See what's happening at GFS! (Jan 2021)

GFS First High School Graduate

Janeisy Matarrita Ledezma will be our first girl to graduate from the Girls for Success mentoring club. She has been in our program for eight years. She will study Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources. Janeisy shared with us “I like to help people who have problems at work. Workers must have all their rights as human beings at their workplace. This career gives me many job opportunities, since it is not a very saturated career it will be easier to find employment. I like to help the community a lot, it is something that I would like to dedicate all my time to and so I can have a good future."

It has been a pleasure being Janeisy's mentor for the past 3 years. We have worked together on many projects. Most importantly, I have also learned a lot from her. We are excited to award you a scholarship that will provide you with a laptop for your studies and will cover a portion of the cost of attending college. Although I will miss her, I know that we will always support each other no matter where we are.

Bringing Light to the Center

Through the pandemic, schools across Costa Rica have remained closed. In Hone Creek, Girls for Success has been the only student-teacher interaction the girls have had since schools closed in March. This has made the time on video calls and

at the center especially valuable. Outside of the English learning, we have also brought a lot of love and light to the girls and the center through various art projects and empowerment workshops. In late September, a group of volunteer teachers came to show their support at GFS. Hannah Pitsch, Vivian Yorke, and Yanely Gonzalez, TEFL Colleagues of Miss. Carla, came from various parts of Costa Rica to paint with the girls and bring some life into our garden. We painted the white rocks that line our garden with colorful, positive adjectives to describe each other and our school. Together we planted 5 various flowers around the garden and the girls each planted their own cup of flowers. This project was important to bring back social interaction and care to our learning center. 

It is important to be reminded that there is always something to be thankful for. In mid October, the girls came together at the center for an empowerment workshop. We created a gratitude jar for the center. The girls wrote three words representing what they are thankful for and placed them in the school jar. Then they each designed a jar and filled it with things they are grateful for. The girls decorated their jars and shared what they wrote with each other. Projects like this bring joy and remind us of the value simple things like family, shelter, and food hold in our lives. Community engagement plays a huge role in GFS. We value the time our volunteers make for us, the support we have throughout the community, and the connections we make with visitors from other countries. We are so thankful for everyone's continued support during this tough year!

This year has been a challenge for schools across the globe, but where there is darkness there always comes light. Through the pandemic, we have learned how to be flexible, understanding, patient and willing to grow, even when things seemingly came to a halt. Being a first year teacher, this pandemic also taught me to be creative and to push the limits of my capability. The need for virtual learning has brought to light many of the challenges we face here in Hone Creek.  Despite this, we have persevered and the girls have developed new skills in using technology and have been excited to continue their English classes.  We have even managed to create more one-on-one time with each girl for English practice and conversations.  There is tremendous potential for growth.  Ultimately, this year has been a lesson in disguise. -Carla Cunningham

"Creativity is intelligence having fun." -Albert Einstein