Project Launch:

Clean it UP! Costa Rica is a recycling program that includes more than 20 schools and more than 2,200 students. With a $498 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program in 2011, the community built a recycling center and students helped their communities increase recycling. In each school recycling bins were introduced to collect the community's recyclables which were then brought to the collection center at the local high school. Through this project, Peace Corps Volunteers worked with students and teachers in each school to do fun recycling activities to learn about the importance of protecting our environment through recycling. The project was important for the kids and their families because they had no way to get rid of their trash other than burning it or burying it. The recycling program provided an alternative way to protect the health of residents and their surrounding environment by recycling. The students took the education home and taught their family members about the importance of recycling and how to do it. The school also succeeded in arranging for a recycling company to pick up their recyclables and this generates funds for the school.