Project Launch:

Amigos del Ambiente Quebradas or “Friends of the Environment” was an environmental project in Quebradas, Costa Rica that increased environmental education through hands-on, interactive project. With support from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program in 2010, this program launched an organic school garden, planted and harvested by the 5th and 6th grade students at Quebradas School. Today, the herbs and vegetables from the garden are used in the school’s dining hall where they are incorporated into more flavorful and healthy meals for the students. The organic waste from the dining hall is now used as compost to fertilize the garden. Another initiative as part of this project focused on recycling and taught kids about the dangers of waste, how and what to recycle, and other ways to reuse recycled materials for things like art project. Through these project, students had the opportunity to enjoy themselves while working hard on project that benefit the environment, the community, and enhance their own personal growth. Amigos del Ambiente Quebradas helped educate many youth in Costa Rica to become more environmentally aware. Their work in the garden has helped to bring out the compassionate side of many of the children and taught them responsibility. Many of the children have become so attached to their work at school they started their own gardens at home and taught their parents the importance of locally grown goods.