Park Hill Girl Scouts Take Action in Costa Rica
by Kristin Coulter
Leader, Girl Scout Troop 3573
In June, 10 Cadette Girl Scouts from Park Hill-based Troop 3573, along with three adult chaperones, traveled to Costa Rica for nine days of fun and education led by EF Tours.
The trip was full of memorable adventures. The group went horseback riding, kayaking, zip lining (the longest zip line in Latin America – almost a mile long) and learned about many jungle animals and insects and the unique eco-system of the country.
To connect the trip with ideals found in the Girl Scout Law, the incoming 6th and 7th grade girls participated in two unique activities.
One was to visit a rural school to learn about how Costa Rican schools differs from those in the United States. Some big differences were the school calendar and the mandatory uniforms. The children in Costa Rica go to school from February through the end of November, which coordinates with local harvest time. Also every student in the country wears the same uniform. Elementary students wear white shirts and navy pants. Secondary students wear light blue shirts and navy pants.
Costa Rica has a highly literate population, with a 96 percent literacy rate compared to the U.S. at 99 percent. While the school system is strong, many rural areas are in need of support.
To help the seven students in the one-room school visited by the troop, the girls donated much-needed school supplies. In return, the students preformed a traditional dance and then the scouts and students spontaneously launched into a game of soccer. It was so exciting to be in the country during Costa Rica’s World Cup winning streak.
The second activity was a chance to participate in a reforestation project. The girls named their tree “Chica Vida” – which roughly translates into Girl Life. Costa Ricans say “Pura Vida” as a greeting, so the girls wanted to incorporate part of the local phrase into the tree name and our tour guide referred to our all female group as “chicas,” so that is how Chica Vida was born.
Some background: The scouts decided not to name the tree anything Girl Scout-related since the tree the City of Denver helped the troop plant on Forest Parkway in Park Hill in 2009 died. The girls named their Parkway tree “Daisy” since they were Daisy scouts at the time. The City replaced the dead tree two more times, and the girls continued to give each subsequent tree a Girl Scout-related name. Each time the tree died. So this time, the scouts didn’t want to risk the life of another tree. Long live little Chica Vida!
You may ask, how was a scout troop from Park Hill able to travel to Central America? Well, we were determined and we made a plan. Over a two-year period the Troop 3573 raised money for the trip by selling cookies, selling handmade crafts, babysitting, selling lemonade, saving gift money, and family support.
Girl Scouts builds, courage, confidence and character. We can’t wait to travel again.