was for the Abriendo Mentes program. When we arrived, there was the miracle of the Salon Comunal having been given a beautiful terra cotta red coat of paint, and this open-air facility made for convenient large-group lessons. As our weeks with the program continued, we found ourselves witnessing the inauguration of the new Kids' Club next door, an indoor classroom with electricity, greater whiteboard space, room for computers, and a spacious storage area for program materials. The children were very excited about this new learning space; what only needed work was the sound-damping of the classroom, particularly for such young learners who have not learned to modulate their voices.

The donation of Casa del Sol office space to Abriendo Mentes was, and is, a huge step for the program. During our stay in Potrero, we often walked by the new office.
Yet electricity was still something out of reach; a series of bureaucratic hurdles needed jumping. I was reminded of a funny, tongue-in-cheek bumper sticker I saw in the village: "Costa Rica: We Make Easy Hard." In Western countries, people too often take for granted how electricity service can be initiated or closed out in the space of a day and with one phone call. Abriendo Mentes didn't have it so easy. But we saw how they never gave up.

Bonnie leads a group class using an interactive ESL program in the office

In our last few weeks, the office came to life. Electricity service meant that an oscillating fan could keep temperatures bearable. Better yet, the program could begin to offer small-group lessons using language learning software. Seeing the kids try their hand at using laptops and professional language software was a great thrill for us teachers as well as for the kids. Computer literacy, after all, is an essential component of the developing tourism industry; combining it with regular English as a Second Language instruction will serve the youth of Potrero on both fronts.

Ian, Adam and Bonnie on Playa Ostional for Adam's 10th birthday

We left Potrero after having seen all of these changes—in nature as well as and in the program—and gained an appreciation for the power of both. It is an honor to have served with and learned from the patience and perseverance of this literacy program, one which Potrero, Guanacaste is indeed very lucky to have.

Abriendo Mentes - now a partner of GoodSearch!

2010-12-06T18:13:00.001-08:00

Here's a new easy way to raise money for Abriendo Mentes. Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they'll donate about a penny to our cause every time you do a search! This link will take you straight to our GoodSearch page:
http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=926253

In addition, do all of your shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, where you can shop at more than 900 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to Abriendo Mentes as well. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to our cause.
To give you a sense of how the money can add up, the ASPCA has already earned more than $30,000!

Here's the web site — http://www.goodsearch.com. You can also read about GoodSearch in the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal.
Thanks for your continued support.
Happy Holidays,
Meradith & Drew and the AM team

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"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" Art Projects

2010-11-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

With the help of Silvia Guevara, owner of CS3 Consultants in Costa Rica, Abriendo Mentes launched a new art project last month. This past Wednesday was the second installment of this "reduce, reuse, recycle" themed project, created by Silvia and her husband. Abriendo Mentes was fortunate enough to come in contact with Silvia in the first stages of her pilot project.

On Friday November 12th, 50 Abriendo Mentes students and mothers gathered in the Community Center to make plastic bottle mobiles out of used Coke, water and Fanta bottles and waste baskets out of used milk cartons and old magazines. The kids had a blast, the mothers loved having an art project to work on, and we all enjoyed seeing everyone so content.

Heybraham and Jason working on their magazine waste baskets

On Wednesday, November 24th 25 students came together in the new "Kids Club" in Potrero to use more recycled material to make Christmas trees.

There were heaps and piles of old magazines, jars upon jars of white glue (one boy tried eating it, there’s always one) and one piece of cardboard as a base. By ripping the sheets from the magazines and rolling them vertically and then rolling that, you get a colorful spiral. We dipped the spirals in glue and secured them on the cardboard.

We did this over and over again (except each new row had one less spiral than the one below it) until Christmas trees formed.

Mareyling, Dayana and Jennifer getting help from Silvia

Some children painted them green like a real tree, while others dressed theirs all up by gluing on buttons and sparkly and shiny things. And some of the kids trees didn’t exactly look like trees but they had a lot of fun anyway.

After everyone had their trees formed we put string through the top for them to hang it in their houses at home for everyone to see.

Emmanuel, Cesar, Barbabra and Valentina with their finished projects!

The hour was up and the 25 children said goodbye and ran off to show their families leaving behind one huge mess. Glue was on the tables, paper on the glue, paint splattered everywhere except the ceiling and scraps littered the floor. Luckily, there were seven volunteers who worked quickly to cleanup for the adult class.

This week is the last full week before classes end and we have more fun classes and activities in store for the kids. Silvia will be back with us again this Wednesday to make pot holders and baskets out of juice boxes and chip bags.

A hug thank you to Silvia for all of her creativity and wonderful ideas.

Goal 3 a Success!

2010-11-23T06:17:00.000-08:00

By Jennifer Webb, Abriendo Mentes volunteer

The day we'd all been waiting for finally arrived! About 50 children, volunteers and parents met in front of the Abriendo Mentes office bright and early on Sunday November 21st before departing to Africa Mia Wildlife Preserve safari adventure!

A group of Abriendo Mentes students in front of the office all ready to go!

Las Catalinas development, here in Potrero (a new partner of Abriendo Mentes this month) kindly sponsored the transportation to Liberia (an hour from Potrero) to Africa Mia. Thanks to all the sponsors and supporters, our most dedicated students had a great, fun-filled day seeing all kinds of new animals, successfully fulfilling our third goal; the experiential learning excursions.

Fabian Barbara, Valentina and Luis, so excited on the bus ride to Africa Mia.

Although we said to dress casually and wear comfy shoes, the kids came all dressed up, excited for the big outing. Boys sported polo’s and button-ups and the girls were decked out in bejeweled jeans, fancy sandals and studded barrettes. And even though they were hyper, they were on their best behavior.

The three sisters - Joselyn, Melanny and Hilary - in matching tops!

Each child bought a bag of carrots for 500 colones to feed the animals. The beginning of the walking tour featured peacocks, pigs, deer, ostriches and more. They were all eager to give their carrots away to the deer and had to be reminded to save some for the other animals. The ostrich’s quick, snappy, pecks made the kids a little jumpy. Only carrots were snatched.

Good aim Jenifer, right into its mouth!

There were dozens of zebras but one was especially unique. In between its stripes were lighter beige stripes. On the other side of the road two other zebras were tumbling around and playing.

One of the beautiful zebras.

The giraffes were by far everyone's favorite. The kids held out their carrots and the giraffes long purple tongues reached through the fence and curled around the carrots before they chomped them down. We learned a giraffes tongue is so long they can actually stretch it all the way back to their horns. It wasn't demonstrated for us but we could all imagine.

Arturo marveling at the tongue .

Several times after our tour guide would turn around and start walking to the next animals to be featured, the long necked creatures would arch their necks all the way over the fence and bob their heads over ours for more carrots.

Ana Melissa staring up at the giraffe coming over the fence!

After the camels, oryxs and several kinds of antelope, we saw a baby giraffe and its mom. Another highlight of our safari adventure. After running around a little the young calf began to nurse. A fence divided the father from its family. We learned like many animals, they’re known to be jealous of their infant so the division is for the baby's protection.

The jealous dad.

This week we'll be reviewing all the cool things we learned about our new animal friends and learn their English names.

Thanks everyone for all your support!

The Goal of 3 comes to an end

2010-11-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

After three months of fund-raising, the Goal of 3 came to an end in October. Thanks to all our dedicated supporters we raised $2375 in total! With these contributions we were able to complete our first two goals in the Goal of 3 during the summer, and we are excited to be able to complete our last goal this weekend!

Abriendo Mentes Goal of 3 Fundraiser Results:

1) Goal 1 - Improvements to the community teaching space: In late June, with the help of a group of MIT alumni, Potrero community members, A.M. students and volunteers, we gave the community center where we conduct classes a face-lift, painting the inside walls a rich terracotta color.

2) Goal 2 - Student material packets: In August, we supplied 33 Abriendo Mentes students with classroom material packets, including pencil cases, pencils, pens, notebooks, folders and more. We will continue this effort throughout the 2011 year as well, starting in February 2011 supplying required public school material packets to the needier students.

3) Goal 3 - Experiential learning excursions: On November 21st we will be taking a group of 50 Abriendo Mentes students, parents and volunteers to Africa Mia Wildlife Preserve, a safari adventure center located in Liberia, an hour from Potrero, to see many different types of African animals. We will emphasize endangered animals, which is in the English curriculum the students are studying this month, as well as African geography. This will be the first time that these children will have the opportunity to see these types of exotic animals, including zebra, giraffes and camels. We are very excited to offer this adventure to our most dedicated students! We have been keeping attendance cards for the past 3 months and the 30 students with the best attendance record have been invited to Africa Mia.

Stay tuned for pictures from the field trip this Sunday. A huge thank you to all of our supporters that contributed to the Goal of 3 and to Las Catalinas development in Playa Potrero for sponsoring the transportation for the trip to Africa Mia.

Abriendo Mentes student of the month!

2010-11-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Student of the month goes to… Arturo (who has recently changed his name to Jose).

Arturo coloring an octopus picture in class

If you know Arturo, you know he is an awesome kid and a really hard working student. Arturo was one of the very first Abriendo Mentes students. He started coming to classes at the age of 5, last June 2009, and has barely missed a class since. His English has improved by leaps and bounds since his first days in class. Always one of the first to call out the answer, and always the first to finish his worksheet, he is completely focused for only 6 years old, and just a downright sweet kid.

Thumbs up Arturo during our trip to Angelina's for pizza!

But the number one reason Jose Arturo is nominated as student of the month, is because he was one of 3 students from 5 communities selected for a full scholarship (K – 12!) at the nearby private nonprofit school, La Paz Community School. Abriendo Mentes works with La Paz school to nominate exceptional students from Potrero for potential scholarships each school year. We were so happy when we were informed that Arturo received a scholarship for the 2010 year.

Arturo painting his "don't litter" sign

Arturo started his first day on August 30^th, and absolutely loves his new school. Transitioning from Potrero public school and 3 hours of class a day to a full 8 – 3:00 day was a breeze for him. Arturo has worked so hard to get where he is today with his English. It was so wonderful to see all that hard work pay off, but we were also sad to see him go from our classes. It turns out this is not the case at all, Arturo still comes to AM classes every single day as soon as he gets home from La Paz school. What an awesome kid! Hands down Jose Arturo deserves this month’s award.

2010-10-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Womanars - Celebrating the Power of Women!

Tilde Guajardo emailed me in May, she had received my contact from another woman in the Potrero area - I was surprised and thrilled to get the email! When you first start an organization, and people start reaching out to you through different networks, it is one of the best feelings ever. Tilde was coming to visit Costa Rica and wanted to do an on camera interview about Abriendo Mentes. Tilde is the founder of Womanars, an online media company targeting women, with the mission to celebrate the "Power of Women" through fun, innovative and engaging videos. I was intrigued, Womanars had such a strong and inspiring mission, of course I said yes!

Tilde and Angee in the Salon Comunal

Tilde and Angee Phong (COO of Womanars) came to Costa Rica in mid-May, I met them in Tamarindo for dinner and we instantly hit it off. They were both such energetic, outgoing women with a lot of heart (not to mention we instantly bonded over our love for food). My first time interview nerves were at ease. Tilde and Angee came to Potrero and spent the better part of a day with Drew, me and the kids. They came to class with us in the Salon, bearing two suitcases stocked full of school supplies (thank you so much!!!). It was a great day!

Tilde, Angee and me with all the A.M. girls and their Womanars shirts

Tilde and Angee headed back to the U.S. and have been diligently working on launching Womanars.com throughout the summer; now is the time! They have planned what is sure to be an awesome launch party in Dallas, TX at the Tower Club, 48th floor of Thanksgiving Tower, 1601 Elm Street. The party is scheduled for Wednesday, November 10th from 6 - 9 pm. We are so incredibly honored to be included in this event, with part of the proceeds going to Abriendo Mentes to benefit the women and girls of Playa Potrero, Costa Rica!

Sweet Jenifer with her new Womanars shirt!

Unfortunately I will not be able to personally attend this event since classes are still in session in Costa Rica, but I am supporting from afar! If you are in the Dallas area, please support Abriendo Mentes and celebrate with with Womanars, as they showcase women's creativity and talents while giving back to those in need. There will be appetizers, drinks, door prizes & performances by:

Locked Out Comedy
Vero Voz
Elizabeth Wills
Reinventing Jude

We would love to hear from anyone who plans to attend the event, or hear your stories and see pictures after the event. Please help us support the "Power of Women" in the U.S., Costa Rica and the world. Visit www.womanars.com to purchase tickets and learn more about Womanars.

Many thanks!

Meradith Leebrick
Co-Founder, Abriendo Mentes
Opening Minds Latin America

Abriendo Mentes welcomes a new office AND a new classroom

2010-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

And not in the same space!

Two new opportunities presented themselves to us in the past 2 months. A very generous man named Terry who owns an office in the Casa del Sol office complex in Potrero offered us the use of his office space! This has been one of our dreams from the beginning, to have our own private space to house all the supplies, do small classes and in the future, create a computer lab for computer classes.

Downstairs in the new office space!

It was a far off dream that would have taken a lot of capital, but Terry made this dream come true for us. He had the idea of donating the use of his unused office space for the benefit of the community, and of course we accepted with much gratitude. The space is coming together nicely, electricity just turned on, furniture slowly rolling in; it is becoming our own. We plan to start the pre-school classes there next week, and are collecting funds and computers (we already have one donated!) for our computer lab, slated to be up and running by the beginning of 2011. Thank you Terry for making our dream a reality.

The upstairs arts and crafts area

On top of this great news, Potrero also welcomed the opening of a new Youth Center this month. Built in the place of the old dilapidated Police Station, the Youth Center was built with funds raised by the Potrero Association within the community of Potrero and Flamingo. It is truly a community project. The new space is open, airy and bright; a great environment for learning.

Mateo, Sofia and Nayelli in the new Youth Center!

We are fortunate enough to be included on the list of groups that have access to operate in the Youth Center. We currently split our time between this new space and the Salon Comunal beside it. If nothing else, this building is a monument to the progress that Potrero is making and shows the community's dedication to enhancing education and opportunities for the future.

Drew, Geral and Brandon doing a worksheet in the new Youth Center

If you are interested in donating resources of money to support the creation of a computer lab in Potrero, or to help add interior improvements to the Youth Center (noise canceling wall fixtures are a must) please contact us at opening.minds.project@gmail.com or visit http://www.omprakash.org/partner_profile/p/65 to make a tax deductible donation.

Community art workshop with visiting artist Narda Boughton

2010-09-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

During August, we were thrilled to welcome Narda Boughton to Potrero for a two-week long art workshop designed for the children of Playa Potrero and implemented in Abriendo Mentes classes.

Instantly, Narda captured the attention, minds and hearts of the students with her compassion, care, and knowledge of the fine arts. Adding to the success of the workshop, Narda's fluency in Spanish allowed her to explain the detailed art concepts to the children in Spanish, while incorporating English vocabulary such as colors, shapes, etc... into the lessons. The attendance was outstanding; we had students attend that had never been to Abriendo Mentes classes before, and thanks to the workshop, are still attending regular classes to this day.

Narda covered topics from sketching, making shapes and mixing colors, to drawing and painting self portraits, creating skin color, and paper mache. Throughout the workshop, Narda emphasized life lessons as well; the importance of taking care of your belongings, respecting your environment and respecting others.

To say the children enjoyed these two weeks would be an understatement. For a group of children that have never participated in a structured art class in their lives, this was a little slice of paradise for them. On the day we were drawing self-portraits, Melanny [an outgoing 11 year old girl] looked at her self-portrait in astonishment "I never thought I could do something like this, I am so proud of myself"...

What a wonderful collaboration that ended up exceeding all of our expectations, even the children's expectations of themselves. A huge thank you to Narda for her time, expertise and passion, and to Hotel Sugar Beach for sponsoring this art workshop.

In Narda's words

At the beginning of August, I had the wonderful experience of collaborating with Abriendo Mentes, offering a two week Art Program to the town of Potreros, Guanacaste.

Working with kids from 3-17 y/o's, we covered a lot of ground- from drawing to painting, learning about shapes and colors, self portraits to papier mache. All classes were conducted in Spanish with English words taught throughout. So, while learning about different aspects of art, they continued expanding their English vocabulary. The artwork they created was full of imagination and fun, beautiful and mischievous. We had a ball!

In a village of 1000 (or so) people- where the soccer field is at the very center of town and resources are slim, Abriendo Mentes offers a much needed program that touches the lives of kids and adults alike- beginning through education, but resulting in being an integral part of the neighborhood, caring about it's growth and expansion.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of this exciting project!

This outreach program is the result of the generous efforts and resources of Sugar Beach Hotel's owner, Sarah Pfeiffer, whose continued interest in community outreach for the town of Potreros has made this Art Workshop possible. Thank you!

Through the volunteers' eyes

2010-09-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Although we only spent a short time with Abriendo Mentes, we immediately sensed the students’ enthusiasm to learn as they flooded through the doors of the classroom with bright, smiling faces. Their dedication to expanding their knowledge is something we will never forget and are thrilled to have taken part.

This excitement, however, is largely a result of their mentors. The commitment of Abriendo Mentes’ teachers and founders, Drew and Meradith has inspired each of us. Their kind support and leadership provides a strong role model for these children, and helps them to expand their language skills, creativity and to foster new friendships.

We also had the opportunity to participate in a few adult English classes, where three working mothers devote what little free time they have to learn how to read, write and speak a new language. They worked patiently, hoping to gain skills that will improve their quality of life and set positive examples for their children.

In the small town of Playa Potrero where continuing education is not a priority, Abriendo Mentes emphasizes the importance of learning, and developing to ones full potential. The three of us have had a great experience working with this organization and encourage others to help Abriendo Mentes achieve their goals.

Thanks Drew and Meradith,

Stephanie, Meghan and Christina

Community Service Day with Tamarindo Surf

2010-08-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

A little late on the update, but we wanted to share all the same since we just received the pictures.

On July 5th Abriendo Mentes teamed with Tamarindo Surf school - http://www.tamarindosurfschool.com/ - in Tamarindo to bring a group of teenagers from across the US to Potrero for a service day. They came, they ate, they taught and they played.

This was a neat group of teenagers; unlike some of their peers who would have signed up for the CR surf tour summer camp, they signed up for the package that included community service and Spanish lessons (with a little bit of surfing too). But honestly, I bet the time they spent with the AM students was equally as rewarding as surfing was.

This 4-hour long activity was kicked off with a picnic prepared by AM student moms, followed by English classes, songs, games, arts and soccer. It was a wonderful way to close out the first half of the 2010 year before vacation.

The following day, the same group reconvened in the Salon Comunal to give a face-lift to the trashcans in Potrero with an environmental theme.

Classes are back in action now, we will have an update soon of current happenings. But with 6 volunteers currently in Potrero and 5 planning to come over the next 3 months, we should be in store for some great activities and progress.

Pen pals in Potrero

2010-08-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Do you remember having pen pals as a child? You wrote back and forth through old fashioned snail mail; sometimes you sent each other pencils or little treats. I had a pen pal in Latvia (of all places!). I waited with bated breath for my friend to send me letters in her perfect handwriting and perfect English (I was not at the time studying Latvian).

So now imagine that you are an 11 year old girl, born and raised in a little village on the Guanacaste coast of Costa Rica, having barely ever left your small 300 person town. And you have a pen pal from the US who emails letters to you which you receive in Abriendo Mentes class AND you find out that your pen pal is coming to visit you in Potrero. Imagine what a cool feeling that must be for a young child that rarely ventures out of town

After 2 – 3 months of exchanging letters, on July 1^st 4 pen pals from across the US came to visit 4 Abriendo Mentes students in Potrero. This is a wonderful cross-cultural program organized by Thompson Family Adventures and Unique Adventure Costa Rica. Abriendo Mentes is fortunate enough to be in collaboration with Unique Adventures who (with Thompson Family) matches up students in the US with AM students. Unique Adventures CR is a company that specializes in travels through Costa Rica that emphasize the natural beauty and resources of Costa Rica and personal interaction with the culture and people.

We worked with these organizations to plan an afternoon activity for the visiting families and the AM students. The pen pals came to the [newly painted] community center to meet their Costa Rican friends. They interacted through a “get to know you” worksheet which was in both English and Spanish, and then bonded over ice cream and a game of what could only be called indoor soccer, sans rules.

It was a great day for the families, and both sets of pen pals. We truly hope that we can continue and expand this program and match each of our students with a pen pal in the future. Who knows, maybe little Jenifer will go to North Carolina one day to visit her pen pal Rylan! Vamos a ver.

June 30th 2010 - Farewell Kate and Todd!

2010-07-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

As a tribute to our dedicated Abriendo Mentes volunteers Kate and Todd, on their last day of classes we planned a carnival for the A.M. students!

When Kate brought up the idea of a carnival, we were thrilled! We got a little carried away (dunk tank? Where can we find one of those in Guanacaste?), but Drew and Todd brought us back to reality (no pie toss girls).

The carnival was our way of sharing the celebration of U.S. Independence Day with the students, as well as an opportunity to involve them in all the awesome carnival games we knew as kids.

We had everything from pin the tail on the donkey, to water balloon toss, to a make shift cake walk (brownie and rice krispy treat walk) to go fishing! It was a huge success. We all ate, played games, won prizes and learned about U.S. Independence.

Once again a huge "Thank you" to all of our wonderful volunteers from the month of June, Kate and Todd from Michigan, Mary and Sarina from Florida and Caroline from Massachusetts. You will all be missed!

Foot note: I can confidently say that this was the most organized balloon toss anyone could have executed in Potrero - ever.

Video of Painting the Community Center in Playa Potrero

2010-07-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Kate and Todd, two Abriendo Mentes volunteers who traveled all the way from Michigan to dedicate a month to helping the children in Playa Potrero. Kate and Todd made this great time lapse video of the transformation of the Salon Comunal. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KibhNuyTvo4&feature=email

Painting the Salon Comunal!

2010-06-30T18:40:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, June 24, over 40 volunteers and community members came together to paint the Playa Potrero Community Center. All together, there were 10 Abriendo Mentes team members and A.M. volunteers from Massachusetts, Florida, and Michigan, a tour group of 10 arranged through M.I.T., and over 20 Playa Potrero community members and Abriendo Mentes students. It was a long day of hard work, but very rewarding to see such a huge improvement. We still can’t put into words how thrilled we are that we have finally accomplished one of our main goals for the 2010 Abriendo Mentes year!

The day started at 7am, with only a few setbacks ("how do we open these 5 gallon paint buckets?" and "hmm... stirring paint, didn't realize how important that part was"). But by 8am we were spread around the Salon, everyone with a brush, roller or sponge, paint tray or make shift paint tray in hand. I think I often underestimate how simple concept of team work is, but how it can have such a grand impact. The synergy created between 40+ people working together was amazing. In less than one hour, we had covered over 400 square feet of wall space. As the day continued on, the work pace slowed a bit for practical reasons. We were getting tired, it was getting hot(ter), and we had covered the bottom section of the Salon, leaving the top beams, which were only accessible by ladder. Making it even more challenging, these hard to reach beams were un-treated concrete, which sucked up paint and made for a very tired arm. 8am turned to noon, when our wonderful M.I.T volunteers had to head back to Flamingo for lunch (thank you so much to all of you!!). We powered on from noon until after 5pm, through A.M. classes which we took turns teaching between painting stints. Final touches were finished on Friday and then we celebrated. Now, thanks to the great effort of 40 dedicated, giving people, the town has a fresh, newly painted community center! We cannot thank everyone enough for their generous gift of time and hard work. I stepped back and took a look at the masterpiece at the end of the day on Friday, and tears came to my eyes. This was partially because I was very tired, but mostly because I was thinking of the diverse group of people who joined together to accomplish such a daunting task. Everyone from a middle-aged Nicaraguan immigrant women, a wonderful Costa Rican mother and her 6 year old son, a mid-20's couple from Michigan, devoting two months of their summer to service work in Costa Rica, a mid-30's Geology Professor at M.I.T and a mother and daughter from Tampa, Florida. This was a group who realized that a dedicated team of people working hard together can accomplish great things. I know they will spread this sentiment throughout their travels and experiences; everyone can make an impact, and every effort counts. Muchisimas Gracias!

Abriendo Mentes Goal of 3

2010-06-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

3 goals, 3 months, 103 women and children in Playa Potrero need our help.

With 1/3 of the 2010 Abriendo Mentes year successfully completed, we are happy to announce we have officially been accepted as a partner for fiscal sponsorship with the 501 (c)(3) Omprakash Foundation. With this milestone reached, we have set 3 main goals that we are dedicated to accomplishing in the next 3 months.

This is our goal of 3:

Student material packets
Improvements to community teaching space
Experiential learning excursions

300 people, $10 each, 103 lives touched.

You can help change the future of 103 women and children in Playa Potrero. If 300 people contribute $10 each, we will be able to successfully reach our 3 goals in the next 3 months.

Your $10 will....

Help us deliver 33 more student packets to the 33 children still lacking basic classroom materials.

Help fund the improvement of the community center/Abriendo Mentes teaching space in Potrero: cleaning, painting, stuccoing, and closing up the large open windows to keep leaves and dust out.

Help send the students on 3 experiential learning field trips throughout the next year - hike on a volcano and learn about geothermal energy, experience a jungle canopy tour and learn about rain forest conservation and visit a leather back sea turtle nesting site and learn about endangered species.

Please forward this information to anyone you think would be interested in helping Abriendo Mentes and the women and children of Playa Potrero.

Want to get to know us better? Take a look at Abriendo Mentes' new "Learn More" tab where you will find testimonials, news and events, student of the week and more.

2010-06-07T11:41:00.001-07:00

Friday fiesta day!

This past Friday, we enjoyed a fun afternoon making tissue paper flowers with pipe cleaners and wooden skewers, practicing our colors while working, and as a special treat a piñata to top off the day! We have our new friends Samantha, Trinidad and Paula to thank for providing the supplies, ideas, piñata and candy for the activity. Samantha (7) and Trinidad (5) are traveling through Latin America with their parents and joined us for two weeks in Abriendo Mentes classes. They brought with them new songs, activities and a lesson on Chile to add to the Abriendo Mentes curriculum. Samantha and Trinidad participated in all the regular A.M. Kinder and 1st grade class activities, and even wrote pen pal letters with us to our friends at Esperanza de Cambio in Peru. The A.M. students really enjoyed getting to know two new friends from the US and it was a great opportunity for all the children to interact with a different culture. It was a new opportunity and a wonderful way to continue opening minds.

2010-05-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

Abriendo Mentes dental hygiene day!

Thanks to the donations of Dr. Jasper Lewis Dentistry and Laura Dominy from Greenville, NC, as well as the help of Dr. Anwar Gazel of Costa Rica, we were able to have our first official dental hygiene day on May 11th! Dr. Gazel came from Playa Grande to teach good dental hygiene practices, and talk about how we can protect our teeth. After a rousing and involved discussion, we had a little oral test in order to win toothbrushes, toothpaste and tooth fairy boxes, all donated by Dr. Lewis and sent by Laura from North Carolina. Very cool way for a dentist office so far away to make a huge impact in a rural village in Guanacaste. The children were thrilled with their new toothbrushes, and hopefully, with the lesson Dr. Gazel gave yesterday, they are all brushing their teeth right now (the correct way of course, 1-2-3-4-5). The highlight of the lesson was when Estiven gave the candid answer to Dr. Gazel's question of "What happens if we don't take care of our grown-up teeth and they fall out?" as "You just buy new ones, or if not you will just be a toothless old man." Always the class clown. Another fun fact we learned, the tooth fairy in Costa Rica is actually called Miguel the Mouse. Interesting, fun, entertaining. All in all a great educational day! Thanks again to everyone who made this day possible.

"K" is for kite

2010-05-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

What better way to teach the letter "K" than to make kites in class? Yesterday the Kinder and 1st grade class had a blast using colored paper, wooden skewers and string to make their own kites. And the best part, they actually flew! Granted, it was raining outside so we "flew" them around the Salon, but it was still a lot of fun. The kids are learning more vocabulary everyday, with our focus on one letter a week, as well as the school curriculum - which includes body parts, colors and numbers this unit. It is great to see their minds at work and their creativity growing at the same time. Now we just have to think of something to make for the letter "L". Any suggestions?