Project Launch:

In Quebrada Honda, an area in Costa Rica, nearly every family burned their garbage in 2009. “Kids for a Cleaner Quebrada Honda” was designed to take the information that kids learned about environmental education from the classroom out into the town. The project consisted of reviewing information on pollution, littering, recycling and reforestation. After a review of these topics, kids took two days, or more if needed, to pick up garbage in their town and along one of the major highways right outside of the town. After, they practiced separating the garbage into the proper recycling bins. Other educational components of the program involved reviewing the importance of reforestation and how to plant trees. With a $500 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program, the project targeted children, teaching them lifelong habits from these programs and these children can now teach their families about the importance of the environment and recycling. Through this project, kids learned how to keep their community clean and environmentally friendly and loved going out and actually being able to pick up the garbage, not only on the streets and the highway, but also from the neighbors. The kids also started a recycling program at their school since they enjoyed collecting garbage so much the first time. Kids also became advocates for the environment, making environment-related signs that they hung around the community.