Learning From Nature and From Each Other

 
The Co-curricular program develops a philosophical framework of decoloniality, equity, and diversity through all the educational experiences offered to the UWC Costa Rica community. With the consolidation of a tracking system to evaluate the impact of the program throughout the students’ two years, the department focuses on quality over quantity and the consolidation of solid community key initiatives such as Community Action Week, Model United Nations (MUN), and the Agents of Change Camp, amongst others.

Embracing the principles of Experience Design methodology, students curate a diverse array of Thematic Weeks and activities throughout the academic year. The Getting to Know Costa Rica initiative allows students to learn about our country, and the regular CAS activities provide multiple outlets for students to propose projects and engage with the community, including weekly student-led workshops, organized weekend trips, and Community Action Weekends.

 

CAS Experiences

Student and institutionally proposed and led community engagement experiences on and off campus—a core requirement of the International Baccalaureate. Students must complete 240 CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) hours to achieve their IB Diploma. The list of CAS Experiences changes every year depending on students' proposals.
 

List of 3 items.

  • Creativity & Sustainability

    • Greenhouse
    • Campus Naturalists
    • Eco-Bricks
    • Rethinking Waste
    • Climate Action
    • Graphic Novelists
    • Model United Nations
    • Art Appreciation
    • Origami
    • Chess
    • Creative Writing
    • Content Creation
    • Music Ensemble
    • Film Production
    • Rhymer's Poetry
    • Music
    • CASfeteria: Regenerative food systems & traceability

  • Physical Activities

    • Yoga
    • Crossfit
    • Frisbee
    • Cycling
    • Table Tennis
    • Volleyball
    • Football (Soccer)
    • Basketball
    • Aerial Silks
    • Afrodance, Asian Dance, and Urban/Contemporary Dance
    • Self-Defense
    • Swimming

  • Social Service & Community

    • Lifting Hands
    • Global Issues
    • Healthy Masculinities
    • Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
    • College Newspaper
    • Cosmetics for our community

Conociendo Costa Rica

The Getting to Know Costa Rica initiative provides students with the opportunity to learn about the social, cultural, and historical aspects of Costa Rica and its provinces while they visit essential places, interact with local people, and contribute to their economy. All students get to enjoy at least one of the off-campus outings in their 2-year experience at UWC Costa Rica.

Some photos taken by students and staff during the activities.
 

Community Action Week

Community Action is a core initiative of the Co-Curricular Program and is one of the CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) pillars. Around a dozen off-campus projects enable all students and some of our members to engage in thousands of hours of positive social impact volunteering in diverse Costa Rican communities — a critical space to develop and foster alliances with external communities and organizations.
 
Some photos taken by Impact and Accountability Managers.

Model United Nations (MUN)

The spirit of MUN conveys an exercise of diplomacy, critical thinking, global citizenship, teamwork, and creativity. Public and private high schools in Costa Rica meet on our campus for a three-day event where students represent different delegations across numerous socio-political topics.
 

Agents of Change (AoC)

The Agents of Change Camp offers our students inspiring experiences to motivate them to deliver positive social impact. In this 1-day on-campus event, students choose among the paths of social entrepreneurship, STEM, or activism/advocacy to ideate projects to make a change, with the possibility of turning them into real-world projects in their communities or in College.

Thematic Weeks

Student-led immersive experiences, guided by Experience Design, where the entire community is invited to learn by delving into and understanding important issues within each represented community. Examples of Thematic Weeks include Central American, Queer, Asian, European, Black History, Women’s, and Afro-Caribbean Weeks, amongst others.

Some photos taken by Hou Zhi '24 for the Content Creation CAS.
From the northeast corner of the Catholic Church, 400 meters north.
San José, Santa Ana. 10901.
+506 2282 5609
info@uwccostarica.org
 
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