In year 1, project investigators have traveled to Costa Rica in an attempt to foster the necessary connections that are required for a sustained and meaningful collaboration, both for students and project investigators. Dr. Cartwright attended a Field-Based Learning Seminar for trip leaders in October 2006, facilitated by Holbrook Travel. This learning seminar demonstrated a few of the activities, including scientific and cultural, that are available in Costa Rica. However, true GLOBE integration in local schools in Costa Rica was minimal. Collaboration between English-speaking WV students and Spanish-speaking Costa Rican students also presented a challenge.

In December, Mr. Ensign traveled to the Monte Verde region of Costa Rica and met with the principals of several English-speaking schools are also partner with the local Monte Verde Institute. (This travel was not funded by the project.) These schools are also bi-lingual which will improve the likelihood of successful collaboration with UB students.

After these meetings, project investigators communicated with NSF Program Director, Dr. Jill Karsten, about purchasing GLOBE materials for schools in Costa Rica. We found that these schools do not have the necessary materials to successfully implement GLOBE which is necessary for meeting the program’s international collaboration objectives. In this vein, Dr. Cartwright and Mr. Ensign have communicated with both GLOBE headquarters in Boulder, CO and the GLOBE Country Coordinator of Costa Rica to develop an international workshop to provide the GLOBE training and equipment necessary for a true GLOBE student collaborative project. As stipulated in the proposal, UB students will be challenged to collaborate with Costa Rican students prior to and after traveling to Costa Rica during the summer 2008. Dr. Cartwright and Mr. Ensign are investigating the feasibility of an international GLOBE workshop in Costa Rica during the fall 2007 to ensure their schools and teachers will be successful implementing GLOBE in their classrooms.

Accomplishments

• Successful communication with both GLOBE headquarters and the country partner to develop a GLOBE workshop in partnership between the two countries.
• Identification of interested and capable English-speaking schools with which to develop collaborative partnerships.

Difficulties

• The extended timeline because of the grant transfer request has extended our estimated implementation of both the workshops and collaborative experiences. Unfortunately, initial communication had taken place prior to the grant transfer, so expectations for a summer 2007 implementation was forced to change to a summer 2008 time frame.
• Understanding the complexity of international partnerships when issues related to language and culture must be overcome so that a meaningful collaboration can begin.

Best Ideas

• Frequent communication with GLOBE headquarters during the development of international programs is a must. They have pre-existing relationships between many countries around the world and understand the complexity of collaboration in a way that the project investigators did not.
• Targeting English-speaking schools or involving foreign-language programs within your local school/program can help overcome the language barrier when collaborating with students from around the world.

Deviations and Future Plans

• The international advanced Environmental Inquiry course will take place in the summer 2008, because of the extended timeline due to the grant transfer.
• Holbrook Travel will coordinate the travel to and from Costa Rica. They are an experienced international educational travel company with a growing interest and understanding of GLOBE.