The Next Year

This post is in case you are surfing the web, have come across this blog and are thinking, "These students have done some very cool stuff... I wonder what they are doing now?"

Based on the huge success of this class, the school is conducting a new interdisciplinary class during the 2011-2012 school year. The design is similar, the sweat equity just as important, the growth as wonderful to see, and the destination is Puerto Rico. I hope you'll check out our blog, and see what the Lister Leaf Busters are doing now.

Looking to Next Year

Even while I was in Costa Rica, students were asking me what we're doing next year. In truth, I had also been thinking about it, but hadn't come to a certain conclusion. I listened intently, though, to some of their insights about the value of our class and the particular aspects that they grew from. After returning, I consulted with the rest of the staff at the Lister Academy and my principal, Nancy. Despite being exhausted from the trip, my devotion to the power of hard work and travel as a transformative experience, is stronger than ever. I spent this past weekend creating a video to introduce the possibility to the student body, and this morning received an excited response as I showed it in our morning meeting.

Who knows what next year will bring, but I know it'll be powerful.

We're So Excited!

In full disclosure, I do have the Pointer Sisters' song echoing in my mind as I write this post. I am so excited, and we all have lots to be excited about. The students at the Lister Academy continue to work incredibly hard and we have taken several big steps closer to our goal. Almost all of the students have received their passports - something that few had even considered getting otherwise. We have also purchased our airline tickets - leaving early in the morning on Wednesday, April 6th and returning even earlier in the morning on Sunday, April 17th. Additionally, we have arranged for our accommodations while in Monteverde - see my earlier post on Cabanas Valle Campanas.

The students have finished reading Walking With Wolf, and are starting to decide on their research projects that will dominate the spring semester and dictate our itinerary while in Costa Rica. We were also thrilled to be featured in the Portsmouth Herald this past Friday, with a great article by Jennifer Feals. In the article, we share our current status and plans for finishing our fundraising. We have a fundraiser at Papa Ginos in Portsmouth this coming Thursday night - just print out the flyer pictured here if you can come and support us. We'll also be doing a Costa Rica dinner mid-February - details to come.


I hope that you have been checking out the student blogs, and may consider a donation at our website, to help the students cross that finish line.