Location: Costa Rica
Potential Impact: 70,000 teachers, 100,000 total staff, 1,000,000 students
Website: https://www.mep.go.cr/
The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) is the largest employer in Central America. When the new government instituted fiscal reforms for all public sectors in the spring of 2018, it triggered the largest mass strikes of public employees in Costa Rican history. Teachers were on strike for 89 days, thus forcing the closure of all public schools and the loss of education and jeopardizing of the future of every young person in the country. After meeting with the MEP, we were asked to provide the neuroscience of stress sessions to MEP employees who did not strike and continued to serve communities. Those initial sessions led to MEP requesting Pure Edge to register as an entity to conduct professional development in Costa Rica.
As of February 2019, Pure Edge is now registered as a non-governmental agency in the country and able to offer our services.
The school system educates nearly 1 million children and youth. With over 4,000 schools across the nation, this partnership is a unique opportunity to incorporate social and emotional learning and mindfulness country-wide.
