Address:

Residencial Ciudad de Oro Casa 23 A

        La Pitahaya, Cartago, Costa Rica

 

Phone number:

+506/832-2511

Fax:

+506/574-6552

Email:

        manuel1@costarricense.cr

Executive director:

Manuel Chaves Quirós

Year founded:

1999

Mission statement:

Ecoclubs are non-governmental organizations comprised of children and youths that share goal a common goal to improve the quality of life of the population. The issues addressed by Ecoclubs relate to the environment and public health in communities. The participation of the community helps to promote changes that will lead to a healthy environment.

Major donors:

1. Red Internacional de Ecoclubes, Argentina
2. Pan American Health Organization, USA

• Participate actively in the development and organization of projects that contribute to the improvement of the environment, health, and quality of life.
• Raise awareness on the need for citizen participation to resolve problems that affect the stability of the local ecosystems.
• Disseminate activities that contribute to the well-being of the population, the preservation of natural resources, and the attainment of sustainable development.
• Collaborate in the environmental education of the younger generations so that they can be agents of change in making local work become genuine sustainable development.

The Ecoclubs work in five communities in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica: Juan Viñas, Orosi, Llanos de Santa Lucía, Agua Caliente, and San Diego. These areas are important for the environment because they are buffer zones and they harbor valuable sources of potable water and conservation areas for flora and fauna.

Memberships:

In order to join the Ecoclub movement, an Ecoclub can be formed with children and youths in a community or by working with a school. The Ecoclub can be a community-based youth organization or a group formed in conjunction with a school.

Number of members:

A total of 120 children and youths between the ages of 10 and 18 years old are currently members of the Ecoclubs.

Projects:

1. EcoClubs

   Summary: Ecoclubs are groups comprised mainly of children and youths that work with municipalities, non-governmental organizations, state institutions, educational institutions, businesses, community organizations, etc., to promote environmental protection and public health. Ecoclubs have open memberships. The board of directors is elected from the members, and an adult is assigned to work as the group facilitator. After the Ecoclub has been consolidated, the facilitator and participants formulate a plan for a project in the community and invite members of the community to get involved.

• Established six Ecoclubs in different communities in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica with more than 120 children and youths taking part in activities relating to environmental protection and public health. The groups have taken on leadership roles within the communities.
• The Ecoclubs have worked in: protection of the main sources of potable water in Juan Viñas (Ecoclub La Victoria); collection of solid waste for recycling (Ecoclub Agua Caliente); a campaign to prevent the breeding sites of the mosquito that transmits Dengue fever (Ecoclub Llanos de Santa Lucía); a campaign to reforest and embellish the community (Ecoclub Orosi); and a campaign to reforest the buffer zone of San Diego de Tres Ríos” (Ecoclub Calle Jirales).
• Introducing the project to other parts of the country, one of our main goals, was met in 2003 with the establishment of Ecoclubs in the province of Puntarenas. Our medium and long term goals are to establish Ecoclubs in all of the seven provinces.
• The International Network of Ecoclubs provided training for three youths and three facilitators in 2003 to carry out projects in solid waste management and the conservation of water sources in their communities.
• The Ecoclubs form an important part of a movement that is active throughout Latin America with the participation of 7,000 children and youths. European countries have recently begun to join.
• Our “3 x l” recycling campaign (3 kg of newsprint in exchange for one tree), in conjunction with similar campaigns in member countries, saved a total of 5,000 trees from being cut to make paper in 2003.

• www.ecoclubes.org

The Web site of the International Network of Ecoclubs presents the history, organization, activities, and other information on the Ecoclub movement in different countries. General information on projects developed by the network is also included. Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

• "Construyendo con jóvenes desde organizaciones comunitarias". Description of the Ecoclub movement from when it originated in Argentina to the expansion throughout Latin America. The three-part document answers the following questions: What are Ecoclubs? How do you form an Ecoclub? What do the Ecoclubs do? Developed by the Organización Nacional de Ecoclubes de Argentina with financial support from Fundación AVINA and technical support of Fundación SES. (Spanish only).
• Two Power Point presentations on Ecoclubs in Costa Rica and one on the International Network of Ecoclubs. Included is information on the different groups, some of the activities, photos, organization, etc. (Spanish only).
• Video on the International Network of Ecoclubs produced with the help of the Pan American Health Organization. Includes general information on the Ecoclub movement (what they are, what they do, how they are organized, etc.) and interviews with young members of Ecoclubs from different countries. (Spanish only).
• Video on the prevention of the mosquito breeding sites, “Sin criadero no hay mosquito. Sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization, it presents the developmental phases of the mosquito, the characteristics of the disease, and presents strategies that the Ecoclubs can use to educate the public on the prevention of breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
• Brochure on the prevention of dengue “Guía de experiencias en prevención del Dengue” presents strategies that the Ecoclubs use to prevent dengue fever. The emphasis is on combating the breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the disease. Printed material.
• “Manual del facilitador”, a manual for adults working as facilitators for groups of children and youths. Includes information on forming a group, support, internal organization, planning, and implementation of community projects, etc. Available in Word.