Classes began on August 25 at both La Paz Community School campuses, Cabo Velas and Tempisque. New backpacks, reuniting friends, and a fresh cohort of scholarship students settling into bilingual classrooms - it's the moment all of this work builds toward each year.

Thanks to your support, more students than ever are now currently enrolled in the scholarship program, all ready to learn from day one.

At the heart of La Paz Global is a simple belief: a family's income should not be the sole determinant in how a child gets to learn. Putting this belief into action, La Paz Global helped to fund scholarships for a record 23 new students this year, bringing the total number of current scholarships students to 107 between both campuses. 

Also new this year, La Paz Community School scholarships opened for Pre-K4 students. This is aligned with the Costa Rican Ministry of Education's requirement for early childhood education,  recognizing it as the  foundation for lifelong development.  

Where a scholarship can lead: Meet Yefri

Yefri started at La Paz Community School as a scholarship student in third grade back in 2016. This past May, he crossed the stage as part of the Class of 2026, earning both his IB Diploma and his national high school diploma.

Teachers and staff describe Yefri as kind, responsible, and hard-working, and he's quick to say his mother and two younger siblings are what keeps him pushing forward.

He's always stood out on the soccer field, and that hasn't changed since graduation: Yefri recently joined the Costa Rican professional soccer club Deportivo Saprissa after several years playing for the Liberia team. Off the field, he's preparing for entrance exams at Costa Rica's public universities while working toward a longer-term goal - studying business, ideally abroad.

Yefri's story is a full-circle moment for everyone who has supported the scholarship program over the years. Thank you for helping make it possible.

Become a monthly champion for the scholarship program!

Recurring gifts don't come with a lot of fanfare, but they give the scholarship program something just as valuable: support we can count on. When you set up an automatic monthly gift, it shows up every month without reminders or extra steps.

No amount is too small - even $25 a month makes a real difference for a scholarship student at La Paz Community School.

Select "Monthly Donation" at checkout to join Vanessa, Bob, and our community of recurring donors.

On September 15th, Costa Rica celebrated 205 years of independence — one of the most important holidays of the year — and the La Paz community marked the occasion with an all-school assembly at the Cabo Velas campus. The celebration featured speeches, reflections from our Academic Directors, and a series of wonderful student presentations.

We were especially proud to see two of our scholarship students lead the bilingual ceremony: Ester, a 12th grader who also serves as student body president, and Bastian, in 3rd grade. Watching a graduating senior and one of our youngest students share the stage — moving seamlessly between Spanish and English — was a powerful reminder of what the scholarship program makes possible. Opportunities like this help students build the skills that will carry them far beyond the classroom: public speaking, bilingualism, confidence, and leadership.

Congratulations, Ester and Bastian. You are both extraordinary ambassadors of the La Paz Scholarship Program, and we can't wait to see all that you accomplish.