What We Do
We offer a diverse range of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Our program offers 25 girls at a time, aged 6 to 16, the opportunity to further their education after school. For three hours each day, we work with our students on English, wellness, arts, music and sewing. Each month students participate in a life skills workshop or an educational excursion.
English
Hone Creek is a community 5 kilometers away from the town of Puerto Viejo and 15 kilometers away from Cahuita, two of the most popular tourist destinations in the province of Limón, Costa Rica. Other than agriculture, the economy is based on jobs available in the tourism industry of the nearby towns, jobs in hotels or restaurants or as a taxi driver, all jobs requiring some level of English. The school system in the entirety of Costa Rica requires English to be taught in high schools, but not in elementary schools, so when students make the transition from elementary to high school and a certain level of English is expected, many of the students fall behind. This is the case in the community of Hone Creek, and since a large reason for not graduating high school is the inability to pass the English part of the graduation test, preparing the students early is extremely necessary.
Sewing
The opportunity to learn sewing was one requested by the community. Once a week, our students learn not only how to create different items using sewing machines but in the future will also teach them business skills through a series of workshops. Sewing machines were donated in different times and our girls have been taught sewing skills by Reyna Centeno, who is also the mom of 2 of our students. In the future, we hope to host workshops using Junior Achievement materials to teach business and personal finance skills. This combination of learning will enable women to not only to create but to make a living.
Art & Music
We use art and music to reinforce the English learned in other parts of our program and to encourage the creativity of our students. Creativity and critical thinking are extremely important in the working world and everyday life, which is why this center focuses on helping students learn to think outside of the box.
Lifeskills Workshops
Though subjects such as math, social studies and religion are studied in the local elementary schools, common life skills are not. We work with our students on conflict resolution, protecting the planet, goal-setting, keys to success, environmental health, cooking, team-building activities and more. These workshops strive to promote education outside of the classroom and encourage community engagement. We focus on the importance of self-development and giving back.
Educational Excursions
Many children in our community have few opportunities to travel outside of their own neighborhood. We aim to broaden the personal and professional horizons of our students by offering trips to local businesses and professional offices, tours of the nearby national parks, tours hosted by the indigenous Bribri tribe, visits to local nature and adventure programs, community clean-up activities and even lunch at the beach. Whenever possible, we connect them to women business owners from their community who can serve as inspiration and role models. Other activities also include participating in the International Women’s Day march, participating in our annual GFS fundraiser, and hosting Costa Rican and international guests at our school. When financially feasible, we conclude the year with an overnight trip to San Jose. They visit top sights like the National Theater, the Children's Museum, and enjoy a movie in a theater, a new experience for many of them. This trip rewards their hard work and motivates them to continue striving. We believe that these excursions, combining fun, education and service, not only broaden horizons but also nurture a sense of community and responsibility. By exposing our students to diverse environments and professions, they gain invaluable insights that could help shape their aspirations.
Wellness
GFS offers a holistic educational approach for our students. Our program is designed to help each student grow with self-confidence by providing tools that foster freedom of expression, emotional awareness and regulation, and the development of habits that promote physical and mental well-being. Through this support, we encourage personal motivation, autonomy, and comprehensive growth, empowering each girl to become the leader of her own life and a positive force in her community