Back to Black (Costa Rica)

 

My essential question was rooted in exploring and gaining knowledge about Afro-Costa Rica. I wanted to gain an understanding of the differences between other provinces in the country to the Limon province, specifically Puerto Viejo.

 

Unlike my previous trip to Costa Rica, I mainly stayed in one central location. Although traveling throughout the country provided many different learning opportunities, I wanted to immerse myself in the culture of the Caribbean side of the country. I landed in San Jose, the capital, and made the four-hour journey to Puerto Viejo, in the Limón province. Puerto Viejo is a rich, vibrant area that is highlighted by its Afro-Caribbean culture. In the 1870s, many laborers from Jamaica and other Caribbean countries were brought in to build a railroad from San Jose to the area to export goods. Those laborers settled in the area, and, over time, created a distinct culture from Costa Rica’s other provinces. While researching the area, a common narrative amongst travelers centered around the area not being safe. Those sentiments, although sometimes unintentional, were often anti-black and racist. I spent seven days in Puerto Viejo and had an incredible time.

 

I was able to have similar experiences from last year, such as visiting farms, rescue centers, and national parks, but those experiences were also distinctly different. One major difference is the marketing of the region and its resources. The term “eco-tourism” did not appear anywhere, whereas it was commonplace throughout other areas in the country. Although tourism has economic importance for the area, it was woven into everyday life and not set apart or highlighted. Part of this interconnectedness was evident by the number of Costa Ricans who were experiencing… as compared to my previous experience, where places rarely had Costa Ricans. I explored Refugio Nacional and Cahuita Nacional Parque and their beautiful protected lands. I visited the indigenous Biri Biri tribe to learn about their history, eat their food, and make chocolate. Two days of torrential rain prevented me from exploring as much as I would have liked. One major highlight is my visit to Tortuguero. I made the trek from Puerto Viejo to La Pavona and then took an hour boat ride to Tortuguero. At Tortuguero, I learned about its vast ecosystem and its significance to many species, particularly different turtle species. I was fortunate enough to witness the stages of turtle egg-laying during my visit to Tortuguero National Park. Watching one of the turtles return to the ocean after laying its eggs was one of the most majestic experiences of my life.

 

This experience continued to reinforce how much one cannot experience within the walls of our school. The stories from the different people I met and connected with are a reminder of how students need to tie their understanding of our world and history to real people and both individual and community narratives.

 

1. How have your knowledge, skills, and capabilities grown?

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These hands-on experiences far surpass any knowledge that I would have gained from mere research. In particular, the ways my eyes are open to the impact from and on Indigenous and marginalized communities will impact how I think about being an educator. To think about the fact that I visited the country the previous year and did not come across information about the monumental impact of the Afro-Caribbean population in Costa Rica speaks volumes. This trip expanded my knowledge of the country, and by virtue, the world as a whole.

 

2. As a result, in what ways will your instructional (or other) practice change?

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I aim to continue to work with other teachers to have students think about their impact as individuals and as members of the greater society. As I mentioned throughout this reflection, these trips to Costa Rica have grounded my practice in stories. That has been a fundamental shift in my instructional philosophy, and I was hoping to lean in there this year. I was glad to be able to return with that lens. It cements the importance of iteration as well. The first trip was impactful in so many ways, and when you return to an idea or a curiosity with new questions and a new perspective, you can continue to learn so much. I hope to bring that, in the big picture, to my practice as well.

 

3. What is the greatest personal accomplishment of your fellowship?

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The greatest personal accomplishment of the fellowship is the further development of my understanding of Costa Rica as a country, its history and its intersections, and how that knowledge can help me take a holistic approach in understanding the world around me. I am happy to have met people like Braulio who could take me around Puerto Viejo, exposing me to the country and its stories. To be able to engage in a trip like this and try to seek out an understanding of the country through people who experience it every day feels like a positive personal accomplishment.

 

4. How will your experience positively impact student learning in new ways?

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I want students to connect their learning to real people. What they learn in science, history, art, etc. Should tie back to how people experience the world. Taking this type of approach to learning, one that is based on the human experience, will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their education. As intended when I left on the trip this year, I hope that our teachers can use more ethnographies in the curriculum.

 

At Epiphany, teachers encourage students to approach texts with a critical lens. I will continue to encourage teachers to highlight marginalized groups in their classes. Although these groups are constantly misrepresented and underrepresented, there are stories to connect to. And very importantly, I want students to start thinking about the missing stories. There was a lot that I learned about Costa Rica that had never been on my radar before. When I think about seeing Turtles laying eggs on the beach, I am still in awe. But now I think about all it took to make that happen. All of the people who are involved with protecting those turtles, that beach, and its visitors. From the person driving the boat to the people guiding us in the night, I want students to start thinking about where the story is and which ones they are most curious about hearing, writing, or living in the future.

 

5. What are your plans to work collaboratively with colleagues?

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Epiphany is such a small school that collaboration is inherent in how we function. I have already had countless conversations in the faculty room about this trip. That has led to a teacher asking me if I could share more about my visit to the Biri Biri farm and another asking if I could come share what it was like to see the entire turtle nesting process across three turtles. This is one of the more organic ways it has worked. In its more intentional form, I am excited to work with the teachers across content areas to weave in more ethnographies into the curriculum. This is more challenging given that the current curricula do not have them, but it is an exciting endeavor.

 

6. Are there issues or challenges in your school, community, or the world that you feel better prepared to address with your students?

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I wish to emphasize to students the importance of understanding a place's history to better comprehend its current state. The history of the Caribbean part of Costa Rica mirrors many different countries, especially countries where our students’ families are from. I remember in some of my research prior to the trip there was a lot of racist rhetoric about some of the locations I was traveling in. I feel more equipped to address some of that with students after this trip as well. Thinking about the kind of language they must have to navigate when researching or learning about different people or places was definitely a thought that surfaced in that process. Helping students sift through that and discussing lived experiences within that is very nuanced and important.

 

7. How would you describe to a friend the most fundamental ways in which your fellowship has changed your personal and/or professional perspective?

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I was in the same tour group with Malcolm Jamal Warner during my visit to the Jaguar Rescue Center. I was awe-struck by his presence. He made jokes and asked questions. Throughout the tour, he sat his daughter on his shoulders to let her get a better view of the animals. A few days later, he drowned in the ocean. The news of his passing was incredibly hard for me. As a father, it pained me to think about his daughter losing her father. It was a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the unforgiving power of nature, and it will forever have a profound personal impact.