On Saturday, March 7, members of National Technical University (UTN – Universidad Tecnica Nacional) met with community members in the Multiuse Center in Nosara to give information on a new educational program they will be offering in the area starting in April.
At the moment UTN will start with three open courses, which will be English, computation and customer service. The only requirements for participation are being over 15 years old and having at least a sixth grade education.
The courses will cost ₡25,000 ($46.80) per month and will last about eight weeks. Thereafter, there will be higher-level technical courses offered in information technology and administration. Those courses will require students to have a high school degree and will cost ₡75,000 ($140.30).
Currently there is no scheduled start date for the technical courses.
“The courses will be given in rooms that belong to ADIN, as this was the initiative of the community’s development association, and these courses are programmed based on the current area residents’ necessities,” said Manriquez Chavez, director of marketing for the UTN.
The Nosara Development Association (ADIN – Asociacion de Desarrollo Integral de Nosara) is looking to improve work, economic, cultural and social education, due to the small chances the area youths have to continue their studies.
“The community’s problems are due to the lack of opportunities for youths once they leave high school. Here in the area we have high school graduates who are working in construction or with a machete because they don’t have the opportunity to continue their studies. And maybe there are four or five youths whose parents make the effort to get them ahead. But all the same they end up leaving their studies because the distance and this area’s lack of accessibility make it very difficult,” said ADIN Vice President Martin Chacon Rodriguez.
Some 27 people attended the event. One of them was Yendri Ruiz Guerrero, a 27 year-old who is considering registering for the English course.
“The community lacks education or courses that pre/pare us for tourism, that teach English, and other kinds of classes,” added Ruiz.
Members of the UTN left open the possibility of implementing other kinds of classes, according to the needs of the Nosara community.
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