Click here for Kalapuya Photo Gallery 2008

During the month of July 2008 the staff of ECC volunteered their time to coordinate activities for the pilot student group from Kalapuya High School in Eugene, Oregon. During their three week stay in Pavones, their activities included:

Guaymi (Ngäbe) Indigenous Reservation
home-stay experience

The high school students stayed with indigenous families in the reservation for three nights. These Guaymi families of Rio Coco were able to share their culture and generate income, while the high school students experienced rustic living, much different from their lives in the US.

Life Stories (LS) series

A variety of members of the community, including local ticos and foreign residents living in Pavones for at least ten years, were invited for dinner to share their life stories with the group. The objective of the LS series was to demonstrate the diversity of the town and to offer a variety of personal opinions and perspectives on the town's history, the changes taking place, and the developments being made here.

Treasure hunt, communications study,
and sign painting activity

After being paired with local high school students, the Kalapuya group completed a bilingual treasure hunt to explore and map Pavones. They were then given a short seminar on non-verbal communication before painting signs that benefit the community and raised environmental awareness for tourists. Beach cleanup was included in this activity.

Other activities for future groups include developing a sustainable recycle center in Pavones, Spanish immersion classes, and mural painting/environmental education projects. ECC is looking forward to continuing and improving this annual program with Kalapuya High School as well as offering it to other high school groups around the U.S and globally. For more information please contact ECC.

Click here for Kalapuya Photo Gallery 2008