1. Please mention about the school and its mission/vision and various infrastructural facilities.
Colegio Científico de Alajuela, is the ninth headquarter of the SNCCCR, serving primarily the educational community of the provinces of Alajuela and Heredia. This headquarter was established on April 11th, 2006, a date that commemorates National Hero Juan Santamaría for his leading role in the Battle of Rivas.
This institution was founded in 2006 under the agreement of the Ministry of Public Education, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, and the State Distance University, with Mr. Rodrigo Arias Camacho serving as Rector, who is currently the head of this university and a great ally of the Scientific Highschools.
Mission: To provide students with excellent academic services focused on the fields of science, engineering, and research, while shaping them comprehensively and considering the highest Costa Rican values. We are committed to creating, preserving, cultivating, transmitting, and seeking knowledge in the field of science and technology for our students.
Vision: To ensure the proper integration of young people into the national reality, by forming capable, creative leaders with a critical spirit and a healthy interest in technological innovation and knowledge management rooted in the sciences and humanities, thereby making a positive impact on our society.
2. Kindly mention about the prominent personality of the school and his/her role in the development of the school.
Currently, the Alajuela headquarter has a total of 424 graduates, being an educational institution of academic excellence with a pre-university vision, contributing to the formation of future professionals alongside their families and the teaching and administrative staff. We take pride in the motto of the Scientific Colleges of Costa Rica: “Being better to serve Costa Rica better” and our own: “We are more than a formula.”
My role in the institution has been to serve as a chemistry teacher and laboratory instructor, academic coordinator, assistant director, and executive director, coordinating efforts to have a comprehensive and innovative project.
3. What new services or activities did you establish at your school?
For the academic year 2024, we have expanded enrollment to provide more opportunities to young people who wish to pursue an educational proposal focused on STEM careers.
We aim to have the highest level of professionals to meet the needs of this population.
4. Please mention what steps are you taking beyond the traditional curriculum to ensure overall development of the students?
We have incorporated technology, neuroscience, and training for the entire educational community so that the curriculum takes into account life skills and a proposal aimed at forming global citizens.
5. What steps does the school take to motivate and develop the students’ interest towards education?
Addressing current topics, attracting strategic allies who are leaders in their fields of interest, and involving students in their own educational project.
6. How are you providing financial assistance to the students in need?
Through an annual scholarship system and mentoring sponsors.
7. What makes your school unique?
The administrative teaching team brings together great scholars, individuals who inspire the educational community with their excellence and love for Costa Rican education. This group of professionals develops a cutting-edge educational project that embodies high academic standards and values as integral human beings, aiming to positively impact their communities through the integration of both hard and soft skills.
Within this pre-university proposal, we give special emphasis to the STEAM areas, while also incorporating extracurricular activities, community impact projects, volunteering, and others. Through these activities, we aim to enhance skills such as creativity, resilience, empathy, as well as those associated with the scientific field, such as analytical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving, through innovative practices and the use of technology.
8. What are some ways you keep up with changes in education trends?
a) Constant training for staff.
b) Providing induction to parents.
c) Reading on current topics and the reality of Costa Rican and global education.
d) Alliances with leaders in technology and educational innovation.
9. Please enlighten us about the school’s major awards/achievements, its accomplished/renowned alumni, remarkable collaborations, and major accreditations.
Our students have represented Costa Rica in various national and international competitions, achieving extraordinary results for our country. Among the most important are the International Chemistry Olympiad, the International Mathematical Olympiad, and the International Physics Olympiad, not to mention Ibero-American and Central American competitions. At the national level, we have excelled as leaders in various areas such as National Baccalaureate Exams, admission to Public Universities, Scientific Colleges Scholarships, and competitions like Antorcha.
Attached are lists of awards from the last three years. Accredited by EDUQATIA with the Outstanding Polaris Distinction for 2021-2022-2023-2024
10. Kindly elaborate about the future plans of the school in the same.
a) Having our own building to expand the educational offerings.
b) Expanding community outreach projects.
c) Establishing concrete partnerships with alumni and professionals in various fields. d) Engaging with the business sector in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).