21 Collingwood students using vacay funds for service trip to Costa Rica

For the first time in six years, a group of students from Our Lady of the Bay Catholic High School in Collingwood is going to Costa Rica on an international work project in January.

"Prior to the COVID pandemic, the school offered work trips to India, Equador and Kenya in 2019. They were supposed to go back to Kenya in 2022, but didn't due to COVID," said Marianna Knights, chaplaincy team leader.

Knights, who is organizing the international service trip said she is influenced by a paper Pope Francis wrote about how Catholics should be better caring for their environment.

"One of the reasons we choose Costa Rica is because they have a love of sustainability and environmental protection. It allows us to focus on an environmental project," Knights said. "Also I like the idea of travelling and seeing the actual Costa Rica country, seeing the communities outside of glamorization, not an all-inclusive [resort]."

The trip will not be a regular vacation, as the group will be asked to help with a local project.

"It's going to be manual labour," said Katelyn Foster, a Grade 11 student who is on the trip. Foster said she is looking forward to the overall experience.

The group of 21 students won't know what they are working on until two weeks before their arrival.

Knights explained that projects in the community are underway. Students will be staying in cabins in established work camps near a local village.

"The local community identifies projects that need to be done. It gives an opportunity for people to come in and help," said Knights. "It could be building a latrine. It could be building a school," she added. 

The work will have students working shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and each other.

"They are going to love it so much. The relationships they build with locals. We are also going to learn about the culture, dancing, cooking and language. So it's about them sharing their culture with us while we work together on a project," she said.

The trip also offers a way for students in the school to get to know other students they wouldn't otherwise know. The Costa Rica-bound students went on a retreat in November as a team-building activity.

"It's about building community here and there and coming back and sharing what they learned." Knights said.

Kieran Foster, a returning Grade 12 student and Katelyn's brother, said he is going because he likes to travel.

"I want to see a new part of the world. Also we are going to help others. I feel that is morally correct to help other people by working on something aside from myself," he said.

The trip is taking place Jan. 5 to 12, organized through Explorica by WorldStrides. The work project is being organized through Camps International. 

Students have to pay their own way for the trip, which costs approximately $4,200 each.

"It's about students who are choosing to spend their vacation money to serve, which I think is very admirable," said Knights.

OLB is hosting a couple of fundraisers to help offset the costs. There is a trivia night on Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m. and cinnamon bun sale on Dec. 6 during the day. Both events take place at the school. 

For more information, email  [email protected].