Asociación CREAR/Milford High School, January, 2020
Photos and comments from all student participants were compiled into a small catalog Amistades sin Fronteras. Click above to take a look!
Group members celebrate after a successful visit to Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio
Armwresting at Asociación CREAR
An impromptu game of fútbol playa on Playa Izquierda
Congratulations to Asociación CREAR and Milford High School students for their successful collaboration in Costa Rica in January, 2020. This was a new place for Milford students; new sights and sounds, new kinds of food, new adventures and most importantly, new friends. Milford students had the opportunity to experience some of the wonders of Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast through ocean kaying, dolphin watching, snorkeling, horseback riding and hiking. The highlight of the experience though, was the week-long collaboration with Costa Rican teens facilitated by the non-profit youth organization Asociación CREAR located in Playa Sámara. Milford students forged relationships with their Costa Rican friends through conversation and by exploring and photographing the area surrounding Playa Sámara together. The combined group found their deepest connections through what they love the most; playing, dancing and creating.
Milford students, including two varsity soccer players, discovered that soccer is played on a whole different level than in the US, especially on the beach! After a long hike to a dramatic lookout over the Pacific, a few Costa Rican participants roughed out a field of play on Playa Izquierda, a small remote beach near Playa Sámara. After some well fought play (and a shutout), the US team conceded victory to their friends from Playa Sámara.
The combined group also held an impromptu dance party after learning how to make empanadas over an open fire at Asociación CREAR. The group found a shared love for music and taught each other some new moves.
The week culminated with a beautiful display of photography and individual presentations by all 42 student participants (14 from Milford High School and 23 from Asociación CREAR). After several rounds of arm wrestling, students shared their favorite experiences from the week and expressed gratitude for learning each other’s stories and for making new friends.
