Abriendo Mentes

Abriendo Mentes aims to educate, enhance and empower while creating thriving communities in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

The MISSION of Abriendo Mentes (AM) is to empower individuals from rural and underserved communities in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, to develop the skills they need to seize educational and economic opportunities for themselves and their families.

Why is it important?

Abriendo Mentes (Opening Minds) was founded in 2009 in response to a request from the community of Playa Potrero in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. An area where children only attend school three hours a day, the high school dropout rate is 22% and 30% percent of local Guanacastecos live in poverty. These towns where Abriendo Mentes operates are small, coastal villages where fishing and agriculture were the way of life until the tourism industry took over in the 1990's. The economic shift from agriculture to tourism and service left many locals unemployable as they lacked skills required to work in the new industry. Abriendo Mentes was founded to give locals the opportunity to build those skills, specifically English and computer skills.

How do they do it?

Abriendo Mentes’ grassroots programs are thoughtfully developed to address the unique education and community development needs of the local villages in rural Costa Rica. Their comprehensive approach to community-based education focuses on youth development, adult education and job skill development, women’s economic empowerment, and community engagement and development.

How you can #TravelKindly

• Choose Abriendo Mentes as your local charity when you book with Kind Traveler.
• Offer your assistance in teaching English classes held every Thursday.
• Offer to assist with sports and recreational activities on “Fun Fridays.”
• Support weekly fundraiser "Chase the Ace" in Perlas.
• Stop by The Shop in Potrero and purchase items handcrafted by local women upon which sales help fund programming and gives local families access to quality affordable clothing.