Students to teach in Belize, study in Costa Rica
By Sarah Hardee, Cincinnati.com

Although Lloyd High School, in Cincinnati, OH,  biology teacher Jerry Gels makes a trip to Costa Rica each year with students, there's one aspect of the trip that stays new to him.

"The biggest thrill for me is watching the students' reaction when we arrive," said Gels. "It's like watching little kids on Christmas morning ... all the things they've learned about all year in textbooks are right there in front of them."

Mountains, an active volcano, endangered species and miles of vegetation greet students each year, according to Gels, and create a very different learning environment outside the classroom for students interested in environmental science.

"I've had students tell me they learned more about biology during our weeklong trip to Costa Rica than they did in four years of science classes," he said.

This year, Gels is leading a group of about 30 on the trip, which begins June 10. A few parents and teachers will help him chaperone students from Lloyd, Newport Central Catholic, Xavier and Villa Madonna.

While the annual ecotourism trip does support Costa Rica's local economy, Gels decided to coordinate another trip in Central America with more of a focus on service.

That's when he teamed up with Lloyd social studies teacher Jon Davis earlier this year to coordinate a service-learning trip in Belize. About six students will make the trip May 28, where they will help educate children at a local school.

"While Belize does a good job of educating at the elementary-school level, only about half of their students go on to high school," said Davis. "Their teachers often have no more than a high-school education."

The students going to Belize have been creating lesson plans and will spend most of their trip with local students, Davis said. They also raised enough money to purchase a projector for the school.

During the trip, they will explore some of the area's natural environment, Davis said, including Mayan ruins and Belize's barrier reef.

Students will be responsible for the cost of the trips, Davis said. Many have worked jobs throughout the school year to pay their own way.

"Both trips will be a unique experience for the students," he said. "We're excited to offer students the opportunity to see and experience a different culture and get a sense of what the world is like outside of their own little bubble."