SISTER SCHOOLS - ESCUELAS HERMANAS

Contact Name: Bob Lippert

College/Department: Crop & Soil Environmental Science
Address: 277 Poole Ag Center, Clemson, SC 29634

Phone/email: 864-656-3502/ blpprt@clemson.edu

Name of Program: Sister Schools/Escuelas Hermanas

Age Group of program participants: 4th & 5th grades

Is this program __X___ in school, or ___ non-formal

Brief description of program:
Please include: program purpose(s); goals and objectives; internal and external partners; intended outcomes; accomplishments; and funding source(s)

Sister Schools - Escuelas Hermanas
“Learning from Nature and Each Other”
Started Fall 2002

MISSION STATEMENT
To develop, implement and share nature-based learning experiences between South Carolina and Costa Rican schools

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Elementary school children compare nature-based experimental observations and cultural interests with a sister school via E-mail and the World Wide Web. The exchange is implemented by 4th and 5th grade students but students from other grade levels may be involved.

GOALS

• Establish and enhance appropriate individual school garden/nature areas to implement environmental observations and experiments
• Design environmental experiments to provide students with real world problem solving activities
• Exchange cultural information about each country’s history, geography, economics, government, fine arts and recreation
• Exchange cultural information about each other’s home, school and community
• Develop students’ and teachers’ technical skills through the use of the Internet, digital cameras, Webcams, etc.
• Expand communication and language skills by writing and speaking both English and Spanish

NUMBER OF CHILDREN DIRECTLY PARTICIPATING
James M. Brown Elementary School 60
Walhalla Elementary School 30
CEUNA, Costa Rica 140
Juan Rafael Meoño Hidalgo, Costa Rica 100

Total 330

MEASURABLE RESULTS
Knowledge survey (made by each school and given to the sister school)
Web pages
Art projects
Personal journals
Knowledge of other country’s language

SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Local community