Category: Uncategorized

In this episode founder Cintia González, and one of their volunteers in Nosara, Mariela Ortega, share about this wonderful project. They explain the origins of the Dream Catchers foundations and why they brought it to Nosara, the classes, events and work they are doing for the community, and the many ways you can help out (volunteering, donations, etc). Check the full episode and read further here below to also find the different ways you can support.

Dream Catchers Foundation is a non profit organization which goal it is to bring extracurricular classes like art, dance, capoeira, and more, to local children. These children, who attend local public schools and would normally not have access to these kind of classes, get the benefits of art in all its different forms. They are currently working in 3 different areas of Nosara: Santa Marta, Santa Teresita and Garza. But the goal is to reach all 10 schools in the area and benefit up to 2000 children. Dream Catchers has a staff of experienced volunteer teachers to bring quality art classes to the community. Like Mariela, who teaches art to children from 6-16 years old in Santa Marta, Santa Teresita and Garza, she brings quality art education to them with a focus on self expression and freedom. The project also focuses on regaining previously unused spaces and transform them into safe spaces for children to grow in community while doing art. In the process they also make improvements to the spaces, like the Santa Marta community hall (next to the soccer field), where they painted the whole room and had renowned costarican graffiti artists make wonderful murals on some of the walls. And they also brought a big water tank, that now supplies the water to this space.

One of the biggest challenges that the Dream Catchers Foundation faces is to keep the program going financially. For that reason they are receiving donations in many different forms: direct donations (to help with specific goals), sponsorship program (in which you can donate a monthly fee to sponsor a child), volunteer work (to teach, assist teachers, or help out in renewing spaces). You can also help out by donating materials, or things that might be needed (like the water tank in Santa Marta, which was donated).

Go to the following links and contacts to help out in any way you can, so that our local underprivileged youth can grow in a community full of art, self expression, freedom and awareness.

Donations:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5YX9DAHQHPKD4

https://www.amigosofcostarica.org/affiliates/dreamcatchers

Check Dream Catchers link tree for all important links (donations, volunteering and more)::

https://linktr.ee/FoundationDreamCatchers

Dream Catchers on Instagram @fundacion_dreamcatcherscr:

https://www.instagram.com/fundacion_dreamcatcherscr/

Dream catchers on Facebook @DREAMCATCHERSCOSTARICANCHILDREN:

https://www.facebook.com/DREAMCATCHERSCOSTARICANCHILDREN

Or contact::

info@dreamcatchercr.com

+506 89765166   (Cintia)

When we had our first conversation with producer and writer Ivana Bajic, there was no question: She is fired up and has a big passion for the ‘Nature of Surf Woman’ project. We had to make sure she still left some energy for the actual recording, which turned out was no problem at all!

She and the team behind Nature of Surf Woman have been putting in their passion and diligence working towards a coffee table book and fine arts photography prints. They describe it themselves as follows: Nature of Surf women challenges the mainstream representation of female surfers by centering, rather than hiding, life’s imprints on the body. It brings a rare and powerful focus to the ways in which all female bodies exist in continual symbiosis with nature. And above all, it reveals the Nature of Surf Women: Athleticism, courage, camaraderie, and the peace and freedom of riding the waves.

For an impression of their work, please check out their website: https://natureofsurfwomen.com/ and we invite you to consider supporting them further and ordering via their recently launched kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/multirobot/nature-of-surf-women-coffee-table-book

Hear and learn more from Ivana and the team:

Back in January/February we were invited to work together with CoLearn students to support them with a new project they started working on. Over the course of a couple of weeks they gathered information about ‘Plastic in the Ocean’.

The students wrote the following description of their project: Fifteen youths, between the ages of 10 and 14, wanted to bring awareness to their community about the increase of plastic in the ocean.  They interviewed local experts, explored the beaches for plastic trash, visited local businesses that are reducing plastic in the environment, and researched to gather more information on the topic.

Teacher (or actually Project-Based learning facilitator) Karen Krieger: ‘It was quite the adventure and they learned a lot about the process, troubleshooting, and effectiveness.  There were two different groups so there is a little overlap in information and different editing styles and formats.’

Listen to these motivated voices and reduce plastic in the ocean. 

Group 1 – CoLearn Presents an Ocean Odyssey:  Plastic in the Ocean

• unfortunately, the introduction and conclusion were done without microphones and the sound quality is not good.  We ran out of time to redo those sections.

https://www.wevideo.com/view/2563302600

Group 2 – A Kids’ View of Plastic in the World

Recently we connected with Miss Carrie (thanks to an introduction from Keri Dawn) to learn about the Nosara Playhouse school as well as their 2nd annual Flower Power Festival in Nosara this May 7th from 3-9PM.

Miss Carrie is filled with energy and producing something unique for children in Nosara. We hope you enjoy getting to know her, the Nosara Playhouse, and can make it to the Flower Power Festival.

Notes from the episode:

• We begin with Miss Carrie describing ‘Fun Friday’s’ and how the students go on a magical mystery tour each Friday
• Miss Carrie is a Montessori style teacher who owns Nosara Playhouse, a theater & art school
• 3 hours academics in mornings, 3 hours theater, singing and dancing
• School open now 2 years and growing quickly. Up to 43 students & growing organically
• Miss Carrie loves mini pigs
• Sold house in Colorado during COVID and came to live in a very basic house which renovated into school
• Peter Pan was one of the first productions
• Lots of new people coming into Nosara needing schools for their kids
• Miss Margaret the pig is the the school principal
• Kids will not learn until they feel safe
• The Flower Power festival happens the 7th
• Shout out to Keri Dawn for helping with this festival going to a new level
• Tons of activities very family friendly at the 2nd festival
• Nosaraplayhouse.com books tickets & to learn more
• Many talented children will be performing and sharing their skills
• A summer theater camp every summer is available to all students. July 11th is beginning this year and happens for 2 weeks
• She gets along great with other schools
• Theater is fantastic for kids with trauma, anxiety, etc
• Playhouse is old fashioned word for theater

Besides being fired up and a cancer survivor Eva Fakatselis is the current artist in residence at the old Harbor Reef. It is safe to say she has been through a ton. In this Nosara Podcast episode she shares how art was a vital part of her recovery and how this works through in what she is working on today and tomorrow. Learn more about her work and life through this podcast and Eva is inviting everybody to stop by her exhibition ‘Spirit of Place’ from March 26th through April 2nd at the old Harbor Reef location which is now Campo and La Ventanita Nosara.

Alejandro Sauter is such an important and integral part of the Nosara Podcast! Outside of that he is up to a bunch of great many other things as well. Not in the last place on his most recent work with eq.surf.tv, which is now also culminating into his upcoming movie premiere. ‘The Nosara Sessions – Volume 1’ features some of the local surf scene here in the area. In this podcasts Ale shares his different passions for music, surfing, surf movies and much more, in addition to how he made his way from teacher to fulfilling his passion for said items through his most recent work as a videographer and editor. This has been culminating in a ton of Nosara Podcast episodes as well as his first Surf Movie and Ale would like to invite everyone to visit the premiere on March 27th at Selina Nosara.

We are eternally grateful for all the work Ale has been doing on the podcast and hope you will all consider supporting him in this and any future endeavors.