Giving Peace a Chance

SCC students and instructor visit Costa Rica to study a culture of peace and sustainability.

In June of 2011, SCC instructor Sandy Krell-Andre and four students participated in a study abroad class in Costa Rica. The class, entitled Historical, Social and Political Implications of Peace in Costa Rica, is part of a program offered in conjunction with Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and La Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología in Costa Rica.

Sandy Krell-Andre

Krell-Andre, who teaches chemical dependency and conflict resolution, says that the idea for the class came out of a conference she attended in 2009.

“I was having dinner with instructors from Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania and we started talking about how we could utilize CCID to create a program that focuses on conflict resolution and peace studies,” says Krell-Andre.

Krell-Andre explains that it can be hard for community colleges to offer extensive study abroad programs due to the amount of planning and preparation required that smaller colleges aren’t equipped to manage.

“We found that through CCID, we could make this program available.”

After 18 months of planning with the other colleges, the class became a reality.

Due to the logistics of the trip, the class was limited to 16 students. SCC was allotted four.

SCC student travelers (from left):
Pete Smillie, Tiphney Strickland, Edgard Espinoza, Michelle Randall.

Students spent six weeks studying readings and participating in online discussions before embarking on the two-week trip to Costa Rica in June.

The full itinerary included visits to cultural and historical sites throughout the country. Guest lecturers discussed Costa Rica’s decision to disband its military, and the economic, political, security, and environmental implications of this decision. They visited the United Nations University for Peace, Earth University and the U.S. embassy. Students toured the Monteverde cloud forest high in the mountains where some enjoyed traveling on zip lines high above the forest canopy.

Krell-Andre says that students participated in a service-learning project to install a biodigester to collect methane from livestock waste on a remote farm in the mountains.

“It was a hard and dirty job and they did it all by hand. Students worked with an instructor from Earth University to build it. Fortunately one of our students was bilingual. If it wasn’t for his ability to communicate, it would have been infinitely more difficult.”

Students build and install a biodigester on a remote farm in Costa Rica. The biodigester will provide cooking gas for the family.

SCC student Pete Smillie says that, thanks to the group’s efforts, the biodigester is now a sustainable, environmentally-friendly source of cooking methane that will save that single family thousands of dollars over the next 16 years.

“Everything was made out of recycled or renewable materials. It was really low-tech but it will have a huge impact on that family,” Smillie explains.

Krell-Andre says that while many colleges offer study abroad programs, cultural learning is rarely the primary focus. “Students can visit a college in France, but they may not really be learning about French culture. This class truly facilitates international studies and understanding.”

Smillie notes that his experience challenged his previous beliefs.

“I was in the military and spent time in Central America. My experience was that the area was underdeveloped and hostile. Costa Rica is the total opposite. People are open-minded, tolerant, and generally happier with much less.”

Smillie attributes Costa Rica’s culture of openness and understanding in part to how the country addresses citizens’ basic needs.

“They’ve got universal education and health care. What many other countries spend on military, they spend on the well-being of their people. I think we can learn from that.”

An Earth University instructor demonstrates sustainable farming methods.

SCC student Michelle Randall added that the biggest take-away for her was how Costa Ricans are generally happier than Americans, yet they have so much less.

Randall continues that it was culture shock for her at first.

“Some days we didn’t have hot water for showers and the meals were always pretty basic, but it wasn’t a big deal to them. After living that way for two weeks, I realized that maybe I don’t need as many things in my life as I thought.”

Randall added, “if they can be happier and live a simpler life, then I can too.”

Krell-Andre says that coordinating so many moving parts was challenging at times.

“I was working with faculty and staff whom I had never met from two other community colleges and a number of institutions in Costa Rica. Plus there were very few of us who were bilingual, so the language barrier slowed things down, too,” she explains.

In the midst of such chaos, she was undeterred. “A lot of my learning on this trip was how we collectively worked through those challenges.”

Edgar Espinoza hams it up for the camera with his new friends.

Upon return, students are required to conduct service projects to implement what they learned.
Smillie is working to help develop a community garden in the South Hill neighborhood in Burlington.

“They were originally going to plant flowers and bushes but we’ve expanded it to include a vegetable garden with raised beds. I want to incorporate what I learned about sustainable gardening into this project as well.”

Krell-Andre sees this course as the first step in the creation of a more robust international studies program. Through the experience of developing this course, SCC might be able to explore other opportunities.

A Special Thanks

The success of this class was made possible in large part thanks to the generous contributions of a number of organizations including Kiwanis, Optimist and Rotary service clubs, Burlington Citizens for Peace, the SCC Foundation, SCC President Beverly Simone, and a host of individual donors.

“The cost of this class would have been prohibitive for most of our SCC students without the generosity of our patrons. You helped make this possible.

Thank you!”

- Sandy Krell-Andre

“I could see this class study successful peace efforts in countries besides Costa Rica – Northern Ireland for example. Or it could collaborate with other programs or disciplines such as Agriculture or Environmental Studies.”

Krell-Andre adds that there could be support for the creation of a specialized certificate in Conflict Resolution.

“Conflict resolution skills are an excellent value-added component of any degree. Wherever you have people, there will be conflict. These skills are portable across careers.”

Smillie agrees.

“I plan to take my learning in conflict resolution into the workplace after I graduate. As a chemical dependency counselor, I want to help people learn to deal with problems and conflicts in their lives in a healthy manner.”

Krell-Andre has already begun recruiting students for the 2012 trip. She encourages students to register early so they can participate in fundraisers and apply for scholarships to help defray the $2200 price tag. As next year’s lead instructor, she will be able to take eight students instead of four.

Students from three community colleges participated in the class trip.