Global Citizenship 2.0

Deep in the heart of the San Luis Valley in the cloud forest region of Costa Rica is a place that encompasses the core attributes of global citizenship. Th e facility is a satellite campus of the University of Georgia (UGA), located in Athens, Georgia, and it offers classes across disciplines, as well as internships and resident naturalist positions for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM majors alike.

One of the most striking features of this campus is its commitment to environmental sustainability. Not only do faculty, staff , and students utilize and capture the methane breakdown of organic matter produced and discarded on the campus, but they assist local residents in adding this same feature to local homes and farms. In a region where coffee is king, they work with local farmers, entrepreneurs, and agencies to promote sustainability within farming and business practices—enhancing the lives of local residents. Tours of local organic coffee farms, cocoa and chocolate factories, and cheese distributors are all in conjunction with the promotion of local entrepreneurs rather than massive corporations.

This sleepy campus, nestled snuggly in the Monteverde region within view of the cloud-crowned continental divide, strives to ensure that its contributions to the community and the environment outweigh what it takes and consumes. Students and visitors to the facility are immediately struck with the sheer level of commitment to sustainable and ethical engagement the administrative staff, on-site staff, and community have developed.

Students are deeply immersed as they work closely with