Project Launch:

Grifo Alto is a small rural community in Costa Rica with most residents living below the poverty line. The youth spend most of their free time congregating in the streets and getting into trouble. In an under-resourced area such as Grifo Alto, sports and safe recreation activities play a huge role in keeping youth occupied, off the streets, and surrounded by peers and mentors who encourage them to stay active and reinforce positive behaviors. A grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program in 2011 supported the Grifo Alto Rebound Youth Sports Camp that aimed to foster healthy relationships among youth and provide an outlet for the development of sports and recreation awareness in these communities. The Youth Group did this by coordinating with the Peace Corps Volunteer and a group of 15 volunteers from an organization called Courts for Kids to host the Rebound Camp to teach kids the importance of sports and recreation as a productive and healthy use of free time. The kids had fun playing football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and baseball and also learned how to stretch, warm-up, and cool down. In the evening they showed off their talents and took turns learning dances with the volunteers. Sports and healthy recreational activities enable kids to build a strong physical and emotional foundation that promotes lasting success. The kids that participated now know more about the variety of sports and recreational activities available to them and are motivated to have fun playing sports.