Sidebar #20 - Servicio Comunal Estudiantil

In recent blogs, I’ve mentioned that a large part of my work at the colegio, or high school, revolves around Servicio Comunal Estudiantil. I figured it might make sense to dive a little deeper into the topic in case I neglected to properly explain it before. Servicio Comunal Estudiantil is a program mandated by MEP, Costa Rica’s public education ministry, required for graduation. At my colegio, students range from 7th to 12th grade. Although Servicio Comunal is a graduation requirement, because my high school is a technical one, many students are particularly busy during that 12th grade “senior” year with internships, apprenticeships, etc. Accordingly, Servicio Comunal is traditionally done by 11th graders, that way it is finished a year prior to graduation. Students work with a “tutor”, who is usually a teacher at the colegio, or me in this case. Under the tutelage of said tutor, students complete a community service project of their choosing. In total, students must spend at least 30 hours on service projects which are tracked on a sheet known as a bitácora. I am leading projects related to running and recreation, community stories, and creating a school mascot. Although students probably don’t love adding something extra to their already busy schedules, I appreciate the idea of Servicio Comunal Estudiantil and I think a similar program could be successful in the US. This type of activity not only gives back to the community but provides students with valuable professional experience and something unique to add to their resumes before entering the workforce. I think that’s kind of at the root of what education is all about.




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