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Video Time Earth University
Narrator: Class is in session. But this isn't a typical college campus. This is Earth University Earth University is a unique agricultural school in Guacimo, Costa Rica. According to university president Jose Zaglul, the school's goals are to give poor students an education and to teach them skills to protect the environment. Here, students learn sustainable farming methods. These methods have little or no negative impact on the environment Gaspari Cordova: They teach us here how to be very respectful to our environment. Not only to the people that were working with, but also to our environment. Narrator: Most of the university's 400 students are from Latin America, but some come from as far away as Africa to study here Robert Lechipan: Where we come from, the northern part of Kenya, Marsabit, is one of the poorest places we have in Kenya Narrator: Lechipan says that Earth University teaches many useful skills. When he returns to Kenya, he can use these skills to make farming more sustainable there. Students work six days a week, 11 months a year in the classroom and in the fields. There’s even a banana farm on campus. At the farm, students and professors can try out new sustainable methods. The farm sells most of its bananas to the United States. Money from banana sales is used for scholarships to students from poor areas. Mathew Rogers: The profits of the banana business support scholarships for students from poor communities. Narrator: In addition to farming, Earth University students learn about ecology, business management, and leadership. According to university president Jose Zaglul, Earth University students will do more than learn about sustainable farming. He believes that they will learn how to be leaders so they can help change their own communities |
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