CURRENT INITIATIVES

Since 2015, we initiated a thoughtful tradition by encouraging each student traveler to carry a small backpack filled with essential school supplies for young elementary students in local schools around Sitio de Mata. What started as a one-time gesture has evolved into a heartwarming annual project for our student travelers, symbolizing our enduring commitment to supporting education and fostering a positive impact in the communities we engage with.

Through a series of successful donation drives in Ridgefield, CT, spanning across all 15 of our trips, our students have gathered a diverse array of essential items to support local orphanages. From monetary contributions to stuffed animals, childcare supplies, and sports equipment, our commitment to giving back knows no bounds. The ongoing collaboration and tireless efforts of our community ensure a continuous collection, reinforcing our dedication to making a positive and sustained impact on the lives of those in need.

The Rivers and Forests Alliance (RAFA) is a Costa Rican nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and regenerating Costa Rica’s Pacuare River Basin, its forests, and biodiversity together with our communities for a sustainable future. Students create mud balls containing microorganisms that are eventually launched into the Pacuare River. The river’s water dissolves the mud, releasing the microorganisms that restore a healthy balance in the ecosystem, thereby increasing the river’s self-purification ability. Learn more at https://riversandforestsalliance.org/