Framingham High Students Short of Fundraising Goal for Costa Rican Trip

Framingham High students are well short of their goal to raise $15,000 for a social justice service trip to central America.

As of midnight March 17, just under $2,000 has been raised.

In 2013, four Framingham High students approached their English and history teachers will the idea of a service trip. In February 2014, Framingham High offered its first international “Social Justice Service Trip” to Costa Rica.

During that trip, students stayed in homestays, experienced native Costa Rican culture, ate purely Tico food, explored the mesmerizing ecosystem of Costa Rica and worked to help make the community, where they stayed, better.

This year, another two dozen Framingham High students would like to go to Costa Rica.

The Framingham High students have set up a GoFundMe site to help offset some of the cost for this trip, said parent Mike Malieswski.

During the first international Social Justice Service Trip, a dozen students and 3 teachers traveled to rural Costa Rica and constructed concrete floors and the framework for a home and created a handicap accessible path for a villager in a wheelchair.

“Students left with transformative memories, including adventures, such as zip-lining through the jungle and white-water rafting but also, and more importantly, a new perspective on their own lives, relationships, and values,” said Framingham High English teacher Kate Giffune.

“This year, Framingham High hopes to send 21 new students - nearly twice the number of last year’s trip - to experience the same growth as global citizens. This is an expensive trip, as a portion of the students’ fees go towards the building materials used during construction and towards the host families. We would appreciate any donations, great or small, which you can make,” added Giffune.

To make a donation, click here.

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Photo courtesy - Framingham High students during the 2014 Central American trip.