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Project Information
1. Summary

Main Category Natural Habitats

Secondary Category (optional) Education

Third Category (optional)

Project Title Environmental education program

“Creating the Environmental Leaders of the
New Millennium”

Project Short Name (Max. 30 characters Creating Environmental Leaders

including spaces)
Project Total Duration (in months) 24 months

Total Amount Requested—US $ (Enter $ 60,000 USD

amounts in US funds, rounded to the nearest
thousand dollar. Example: 361,253 =
362,000(

Total Project Budget—US $ (if different $ 80,000 USD

from requested)

Geographic Location (Country) Costa Rica

Coordinates (according to Google Maps; 8.762938, - 83.598459

http://maps.google.com/)

2. Abstract (200 word limit)

The Osa Peninsula is considered one of the most important areas for conservation efforts due to
it’s amazing nature and biodiversity. Osa’s depletion of natural resources goes hand in hand with
poverty and its limited access to job opportunities and education.

In order to achieve long term solutions: we believe that a sustained environmental education
program will help the new generations think differently about their natural resources.

The Corcovado Foundation environmental education program has created awareness and has
empowered hundreds of children during the last ten years, working in 14 schools in Drake Bay and
Costa Ballena. However the program has never been funded properly and has always had limited
resources.

After ten years of implementing this program, the foundation has initiated a new stage called
“Forest in the hands of the children”. Thinking that the best way to learn is by acting, the
foundation will start a process in which it promotes the planting of trees on farms, public areas and

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river basins. The most accomplished and involved children will then participate in a leadership
program. We are convinced that there is a need to enrich society with teenagers who are agents of
community development, empowered to make a change.

3. Background
Corcovado National Park, located in the Osa Peninsula, is the most important National Park in
Costa Rica’s, Park System. This national park was again put under pressure by the growing
price of gold in the international markets. The problems and the pressure to Corcovado National
Park are always coming back, “like tsunamis” said Alvaro Ugalde.

In our opinion, there have been two missing elements in the conservation efforts in Osa in order to
achieve long term solutions: economic development and environmental education. Without
proper economical options communities will keep going back to poaching and gold mining no
matter the consequences. With a sustained environmental education program new generations
will think differently about their natural resources and Corcovado National Park. Unfortunately
both components have been absent from most conservation efforts in Osa. This project aims to
improve both situations from the bottom up. Meaning, we will start working with children in order
to 1) create awareness about the importance of natural resources for local communities 2) build
leadership among young people, that will push the changes needed to obtain economic
development. In order words we will build a new generation of environmental change makers.

The Corcovado Foundation environmental education program, as small as it is, has created
awareness and has empowered hundreds of children during the last 10 years. However, the
program has never been funded properly and has always had limited resources.

After 10 years of implementing this program, the foundation has initiated a new stage called
“Creating the Environmental Education Leaders of the New Millennium”. Thinking that
the best way to learn is by acting, the foundation will start a process in which it promotes the
planting of trees on farms, public areas and river basins.

As part of this program, the Corcovado Foundation is working in 14 schools in Drake and Costa
Ballena Bay in order to promote the conservation of natural resources in Osa.

Aim and scope

The “Creating the Environmental Education Leaders of the New Millennium” project will
try to get the children to get involved directly in conservation efforts. Hands on activities,
specially reforestation, will be performed as normal activities of our environmental education in
the 14 schools. Also recycling, beach clean ups and other activities will be implemented in order to
provide children with a more experiential understanding.

The foundation will start negotiations with other no-profit organizations or government institutions
to acquire 1000 trees to be planted by 500 students during the course of a year. Later these students
will be responsible for nurturing and protecting these trees until they are big enough to survive.
We want the children to be part of their community change, being responsible of their own little

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conservation project like decreasing deforestation in their community, being also an example for
the rest of their family and the whole community.

The most accomplished and involved children will then participate in a leadership program. We
are convinced that there is a need to enrich society with children and teenagers who are agents of
community development, empowered to make a change.

That is why we intend to focus on capacity development in older children and adolescents in order
to complement formal education with alternative strategies. This will allow capacity building,
which will empower them to make decisions, take responsibility independently and exercise their
rights and duties as members of a better society in Osa.

That is why we intend to focus in older children and adolescents in order to complement formal
education with alternative strategies. This will allow capacity building, which will empower them
to make decisions, take responsibilities independently and exercise their rights and duties as a
member of a better and more sustainable society in Osa. Then it could develop a generation of new
entrepreneurs aware and respectful of the environment.

Specific targets

 Eight schools in the Drake Bay area and surroundings and six schools in Dominical
and Costa Ballena, (for a total of 14) receive monthly environmental education and
engage in hands on environmental education activities, such as tree planting,
recycling and others.

 Five children’s environmental groups in Drake Bay area are empowered and work
weekly on environmental education projects as an extra- curricular activity.

 At least 20 of the most accomplished children will participate in a leadership

program in which they will visit other communities, will learn about teamwork,
community development and being a changemarker.

4. Methodology

The major goals for environmental education are “to provide every person with opportunities
to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the
environment” (UNESCO, 1978, p.26). To accomplish that we will:

 14 schools will receive monthly environmental education lessons. These lessons will
be focus on providing theoretical knowledge about the importance of the natural
resources and its conservation. We will examine major environmental issues from a
local, national and international point of view as The Tbilisi Declaration
Recommendation (http://www.gdrc.org/uem/ee/tbilisi.html).
The pedagogical methods use for that purpose will be; Simulating and Gaming/ Basic
Case Study/ Film viewing and discussion/ Field Study. (Hungerford, Marcinkowski,
Volk, 1990).

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Field Study Method: We will use reforestation of their communities as their own
investigation project. Autonomous investigations allow students to make an
investment of their talent, interest and time in a preferred issue. Not only do students
become experts regarding that issue, but they also derive a sense of ownership toward
that issue. This sense of ownership or feeling of responsibility provides an impetus for
action taking in a positive manner. . (Hungerford, Marcinkowski, Volk, 1990, p.120)
For the reforestation of the communities we will use the Anderson Plantation Method.
In this practice, seedlings are planting in groupings. This ensures that at least one of
these will develop to maturity. (Ruiz, 2002)

 Five environmental groups will meet weekly to address the theoretical environmental
education lectures in the schools to create a group of children that voluntarily will
work in respect, self-organization, team building, conservation, recycling and other
activities in a practical way.

 In order to promote leadership, the five environmental groups will also receive talks
about leadership: leadership definition (honesty, the desire to succeed, intelligence
creativity, kindness and a being a role model) and actions of leaders that children can
relate to for example: not following the crowd, standing up to bullies, doing the right
thing and helping others. We will read children books about famous world leaders
and their lives. Specially women such as Hellen Keller, Harriet Tubam, Eleanor
Roosevelt, Catherine the Great, Rosa Park and Susan B. Anthony. Also female
leaders in Costa Rica, who overcame the gender segregation and led new spaces for
women in the country: such as María Carvajal aka Carmen Lyra, Emma Gamboa,
Teresa Obregón and Angela Acuña. We will also play leaderships games and play
scenarios.

 Children that excel at these processes will participate in exchanges and trips in order
to talk to kids in other communities and learn from organized groups such as Boys and
Girls Scouts, and others.

Year 1 Year 2

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester
Environmental education for
14 schools X X X X X X X X
1000 trees planted X X X X
5 children groups formed X X X X X X X X
Most accomplished children
chosen X
Leadership group formed X X X
2 Groups exchanges X X

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5. Expected result

 1000 trees planted by children in public and private lands in order to

encourage personal responsibility, promote conservation and restoration of
the rainforest.
 14 schools will receive monthly environmental education lessons.
 5 environmental education groups will meet weekly to talk about conservation
and practice hands on activities such as recycling, beach clean ups and others.
 20 young kids, between ages 8 and 12 will participate in a one year program
destined to promote leadership.
 The 20 kids mentioned above will participate in at least 2 group exchanges
with other leadership groups.

You may also provide links to related videos:

Link 1 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQzLQiyO7vc
Link 2 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJUaKlsph7M
Link 3 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd0cJ27lcrI
Link 4 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKRkvtJJi2w

Schedule and Budget

Please elaborate and detail the schedule and budget according to the sections and milestones
mentioned in the methodology section. Please add a short justification for each budget item.

Budget items:

 Environmental Education Coordinator (EEC): This item will pay for 50% of the
salary of a biologist trained in children environmental education. He will coordinate
and lead the activities performed during the 2 years of this project. He will plan and
execute environmental education lessons and
 Environmental Education Specialist (EES): This item will pay for a second
biologist part time, who will support the environmental education activities. The
amount of schools and activities that this project intakes requires the work of at least
3 people.
 Local liaison: This item will pay for 60% of the salary of a local community
member who will act as a connection with the local community, will inform local
groups about the efforts of the foundation and the Environmental Education Program
 Environmental Education Supplies: This includes water colors, temperas, paper,
scissors, books, cardboard and other art supplies that will be used for presentations,
making crafts and other activities.
 Transportation: Environmental Educators will need to visit schools in communities
located up to 70 kilometers away from their base town. Therefore, we will need to

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cover the gasoline cost, motorcycle reparation and other cost related to transportation
for the 3 members of the personnel.
 Exchanges: includes food, lodging and transportation for children and staff in order
to visit and learn from other groups.
 Trees: The foundation will either need to purchase trees or will need to transport and
care for the trees once planted. This funding will pay for buying those trees and will
provide an small stipend to land owners for maintaining the trees.

Current available funds for this work:

The Corcovado Foundation is holding a wine event in order to financing the

Environmental Education Program. We are hoping we will raise at least $20,000
USD for this program. We will also raise money by promoting a program called
Make a Difference. This program consist in several hotels and travel agencies asking
for $1 or $2 USD per room/per night. This program started working in hotels in the
Osa Peninsula and in Ballena Coast.

Applications now pending with other funding organizations for this work:
(Please indicate the date by which you expect to receive notification and include
electronic copies of any relevant budgets.)

We have a proposal presented that would pay for $25% of the budget for 2014-2015
of the Environmental Education Program. We will receive notice of this proposal on
November 2013.

If other applications are listed above, are they alternative to this request to
Greenvolved? If “Yes” and an alternative grant is received, you must notify
Greenvolved. No, they are only complementary.

1. Gantt diagram

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Year 1 Year 2

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester Trimester
Environmental education for
14 schools X X X X X X X X
1000 trees planted X X X X
5 children groups formed X X X X X X X X
Most accomplished children
chosen X
Leadership group formed X X X
2 Groups exchanges X X

Applicant Information (The Applicant must be the Project

Administrator.)
1. Please enter the following information for the person who will be heading
the project (Project Administrator):

Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs

First Name Alejandra

Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Monge-Jiménez

Institution Corcovado Foundation

Department N/A

Current Position and/or Rank Executive Director

Street Address Calle Manuel Solano Jimenez

City San Rafael de Moravia

State/Province San José

ZIP/Postal Code 00000

Country Costa Rica

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Telephone Number (506) 2297-3013

Additional Telephone Numbers (506) 8981-5519

Fax Number (506) 2241-2906

Email Addresses (at least one) alejandra@corcovadofoundation.org,

funcorco@racsa.co.cr

info@corcovadofoundation.org

Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 12/07/1971

Country of Primary Citizenship Costa Rican

2. Educational Background

Highest Degree Awarded Master in Business Administration

School/Institution University of Costa Rica-Fundepos

Department or Major Marketing

Year Degree Awarded 1997

3. Relevant Experience of the project administrator (Special qualifications

of the Project Administrator for the proposed project—250 word limit)

Alejandra Monge is an undergraduate in Tourism and a Master in Business

Administration with a Specialty in Marketing from the University of Costa Rica.
She also participated in several training courses such as The Organization for
Tropical Studies course of ecological principles for sustainable development in
Latin America.

Alejandra has been the executive director of the Corcovado Foundation, for the
last 10 years, a non profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the natural
resources in the Osa Peninsula, promoting sustainable tourism among hotels in
Drake Bay and the Osa Peninsula. Under her lead, the foundation has taken an
important role in conservation in Osa, promoting sustainable tourism and
environmental education. The foundation has also been a key partner for the
Ministry of Environment in Osa and has worked as a link between private
companies and local or governmental projects. This year the foundation presented
it’s the Environmental Education Manual for Osa Peninsula as a complement for
its 10 year ongoing environmental education program.

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With thirteen years of experience in sustainable tourism and 10 years in

conservation, Alejandra was responsible of writing the text book for sustainable
tourism, for the National Apprenticeship Institute in Costa Rica. She has also
organized a couple of dozen workshops for the topic and shows for tourism and
environmentally friendly products and has being a consultant for several hotels
that today feature the highest levels in sustainable tourism in the country.

4. Please attach CV

Additional Participants
Additional participant 1
Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mr
First Name Alvaro

Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Amo

Institution Corcovado Foundation

Department Environmental Education

Current Position and/or Rank Environmental Education Coordinator

Street Address 500 m West Cocalito Beach

City Drake

State/Province Puntarenas

ZIP/Postal Code 21122

Country Costa Rica

Telephone Number 8886-9405

Additional Telephone Numbers 8888-5163

Fax Number (506) 2241-2906

Email Addresses (at least one) alvaro@corcovadofoundation.org

alvaroamo@hotmail.com

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Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 09/12/1981

Country of Primary Citizenship Spain

Highest Degree Awarded Master Tencnología Ambiental

School/Institution Internacional University of Andalucía

Department or Major

Year Degree Awarded 2008

Additional participant 2
Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs
First Name Helena

Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Pita

Institution Corcovado Foundation

Department Environmental Education

Current Position and/or Rank Environmental Education Specialist

Street Address 100 mts West Escuela Los Angeles

City Los Ángeles de Drake

State/Province Puntarenas

ZIP/Postal Code

Country Costa Rica

Telephone Number 8439-3575

Additional Telephone Numbers 8424-2122

Fax Number (506) 2241-2906

Email Addresses (at least one) asistente@corcovadofoundation.org

helena.pita88@gmail.com

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Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 12/01/1988

Country of Primary Citizenship Spain

Highest Degree Awarded Licencia en Biología especialidad Ecología

School/Institution University Autónoma de Madrid

Department or Major Ecology

Year Degree Awarded 2011

Additional participant 3
Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs
First Name Mayra

Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Cano

Institution Corcovado Foundation

Department Environmental Education

Current Position and/or Rank Local Liaison

Street Address 300 mts West Mirador Hotel

City Drake

State/Province Puntarenas

ZIP/Postal Code

Country Costa Rica

Telephone Number 8669-4161

Additional Telephone Numbers 8765-4850

Fax Number (506) 2241-2906

Email Addresses (at least one) enlacelocal@corcovadofoundation.org

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Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY( 27/06/1968

Country of Primary Citizenship Costa Rica

Highest Degree Awarded Primary

School/Institution Drake School

Department or Major

Year Degree Awarded 1981

Previous Greenvolved Applications

Reviewers
Please enter the names and complete addresses of three (3) individuals competent to provide us
with an appraisal of your project and/or evaluation of your qualifications and ability to
successfully do the work involved.

Greenvolved Committee reserves the right to contact reviewers other than those listed here.

Reviewer 1
Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs
First Name Etilma

Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Morales

Institution Ministery of Environment

Department Director

Street Address

City Golfito

State/Province Puntarenas

ZIP/Postal Code 00000

Country Costa Rica

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Telephone Number (506) 8817-9544

Additional Telephone Numbers (506) 2775-1210

(506) 2775-2110

Fax Number

Email Addresses (at least one) Etilma.morales@gmail.com

Reviewer 2
Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mrs
First Name Nikole

Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Andruseski

Institution Socio Metrics Research Institute

Department Executive Director

Street Address

City Coronado

State/Province San José

ZIP/Postal Code 00000

Country Costa Rica`

Telephone Number (506) 8895-6706

Additional Telephone Numbers

Fax Number

Email Addresses (at least one) nandruseski@hotmail.com

Reviewer 3
Prefix (Dr., Ms., Mr., etc.) Mr.
First Name Federico

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Middle Name

Last Name (Surname) Solórzano

Institution Planet Conservation

Department Director Ejecutivo

Street Address 100 metros Oeste del Kinder Fray Felipe,

Barrio Cooperativa

City Perez Zeledón

State/Province Puntarenas

ZIP/Postal Code 00000

Country Costa Rica

Telephone Number (506) 8916-7264

Additional Telephone Numbers (506) 2772-4720

Fax Number

Email Addresses (at least one) Federico@planetconservation.com

P.I. Certification on Ethical Issues

Have you obtained all the necessary permits needed for executing the suggested
project in the country in which it will be conducted? Yes we have.

If not, when will you have them?

What, if any, will be the local response to your project? Will it in any way offend
cultural or religious sensibilities of local communities? What can you do to prevent
that outcome? To what extent does your project enhance local environmental
awareness and activity?

This project is the product of 10 years of experience working with local communities.
We believe our program has never offended cultural sensibilities, but has brought a
new perspective, especially for children whose parents are hunters, illegal loggers or
others. Children have accepted the program will excitement and enthusiasm. More
and more parents have started to reach us, talking about the importance of protecting
their natural environment. This new stage will only bring a more hands- on
experience and will give added value to their participation, by nourishing
environmental aware local leaders.

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Our project will promote the active participation of 500 children in 14 schools and
will produce a new generation of environmental leaders that will promote
conservation in their communities in years to come.

Are you aware of any political, cultural, legal, or any other issues that could cause
problems in executing your project?

No

Organization name: Corcovado Foundation Lon Willing Ramsey Junior

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