Camino Claro Blog

Escuela Camino Claro was recently mentioned in the
Good Morning Pavones blog

Click here to check it out!

Good Morning Pavones is a wonderful resource for news directly from Pavones: articles about life in a surfing community, travel in Costa Rica, local events and services, investing, the environment, and more. If you’re interested in our community center and want to know more about what’s going on in the area, I urge you all to take a peek.

Thanks for mentioning ECC!

We mentioned Pavones’ Anti-Tuna Farm Festival that took place a few weeks ago, you saw some pictures and heard Jacob’s positive feedback on the memorable event; so we thought it was time to give those who were interested some info on the legal side of the issue in the Golfo Dulce…

Remember, you can always check out our previous posts or Pretoma’s website for more background on the ongoing tuna farm proposals in our precious gulf.

Golfito’s municipal council vows not to issue permits for Granjas Atuneras SA

Gerardo Mendoza and Susanne Mesen, president and treasurer of the “No a las Granjas Atuneras” association (ANAGA) went to the Municipal Council’s meeting in Golfito a few weeks ago and petitioned the newly elected representatives to oppose the tuna farm project. They were successful and the council voted not to issue permits for tuna farming within the next six years and they pronounced themselves against tuna farming in all of Costa Rica. The previous Consejo Municipal had also refused to issue permits for Granjas Atuneras SA’s operation. Thank you Gerardo and Susanne!

Permits issued by SETENA may be revoked

SETENA (Secretaria Tecnica Nacional Ambiental - which is part of MINAET, The Ministry of Environment) however, did issue permits for the tuna project but then was forced by the court to look into charges that Granjas Atuneras‘ environmental impact report contained fraudulent statements such as claiming that the people around the gulf who were interviewed for the report pronounced themselves in favor of the project (not true). Granjas Atuneras also claimed that the currents only flow out of the gulf and not into it and therefore there is no risk of polluting the gulf. To the residents around the Golfo Dulce it is obvious that these statements are false. Let’s hope that SETENA will come to the same conclusion. If they do, Granjas Atuneras‘ permits will be revoked. This should be decided soon.

Pavones’ Festival: all about raising awareness

Perhaps the 2010 Anti-Tuna Farm Festival’s greatest success was acquiring 390 signatures for a petition that will be sent to Costa Rica’s new president, Laura Chinchilla, and SETENA, in which Pavones and surrounding communities state their opposition to the tuna farms and ask for revocation of the permits. The more people that sign the petition, the harder it is for SETENA to claim that the community approves of the tuna farm project.

Additionally, the local fisherman succeeded in having the Golfo Dulce declared Area for Responsible Fisheries. This means shrimpers are banned permanently as well as all fishing vessels that are bigger than a panga (small motor boat), and net fishing is outlawed.

GREAT JOB and THANK YOU to everyone in Pavones: members of the ANAGA committee, individuals and businesses who donated prizes for the Festival, and people who got out and signed the petition! You are all making a difference…now on to a few more pictures of the event:

ECC’s teacher, Lisa, with Apalonia, the vice president of ANAGA and also the voice for the Guaymi Indigenous community on the Tuna Farm issue. At the chicha barrel! (Jacob on the traditional fermented corn drink: “tastes like kombucha, feels like moonshine)

A few of the Guaymi Indegenous protesters

Carlos and Maruja, Pavones locals, enjoying the party with the rest of the pueblo

A big thank you to Lili from Mira Olas Cabinas for keeping us updated with current information. Thanks also to Jacob for his excellent photography skills!

More updates to come soon so keep tuning in.

~Haley

of all times to decide to make a post on the ol’ blog, i choose 5 minutes before kids show up for the first day of computer class! i really do love doing things under pressure… weird.

COCONUTS! they’re all over the place. a few family members of mine would recognize that i am, in fact, the Coconut King — at least according to my two little girl cousins. long story short, its a game we made up down at grandma’s house and i swear they are never ever going to forget this game. and sometimes i really wish we could all move on to a new imaginary game, but nonetheless, Coconut King *knock knock knock knock* sits upon his throne to this day.

But moving on, i cracked open my first coconut yesterday. i mean these things are layin around all over the place and all i knew was that they were difficult to get into, but with a good ol fashioned hammer i had my way. we got green coconuts, brown ones, yellow and orange. young, old, inbetween. wet, dry. some with milk, some with water, some with foamy delights growing amidst delicious coco-meat… mine was dry, with water and coco-meat. and it was tasty.

The picture is NOT of the one i ate. but it looked a lot cooler than the one i ate. that, and i ate that one, so you can’t see it anymore.

~Jacob

That would be Jacob, the new Program Assistant, who as of April 1st, is safe and sound in his new home of Escuela Camino Claro. Literally- IN Escuela Camino Claro- second door on the left across from the kitchen, not hard to find. Much to my delight, he is a talented blogger and photographer (and fisherman, clearly), in addition to being, well, an excellent Program Assistant.

Jacob has his own personal blog called Paz y Playa in Pavones, which is worth checking out if you want some interesting and entertaining insights as what life is like in Pavones, Costa Rica for a rookie. Jacob will be contributing to ECC’s blog as much as he wants to from now on, so keep checking in for a new ECC voice… ahh, so refreshing!

Here’s some of his words to start you off…

Karaw! Karaw!

sounds like a bird, no? WRONG. well, right, but it also sounds like the infamous Tico call so often heard ‘round town here in Pavones. KARAW!

right now i’m a complete novice at so many things. i’m eating rice and beans everyday, but metaphorically, i snack on humble pie every few hours. between spanish, surfing, and fishing i’m quite the freshman. but i’d like to think i’m a cool freshman, ya know? like the one that had the popular older brother or something, cuz people cut me a lot of slack around here and that sure helps.

More to come soon
~Haley

Our 1st grade ESL class began studying at ECC in April 2008 without knowing the English alphabet. Two years later, they are able to read and comprehend 2nd and 3rd grade English books.

Please participate in our Sponsor a Student program.

$50 sponsors a student for one month

$400 sponsors a student for one year

Just in time for holiday giving, this is an opportunity to help Escuela Camino Claro flourish and continue to be successful in 2010! This generous donation allows us to maintain class tuition at an affordable price for local Costa Rican students. Of course, any amount is greatly appreciated. This price includes tuition, all class materials, and extracurricular events. Remember: all donations are tax exempt.

Please make checks payable to Escuela Camino Claro and send all donations to:

Escuela Camino Claro
9979 Troon Ct.
Windsor, CA 95492

Thank you for your support!
Raphel Weber & Haley Whitley, Co-Founders

‘Tis the season for pumpkin bread, spiced wine, and many other holiday-ish things no matter where you may be: Costa Rica, the Northwest, or the North Pole. Raphel and I are here in the Northwest, however, where these things are plentiful (as well as rain and cold weather, yuck). Pumpkins are as abundant here as good left-hand point breaks are there.

We like to keep you all in the loop, so here are some tidbits of what’s been going on during the Escuela Camino Claro off-season.

Pre-K classes are still going

Thanks to Lisa Thrash, our new pre-k teacher! Although we already mentioned this enthusiastic ECC parent stepped in last September to fulfill the need for additional help, she deserves to be mentioned again because she is doing such a great job keeping the school house in order and taking care of a growing pre-k class.

Lisa Says…

“A native to Florida, I feel lucky to be part of the community of Pavones and be part of the group effort in preserving it for future generations. I’ve been teaching and having fun with children since I was 14 years old, whether was tutoring elementary students after school, being a Spanish instructor in the Florida public school systems, or acting as P.T.O president. Now I find myself intricately involved in my young children’s schooling. While my wonderful surfer/chef husband and I pursue our dream of living a sustainable life in Costa Rica, I have had the pleasure of home schooling my two children, ages three and nine. I love reading, history, nature, dancing, traveling, photography, animals, and hanging out with my family.”

February 2010 will bring a rush of new students and classes, so we are grateful and happy to have Lisa on board.

ECC all over cyberspace

Something that comes along with living in the US: countless online social networks right at your fingertips, it’s almost impossible to not get sucked in. So we did. And here is what you should know.

The GreenWave Blog is a newsletter that inspires green-minded people and gets them connected with eco-friendly organizations and events. It’s worth checking out, even if you’re not in the L.A. area (just click on the link above).

You can see ECC mentioned on the GreenWave Blog by checking out The EDGE September 2009 Newsletter that is posted. The EDGE is helping ECC by raising funds and gathering supplies in their 2010 Donation Drive. We put together a wish list a while back and school supplies can now be donated to the Foundation or directly to us!
We are collecting eco-friendly: pens, paper, notebooks, paints, coloring pens, crayons, musical instruments, educational CDs, educational toys, CD player w/ speakers, pre-K/Kindergarten workbooks, etc.
All donations are tax-deductable.
Donors can either email ECC directly at info@caminoclaro.org or The EDGE at priya@theedgeeducation.org.

Are you a Facebook junkie like everyone else? ECC can be found there too, are you surprised?
Click here to see ECC’s Facebook page and subscribe or become a fan
Click here to see ECC’s Cause page, and cyber-hangout with the other 180 members, or even donate some $$$, if you are so inclined. These are both in their rough-draft phases, fyi.

What’s next?

So you see, we have not been idle these days: Raphel and I are alive and kicking during the three months hiatus or “summer break” from classes. Most importantly we are exploring our options for fundraising, both in seeking donations from private donors, as well as applying for education grants. It’s a full-time job but hopefully it will pay off and ECC will be adequately funded in 2010. More on that later, don’t you worry!

All this sure makes me miss those kiddies in Pavones…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ECC!
what are you thankful for?

ECC is on its way to “going green”, thanks to Green Wave’s support!

In January 2009, ECC caught the attention of the Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, Green Wave, and its “Green Girl Guru” founder, Janine Johnson. Since then, the organization has been influential and inspiring in our community education center’s progress toward environmental education and community development. In fact, it was through our connection with Green Wave that ECC’s “sponsorship” with The EDGE Foundation was born!

But first, a little bit about this new, progressive organization that ECC is so grateful to be collaborating with…

What is Green Wave?

Green Wave is a dynamic, environmental non-profit dedicated to establishing precedents for change and redefining activism. Green Wave provides service to companies to create and fund ecolistical initiatives to inspire waves of change in both local and global communities. Green Wave is people-powered by a collaboration of other like-minded companies and organizations. Green Wave works business to business with companies and other organizations in the creation and strategic implementation of ecolistical projects that give back to their communities.

Mission
To inspire waves of change by creating living examples focused on living consciously, peacefully, and harmoniously with the environment and with each other for the well being of our planet.

Goal
To create green/restorative developments and education initiatives

“Health for people and planet is the new currency” –Janine Johnson

Green Wave Projects and Events

Green Wave believes that companies are integral for catalyzing the waves of change necessary for a sustainable future. Apart from working with such companies as the Grammy-nominated band, The Crystal Method, NextAid, Sabertec, Kalia Modern Eco-Living, and Green Addict, Green Wave has also hosted several events:

The Green Heart Eco-Yoga Day Fundraiser
The fundraiser took place in February 2009 was held in celebration of International Yoga Day.  As with any Green Wave event, it was a green event and meant to bring mindfulness to sustainable living concepts which are in harmony with yogic practices. It was from proceeds from this event that Green Wave was able to finance the EDGE Curriculum for ECC’s 2010 classes donation was also made to the Golfo Dulce’s Anti-Tuna Farm Campaign.  Click here for more info about this event.

Earthdance 2009
The world’s largest synchronized music and dance festival for peace. Since its inception, Earthdance has been held on over 500 locations in 80 countries with all events simultaneously joining together in the Prayer for Peace - a powerful moment of coherent intention.

Each public Earthdance event gives 50% of their profits to a charity that falls into one of the following categories:
-The Welfare of Children & Urban Youth
-Indigenous Peoples & Cultures
-International Relief and Development
-Environmental Sustainability & Protection
-Organizations that help Promote Peace

Earthdance occurs annually every September in recognition of the United Nations International Day of Peace with the intention to build a Culture of Peace.  On September 26th, 2009, Green Wave was the beneficiary of the San Diego Earthdance.  Green Wave worked in collaboration with the producer of the event, Green Addict, to introduce, implement & inspire sustainable practices and living to both the event and the attendees. Click here for more info about Earthdance.

The future is bright (and green!)

On behalf of everyone at Escuela Camino Claro, we would like to say THANK YOU to Green Wave for its support and inspiration! ECC looks forward to a positive future and an enduring relationship with Green Wave.