Tarcoles is a small fishing town of roughly 2,000 young community
members with an even smaller neighboring town of Playa Azul. Located on
the coast of Puntarenas, Tarcoles is a potential tourist stop on the way
to more well-known beaches such as Playa Jaco and Playa Hermosa.
Because of this influx of tourists, there is a high demand for bilingual
employees who can connect well with the English speaking foreigners. At
this point, the students have essentially two options for jobs when
they grow older; take up the nets and depend on the rugged life of a
fishermen, or work in businesses or as tour guides in the surrounding
area (which requires competency in English). In order to capitalize on
this opportunity, it is crucial for the students to not only learn to
read English, but to feel comfortable speaking as well.
In
Tarcoles and the neighboring town of Playa Azul, the English
instruction in the escuelas is less than ideal. For the past seven years
the students in Tarcoles and Playa Azul have had inconsistent English
teachers and many students struggle when adjusting to the rigorous
English requirements of the colegio. Many of the students have been
passing the majority of their final exams, but there is a severe
drop-off in the scores for English. In many cases, the final English
exam is the only thing that stands between the students and graduation.
Jumpstart
has a built in method of involving the community through its dependency
on collaboration. The Directoras of the schools are involved in
approving the program and offering donations. The English teacher in the
colegio is the PCV's partner in planning for and implementing the camp.
The parents of the potential participants are involved in the
application process and potentially the fundraising. Finally, the
students are clearly involved by simply participating and putting their
best effort into the program.
