On June 27th I embarked on a journey to the tropical country of Costa Rica, a land known for its biodiversity, stunning geography, and, of course, “Pura Vida” [a phrase that encapsulates the Costa Rican culture of happiness, gratitude, optimism, and connection] lifestyle. Growing urbanization within Costa Rica, a country home to 5% of the world’s total biodiversity, is a central focus for a variety of wildlife conservation initiatives. I participated in a service program, through the organization Global Leadership Adventures, that was designed for students around the world to partake directly in such efforts. My program was involved specifically at two locations in the Osa Region of Costa Rica: Kids Saving the Rainforest wildlife rehabilitation center and Ballena National Marine Park. Kids Saving the Rainforest is a nonprofit dedicated to reforestation and animal rescue and rehabilitation. There we split our time between general maintenance of the compound and animal enrichment and nourishment. Some of our tasks included cleaning and improving animal habitat within enclosures, preparing meals for animals, clearing walkways, and creating cognitive enrichment games. Our work at Ballena National Marine Park, which protects a large strip of rich coastal jungle, consisted of various ecosystem conservation efforts and community awareness campaigns: notably ocean trash removal, plant translocation, and creating/posting habitat protections boards across the park. Our time away from service was spent largely on cultural exposure activities. We immersed ourselves within the local community by preparing and eating national cuisine, joining community sporting games, and learning cultural dance, among other activities. In addition, we took daily excursions to enjoy the Costa Rican wildlife and geography through hikes to lakes and public beaches. Essentially, we were taught to embrace the “Pura Vida” lifestyle: to live freely. 

 My learning was complex and thorough but can be mostly categorized under two areas: cultural exposure and our service in wildlife conservation. Experiencing the unique daily practices and customs of another country is of course interesting and exciting; I learned much of Costa Rica’s cuisine, the arts, sports, and increased my Spanish fluency. But what I found most intriguing about Costa Rican culture was not a practice, such as these, but an attitude: their approach to living life. The “Pura Vida” lifestyle constitutes living life freely and seeking joy. It enables welcoming smiles and shocking generosity. Locals saw us students not as strangers, but as friends with whom to share and expand community: Such, I learned, is a life without constraints, that seeks not validation but joy, a life lived freely. In service, I advanced my knowledge in techniques and practices of wildlife conservation and learned firsthand the importance of mitigating anthropogenic threats to wildlife. In the field we learned sustainable ways in which to rehabilitate and care for animals to increase release success rate and learned forest management techniques. Lectures on the anthropogenic threats, like deforestation and pollution, taught me the relative lack of initiative across the globe to institute small but impactful changes. Given my new learning, I have a rekindled passion to pursue education in the form of environmental science and a greater dedication to increasing awareness of threats to environmental health. My trip to Costa Rica this past July was exhilarating and illuminating: an experience for which I am forever grateful and glad, made possible by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation and the 21st Century Fund for HVRHS. 

Service Trip 2025 – Howe

Alison McCarron – Crew Camp

In July 2024, I attended a pre-College program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. At this program, I was given the opportunity to experience what becoming a Mechanical Engineering major entail. I learned the basics about physics, and I got to see what living on a college campus feels like. 

With the help of the 21st Century Fund, I became comfortable navigating a college campus and met peers with my interests from across the world. On my dorm floor alone, we had girls from California, Ecuador, Brazil, Greece, and Romania. Meeting people from so many different countries made me realize that even though I may feel isolated in my interests and my struggles for the future, there are people everywhere who want to do the same thing as me, and that I am not alone. 

Every day, I had a morning class for my major (Mechanical Engineering) and minor (AI and its Business Applications), followed by an afternoon lab-based class for my major. This exposure to physics has made the start of my year in AP Physics at Housatonic a bit more comfortable and seamless. In the morning, I learned about basic physics principles such as friction and the laws of forces, later implementing these teachings into engineering a digital car using a Matlab program called Simulink. Matlab is a programming platform used by engineers and scientists to program and analyze data. Simulink is a specific program within Matlab, that uses mathematical equations to code animations or tangible parts without the complexity of coding language such as JavaScript.

By attending this WPI program, I not only saw what my future might look like, but I also learned that there are different routes to my goals. This is due to the use of technology in many fields. Academics were not the only activity each day. After classes were done, the councilors ran free time activities, such as tote bag painting, friendship bracelets, and open gym. As a big group, we also went to the Boston Museum of Science and a Worcester Bravehearts baseball game, which was followed by the team setting off fireworks at the park. 

With my minor, we visited the Worcester Art Museum which was a block away from campus, and I got to see many different forms of art throughout history, and even ancient helmets that were being restored. 

I am extremely grateful to the 21st Century Fund for helping me attend this program, since Mechanical Engineering is my dream and WPI is a college that sits very high on my list. I plan to apply to WPI for admission in the fall of 2025. My main reason is for academic rigor but also to play Division 3 basketball. 

Mollie Ford – Georgetown Intl Politics

Madison Graney – Gettysburg Young Civil War Historians

Mentoring Team 716 has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. It has allowed me to assist students in acquiring new skills, honing their talents, and pursuing their dreams. I am consistently impressed by the capabilities our students exhibit when faced with challenges. The ability to design, prototype, and construct a 120-pound robot in just six weeks, then compete with other teams who have done the same, is truly remarkable.

Observing our students step onto the playing field for the first time, their eyes reflecting a mix of fear and awe, brings a smile to my face. I know that after a match or two, that initial trepidation transforms into the confident determination of a tiger ready to compete.

So, what do students gain from the robotics program? The FIRST Inspires Robotics program has a profound impact on students’ lives in various ways:

• STEM skills: FIRST Robotics exposes students to a wide range of STEM concepts and skills, including engineering, physics, and computer science.
• Teamwork and leadership: It’s a team sport, teaching students how to collaborate and lead effectively.
• Confidence and self-esteem: Success in FIRST Robotics boosts students’ confidence and self-esteem, demonstrating their potential for greatness.
• Career inspiration: Many FIRST Robotics alumni pursue STEM careers, inspired by their experiences.

FIRST Robotics also shapes students’ lives in other significant ways:

• Friendships and community: Teams consist of students from diverse backgrounds who often form lifelong friendships.
• Discovering passions: Exposure to various STEM activities helps students find their passions and interests.
• Problem-solving skills: Real-world challenges in FIRST Robotics develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Self-confidence: As students learn and succeed, their self-confidence grows.

As a parent of a robotics student, I can attest to the incredible impact of the FIRST Robotics program:

My son joined the program in 8th grade and continued through high school, eventually becoming the lead programmer for the team.

The skills he acquired were matched by the self-confidence he developed. This confidence and skills were demonstrated quite clearly when he designed an alert system for the high school, which he built, programmed, and installed. The cost was just $3,500, compared to over $10,000 for a commercial system, and it remains in use today.

Because of this program he received a scholarship to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and recently completed an internship with Aurora Aerospace and DARPA on the X-65 CRANE experimental aircraft. I firmly believe this would not have been possible without the robotics program.

Thank you to the 21^st Century Fund for HVRHS for its constant and loyal support throughout the years.

September 15, 2023

 Thank you to the 21st Century Fund for giving me the opportunity to attend the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) Institute in Lowville, NY from July 31-August 8, 2023. I had a fantastic time learning new methods to employ in my Farm to Table courses, and meeting Agriscience teachers from across the country. This training will allow me to implement an incredibly science-based, hands-on Food Science and Safety curriculum into our Farm to Table courses. Sample lessons we participated in included jelly-making, pH testing in relation to preservation, poultry processing, egg-grading using artificial intelligence, and more.

 The CASE training allowed me to earn my ServSafe Food Handler Certification, which is incredibly valuable to anyone in the food industry. It means, the students who take my Farm to Table class can earn their ServSafe certifications. The CASE curriculum is nationally recognized and is cross walked between Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); Common Core; and Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) standards which makes this curriculum incredibly valuable. I will have lifetime access to the curriculum and updates made to it. I am excited to share all that I’ve learned with the students and my colleagues!

 While at the conference, we also toured agri-businesses such as the Tug Hill Estate Vineyard and the locally renowned Miller’s Meat Market. The connections I made with other agriscience teachers will last a lifetime, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to grow as an educator at this conference. Thank you again for your contribution toward my conference expenses.

 Appreciatively,

Rene Boardman,  HVRHS Agriscience Instructor

rboardman@hvrhs.org

This summer the 21st Century Fund for HVRHS gave me the incredible opportunity of working with professional music producer Graham Stone in his recording studio, Stone Studios. I cannot stress how grateful I am for receiving this opportunity and the generosity you showed me.

At Graham Stone’s production house, Stone Studio, I got to work with state-of-the-art production and composition equipment. From top-of-the-line microphones and limitless software to scythes from the 70s, I was able to fully express my art and creativity. Through recording my EP Red Sun I worked with a vast number of different instruments, including implementing samples I had taken in previous moments. His expertise at navigating thought DAW allowed me to maximize my creativity. (My favorite instrument that we recorded in the EP was the African Goat drum).

This studio session was more than just a creation of art, it was also a chance for me to enhance my production knowledge. Graham helped me turn my ideas into logic files, and then into an EP that can be streamed on almost all major listening platforms. Though working with Graham on this EP I realized just how much more I must learn. Collaborating with such an experienced artist sparked my curiosity and motivated me to explore the world of music more. I aspire to go to the Clive Davis Institute of NYU to major in music production and sound engineering. In just these two days my passion for music has become an undying curiosity that I will continue to explore through my career and life.  The Fund’s graciousness has given me the most musically valuable experience of my student career. I cannot thank the 21 Century Fund enough for making this possible.

My EP is available on almost all streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube music, and iTunes.

This is the youtube link of the EP: Lou Wilder Music

Artist name: Lou Wilder