Year 3 Costa Rica 2015 Day 7–Why homestays matter

Tuesday July 21, 2015: The GYLI students and teacher participants are enjoying great homestay experiences in the La Argentina Community.  This community of rural farmers has been hosting GYLIers since 2005–for 10 years.  What have we learned about leadership, community, and the environment from these families over the last 10 years?

One key thing we have learned is that Out of Context experiences matter for both students and teachers.  We all need a chance to pull away from the usual routines, to reflect, to engage with people, tell stories, and re-consider our relationships to self, others and the earth.   Here is how GYLI does that:

We offer a sequence of out of context experiences for participants to look at themselves, learn from others, and connect with nature.  By looking at elements of leadership, communication, identity and community, GYLI helps participants build applicable skills to bring back to their communities.  The homestays are a model of how to live simply, slowly and intentionally–to work hard, have fun, and have space and time for discussions.

More homestay photos coming tomorrow!!