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Our Youth Group meets every Saturday in Brasilito at 8 in the morning until 1:30 in the afternoon. What a beautiful day it was this past Saturday, May 13th, our 5th meeting! We have 23 students in our program from 7th grade to 12th grade. As of this past Saturday our Youth have received 9.5 hours of Math, 11 hours of English, 6 hours of pickleball, and 2 hours of Mentoring. Plus their snacks and lunches every time we meet. This week our participants got to work on their work books in English class and they had so much fun with the dynamic class our teachers had prepared for them. On our Math class we had the help from some of Cria's National Honor Society Students tutoring our participants...how neat is that? Youth helping youth! Just beautiful! We have small tutoring groups to offer one to one attention in order to achieve a better understanding of the matter in question. Participants bring their school books and get tutored in what they struggle with. We at Accai believe that being young is a synonym of change, progress and future, if the opportunity is given. Our High School Youth, especially Brasilito's are facing challenges...sometimes too heavy for them...and it's our mission to create or recreate a space for future full development and help them learn that we can turn problems into opportunities and solutions. Empowering them to develop the skills to become the driving force of our families and society. To help achieve this goal we had a visit from Doctor Valeria, from 917 Medical Clinic in Flamingo and she shared about the importance of the choices we make and about health matters such as caring for your mind, body and soul, among other interesting subjects. Thanks to the teamwork made by Accai and 917 Clinic we will be having health workshops for the Youth twice a month. We are thrill to announce the alliance made between Elevate Dance Studio and Accai and now our Youth receive 2 hours of dance classes every Tuesday 6 to 8 in the evening. We have 10 to 13 students attending the dance lessons. And last but not least, Pickleball. Students love pickleball on Saturdays and they receive their class for 75 minutes. Thank you so much to the group of volunteers. The students enjoyed it so much they asked if they could play more so this is how Brasilito's park looks now on Friday afternoon 5 to 6:30! Thanks for your support: 917 Medical Clinic, Elevate Dance Studio, Cria's National Honor Society Students Gunner Kith, Brian Mcdonald, Anina Cubillos and Santiago Cubillos and of course to all of our volunteers. Thanks for providing meals: EJ Avey, Federico Robledo and 917 Medical Clinic.. High-Dosage tutoring is effective but expensive. That is why our sponsors are very important for our community enrichment opportunity to continue. Please consider donating to Accai. We also need volunteers helping in Math and in providing snacks and lunch. Thank you in advance for considering joining us in this great mission to help our Youth have a better future! Please don't hesitate to contact us for more information. Pura Vida! Erika & Karen Directors

After many months of planning we finally saw our dream become a reality...that the Youth of Brasilito would have a secure and fun place to meet, where they would receive tutoring in the subjects that they struggle the most but also meet other teens and have fun together. One by one they started arriving at 8 in the morning on Saturday April 15, 2023. Their faces..., you could tell some of them were really nervous and shy, while others immediately started connecting with each other. We started with English support since they are soon to have the exams at their school. They brought their books so the volunteers could work with them. After English came pickleball. We walked to the nearby park where these group of volunteers had 5 nets placed and ready for them. Some of the teens were nervous and expressed they didn't want to play because they didn't know how to and they were too embarrassed. We encouraged them to give it a try, and they all did and had the greatest time ever. They were all playing with a smile on their faces. People who didn't know each other that well were working together, were laughing together and I could tell through all the fun and laughter they were connecting. They had such a great time that they decided they wanted an extra day of pickleball on Friday evenings after school! We came back to the building after pickleball to have fruit and then move on to support on math, but before that we handed out scientific calculators that were donated to us from one of our volunteers and the teens were really happy and surprised. I heard some comments like "Now I don't have to be asking classmates to lend me their calculators in class", another comment I heard was "wow these are very expensive". Several of them didn't have one when they really need it at school. We closed the morning sharing pizza with the Youth. What a morning! They all went home happy and willing to come back next Saturday for more! These memories bond the group together, developing more of a sense of community and a shared history. All of this wouldn't have been possible without the following group of people who believed in this project. Thank you all for your interest in helping with Accai's Youth Program. Thank you to our volunteers that have been there since before we even started! EJ Avey, Tammy Walker, Yakira Mandy Lee, Federico Robledo and Kathy Roberts. You are helping us raise awareness about the need the High schoolers of Brasilito have and that is very important to the community. Your contribution makes it possible to continue making strides towards our goal of having everyone in the program successfully end their school year!. Thank you to our sponsors: Marina Foundation, The Palms, Catalina Cove. Ron Kirchhoff, Jeanne and Joe Gillen, Kristin S. Cox. Your contribution is vital to continue our important work. We cannot succeed without the generosity of supporters like you. Marco Cruz, Ronny Perry,Yakira Mandy Lee, Tiffany and Devon Smith, Frank and Marilyn Webb, Cindy Kokesh, Perry Carlile, Babe Hopkins and the ADI of Brasilito, thank you for your time donated, for donating materials to fix the building, for bringing us supplies for our classes and for helping us with the yummy snacks and lunches for the group. We truly appreciate your interest in helping our organization thrive. You can rest assured that your generous donation is being put to good use. Thank you Asociacion de Desarrollo Integral de Brasilito A.D.I. for providing a secure space for our Youth to receive the program. Cepia for always caring for our children's and youth's educational, mental and physical health in order to have them improve their quality of life. To all the parents, and specially the moms, for helping us get the place ready and encourage your kids to come to our program, we know how hard it is and appreciate all your effort and hard work, thank you! Thank you all for your kindness and support. It's the generosity of people like you that allow us to carry out our mission in the community. We hope to continue making a difference with your help. Thank you for your generosity. We hope to hear from you soon! Until next time With deep gratitude, Erika and Karen

ABOUT US Our Founders Where passion and dedication meet... Since our first conversations about the need in Brasilito in 2022, the team at ACCAI has worked tirelessly t o promote our cause. We are fortunate to have volunteers and staff from all walks of life who bring our unique expertise and resources into eve rything we do. This is what enables us to achieve our goals more efficiantly. While there is always more that can be done, there is no doubt that we are making a significant impact. We don’t measure our success through just facts and figures, but through happy faces and heartwarming feedback. Erika Araya Cofunder and Academic Director ​ Originally from San Jose and currently living in Potrero. She has been working as an English teacher for children for 15 years in the area of Potrero, Brasilito and Huacas. Her profession and passion is teaching. Teaching is more than a job for her. She loves contact with people. It fills her with joy when she can teach someone and she can see in their eyes and their smile that they understand the lesson. Erika co-founded ACCAI along with Karen, because her heart was heavy seeing so many children of Brasilito academically behind and with no access to the same "privileges" (basics) that other school districts offer. The teens had nothing to help them expand their minds. She knew they needed help to get them academically caught up and would love to see the teens of Brasilito graduate from High Scho ol and ready to enter a university or trade school. She is passionate about life and she is fully involved in all she does. She loves spending time with her family, including her fur family. Karen Cerdas Cofunder and Director of Social Programs and Community Service Karen is costarrican, she lived most of her life in Cartago, but now lives permanently in Guanacaste. She has a degree in Social Work, graduated from the University of Costa Rica, has more than 20 years of work with social programs and community welfare. She is the co-founder of ACCAI, the idea together with her partner Erika, was born because they observed the need to support young people who really want to improve themselves through education, but sometimes they abandon their dreams, because they do not receive enough support and help on their way. Her passion is that through her work, she can get people to find in them the ability to achieve better opportunities in life. She likes to share, listen and support people to improve the environment in which they live, since she considers that it is a human right that people have the tools to improve their quality of life. Meet the Team Math Teacher Federico Robledo He is from Mexico City. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, a Master’s degree in Educational Science, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Environment Engineering. He got involved with ACCAI because he believes God has blessed us with the calling to be a blessing for all. Federico started teaching at 18 years old. He was given the opportunity to teach at a school for children with learning differences and he enjoyed it greatly. His passion is teaching. He wants you to know, “There is nothing impossible only mathematical and statistical continued improvement.” He enjoys going to Carpe Diem. Head English Teacher EJ Avey She is originally from Canada. She lived in the United States for 25 years. In 2018 she moved to Costa Rica. Her profession is a Registered Nurse. She is thankful to have been given the opportunity to be involved in ACCAI as the Head Teacher in the English Program. She wants to see the Youth of Brasilito grow toward a productive future. Before ACCAI she had volunteered in other educational programs in Brasilito. EJ enjoys watching the energy these young people have for life. She likes to cook, bake, read, and paint. Pickleball Teacher Kathie Roberts She grew up in the Bronx, New York. She joined the military, which allowed her to live in many places around the world. For 17 years she lived in Aiken South Carolina as the owner of a Horse Ranch. Her professions included being a Federal agent in charge of Special Operations, and a firearms instructor. Kathie’s passion is teaching people the love of Pickleball. She desires to grow the sport and form an Olympic Team. She joined ACCAI to introduce Pickleball and instill a passion for the sport. She has a love for animals big or small, land or sea. She says “ I seem very strict on the outside. I am soft on the inside, I just don’t show it.” English Teacher Tammy Walker She is originally from Iowa. Her adult life was mostly spent in Colorado. She relocated to Costa Rica in 2020. Tammy had a career in Employee Benefits. She did underwriting for 10 years and 15 years as a Benefits Consultant. She decided she wanted a career change. She became a Realtor for 8 years. She is now retired. She became a part of ACCAI because she believes in the work it has been created and continues to create. She has a passion to see the Youth empowered to achieve their dreams. She sees teaching as a way to birth a desire in the Youth to succeed in their education. Tammy loves the outdoors! From hiking to horses, from beaches to mountains, she will take outside activities over inside activities. She is thankful for the life God has given her. English Teacher Yakira Mandi She was born in Israel, raised in The United States Her professions have included management in the Hospitality Industry, and currently a Spiritual Advisor, and Counseling/Freedom Wayshower specializing in Women who have been through trafficking, domestic violence, and other forms of trauma. Yakira met Erika and Karen in 2020. She volunteered to help with their English classes to the kids and community events. She came back in 2021 to volunteer again. Erika and Karen sparked a passion in her, to be a part of making a difference in the children’s lives. When they created ACCAI she was excited for another opportunity to teach, and be a part of a wonderful team who has a passion to see the Youth excel in life in every area. She loves to put a smile on another person’s face. She goes where ever God sends her to bring His love and kindness. She loves to paint, write, and do creative projects.

ACCAI GIVES BACK Working Toward a Brighter Future WHO WE ARE We are a diverse group of individuals, from the local community of Brasilito, along side others who call Costa Rica their home. Our strength lies not only in the words we stand by, but most importantly in the actions of our initiatives. From the moment we started our idea in 2021, but seeing the need of the children living in Brasilito, that had no proper school since 2010 and then no school at all after Covid hit, we understood that by working together we could help these kids overcome their academic challenges much more efficiently, and that is why we ultimately decided to launch ACCAI in 2023. We strive to make a positive change in all of our students. OUR PROGRAM ACCAI offers a program, with solid foundations, based on more than 15 years of experience working with the community, its people and its limitations. We aspire to keep young people in the classrooms, by providing an environment of trust and reinforcement, where they can develop life skills that can help to keep them away from illicit activities (crime, human trafficking, trafficking and drug use) and ultimately achieve a better quality of life to them, their families and their community. We, at ACCAI, are very proud of the progress we continue to make. Learn more about what we do, who we help, and how we work every day to create a lasting impact. VOLUNTEERING We are always on the lookout for volunteers. Volunteering is a source of great pride for our Non-Profit Organization. A small amount of your time can mean the world to us! JOIN US DONATE Ours Sponsors have been a valued part of Accai's Youth Program. This program takes place every Saturday 8 am till 1:30 pm. And if any student attending our program needs extra help during the week, our team is there to help. Our goal is for all of them to finish the school year successfully, having English as a second language and continue to get a degree or certificate after High school in order to be able to support themselves and their families. We are currently looking for sponsors who would be willing to help us reach this goal and continue with our mission. Please contact us to get involve. We can work together to make a difference! Submit Thanks for submitting! CONTACT US Brasilito, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica info@accai.org (506) 71113588 (506) 85196463 Subscribe Form Join Thanks for subscribing!

TAKE PART We are so happy you’re interested in getting involved with our work at ACCAI. There are so many ways for you to help, and we truly appreciate each and every effort. By lending your support, you’ll become a valuable part of our efforts and help strengthen our operations. VOLUNTEER ACCAI depends on your commitment to Volunteer in order to promote real change on the teens of Brasilito. If it weren’t for the active participation of countless individuals, ACCAI would be far more limited. VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISE Wondering how to give back and be a part of a transformative program that helps so many people? It’s always the right time to Fundraise and become an invaluable part of our success. DONATE Want to be part of the change? Fill in the following form and let us know how you would like to contribute whether it is to volunteer, fund raise or donate. High-Dosage tutoring is effective but expensive. That is why our sponsors are very important for our community enrichment opportunity to continue. Please consider donating to Accai. Thank you in advance for considering joining us in this great mission to help our Youth have a better future! Submit Thanks for submitting!