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Monthly Archives: July 2020


Education in Costa Rica: A Role Model Across the Americas

Education in Costa Rica: A Role Model Across the Americas

July 31, 2020

Properties in Costa Rica

When it comes to education, Costa Rica is often viewed as a role model across the Americas given its successful literacy rate of 96% – one of the highest in the region. The country’s established leadership position can be heavily attributed to its government funding.

 

Their education system consists of four levels: pre-school, primary school, secondary school, and higher education. Article 78 of the Constitution of Costa Rica states that every child must attend pre-school and primary school. These levels are free of charge, as all costs are financed by the Costa Rican government.

 

The Ministry of Public Education (MEP), currently lead by Giselle Cruz Maduro, is the governmental organization in charge of developing an accessible education system that promotes the growth of individuals and the society as a whole. Additionally, the MEP supervises all public and private educational institutions and has the power to approve, revoke, or modify any decisions determined by the directors of the ministry.

 

Costa Rica’s public higher education system is considered by many to be one of the best in Latin America. After graduating from secondary school and attaining a baccalaureate degree, students have the opportunity to apply to universities. There are five public universities in Costa Rica: Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC), University of Costa Rica (UCR), National University (UNA), National Technical University (UTN), and Distance State University (UNED). The baccalaureate program for university students is usually four years. After graduating from a university, students will then have the option to pursue a licentiate degree, which corresponds to three additional semesters of study.

 

The Costa Rican government continues the efforts made on December 1st, 1948 by President José Figueres Ferrer when he abolished the army and decided to allocate such resources to education instead. By following in Figueres Ferrer’s steps, the government is sending a message to the world regarding the importance and need for free education, and at the same time, deviates from what is considered the norm — pumping millions of colones into funding a military defense — and establishes itself as one of the few countries with no active military force. By prioritizing education over a standing army, Costa Rica has popularly gained the nickname of “The Switzerland of Central America”.

JM




Costa Rica has started opening airports to some countries.

Costa Rica has started opening airports to some countries.

July 24, 2020

Properties in Costa Rica

Costa Rica officially stated that it will start opening its borders this August 1st. However, this would only apply to tourists from countries like the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Canada. While Costa Rica is monitoring changes in origin countries in order to allow more countries to come in, the Juan Santamaría International Airport and the Daniel Oduber Quiros will be the only two airports that will accept international travelers and commercial operations to occur in Costa Rica.

Nevertheless, Costa Rican citizens and residents are still going to be permitted entry regardless of the country that they are coming from.

This was explained yesterday by the Minister of Tourism, where all visitors entering the country must comply with a series of measures which include:

1. Filling an epidemiological survey before entering the country
2. Testing Negative for COVID-19 at least 48 hours prior to entering the country
3. Complying with all the health measures that the airport requires such as wearing a mask and temperature checks
4. Having insurance that would cover events related to health problems and stay.

We truly believe things will be constantly changing and the announcement of Costa Rica’s reopening is good news for us as we hope to be back slowly on a lot of people’s agendas once again.




What is Zac Efron up to in his new documentary and why did he travel to  Costa Rica?

What is Zac Efron up to in his new documentary and why did he travel to Costa Rica?

July 7, 2020

Properties in Costa Rica

As part of Netflix’s new documentary called “Down to Earth”, well-known High School Musical star and actor Zac Efron undergoes a unique adventure where he travels around the world to learn about the ways in which people are taking action towards a more sustainable world and future. The main idea of the series is centered in how humanity has to rethink the way in which it consumes food, energy, and material goods. Throughout his journey he is also looking to delve into the cultures of different countries through their food and well developed ecological practices.

Amongst other countries such as France, Puerto Rico, Iceland, Peru, and England, Costa Rica was a place where the famous actor formed a unique and special bond. Zac Efron had already visited the country back in 2016, where he touristed places such as the Osa and Papagayo Peninsulas and was pictured in wonderful waterfalls and beaches with his closest friends.

The documentary is set to release on July 10th, and in it we are expecting to see an in-depth view and perspective of every culture and the sustainable practices that are in place in the aforementioned countries. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see what these green pioneers are up to around the world as well as Zac Efron’s adventures along the way.




Benefits of Working from Home

Benefits of Working from Home

July 6, 2020

Properties in Costa Rica

Working from home a few years ago was a luxury  only business owners could take advantage of  or  was simply an idea presented in deceitful television ads. Currently, the tables have turned ever since the COVID 19 pandemic has forced thousands of businesses into sending a great part of their workers to their respective houses to perform their jobs. Be it through Zoom or Skype calls, the way in which we are able to interact in a workplace has most definitely changed, and maybe this could be for the better.

 

This shift towards an at home work experience helped millions of workers with problems arriving at their workplace because of the large distances from their home to the installations. Not only is this reducing the stress involved in travelling these long distances, but this is also optimizing both the companies’ and workers’ time. Nonetheless, in a company , there is always a need to create a welcoming and family like environment within its very own installations, and to do that, businesses are trying hybrid models in which their workers are able to work 1 to 2 days in the office and the rest from the comfort of their homes.

 

In order to thrive under this new experience, a comfortable and relatively spacious environment is highly recommended to be able to fully imitate the setting of an office but in a more personalized manner.It is important to equip your home office properly: organize your workplace, provide good light, a comfortable chair, and even take care of fresh air using an oscillating fan, such as these from Unclutterer, which will increase your productivity on hot days.In addition to this, a stable internet connection is essential to connect appropriately with other workers and possible clients related to your job. In most cases, when a person doesn’t have the financial ability to afford a stable connection, this is an expense that the company has to assume to aid the worker in the better performance of his job. Either way, shifting toward a remote work experience can save companies money allowing for more efficient workspace usage.

 

With no need to rush at lunch time and no long office hours away from your family, working at home has the potential to improve the health of its workers by reducing their stress and creating an improved work-life balance. Moreover, remote employees also show an increase in their work productivity as there is no need to take long coffee breaks or speak to other coworkers for large amounts of time.

 

Our reality has been forever marked by the events taking place as of now and working from home is now a phenomenon that is unquestionably here to stay after the pandemic.



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