UT Tyler Offers Spring Break Community Service Project in Costa Rica

March 6, 2023

UT Tyler Offers Spring Break Community Service Project in Costa Rica

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March 6, 2023

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

The University of Texas at Tyler will offer a service learning/community service opportunity in Costa Rica for UT Tyler students during Spring Break, March 13-18.

Fifteen UT Tyler students will be involved in several projects while in Costa Rica, including teaching conversational English at a local elementary school and helping the school build a community garden. Students will also take a traditional Caribbean cooking class and learn about Calypso music and dance.

“Service learning is the space where academics and community problem-solving meet – it is where students can learn hands-on, meaningful ways to truly make an impact,” said UT Tyler assistant director of leadership and service Camry Tharp. “When we can teach our students the impact they can have when they conduct service for others, it fuels their desire to do more.”

Beverly Luna of Sulphur Springs is a graduate student who has never previously traveled outside of the United States. 

“I am grateful for the support of the Department of Leadership and Service and the Office of International Programs in making this trip possible and for their commitment to promoting experiential learning and civic engagement,” said Luna, who will graduate next spring with a UT Tyler Master of Business Administration degree. “I am excited to share my experiences and to continue to build on the skills and knowledge gained through this trip long after my return.”

The trip is made possible through the Office of International Programs’ partnership with the Study Abroad Association, which connects institutions with relevant projects and assists them in building globally competent students and faculty. 

The UT Tyler Office of Leadership and Service, in collaboration with the OIP, connects UT Tyler students to service opportunities on campus, in the Tyler/East Texas community and beyond. Through volunteerism and service learning, students help create solutions to critical challenges in communities while also building leadership skills, gaining a broader awareness of social issues, and enhancing their overall collegiate experience. For more information, contact Tharp at ctharp@uttyler.edu or visit uttyler.edu/service/. 

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.