Costa Rica is known as a vacation spot with great surfing and some fascinating places to study natural science.
But it was an intriguing educational proposal that led two Greenwood businessmen to invest in a school in the Central American country.
Coronado Academy, which began operations in 2001 and now has more than 40 students, promotes itself as a place for hands-on learning in a therapeutic environment.
Brian Waldrop, chief financial officer of Viking Range Corp. and one of Coronado's investors, said he was sold on the school's approach.
"We thought it would be beneficial to kids, as well as to us as investors," he said. "I thought it was a win-win relationship."
Coronado has a low student-to-teacher ratio, and educational plans are designed to fit each student's needs.
"The teachers understand what's going on with the kids, and they're able to adjust the curriculum accordingly," Waldrop said. "You have some that are able to work at a faster pace and some that are slower, and they adjust accordingly."
And the school's admissions director, Rusty McDaniel of Jackson, said students have a chance to grow personally as well as academically.
"Our students realize they're part of something much larger than their neighborhood and home, or their school," he said.
Waldrop was brought into the project by Fred Carl, the president of Viking. The other three investors are McDaniel, Johnny Rainer of Brookhaven, and the school's president, Saul Rudman of Monterey, Calif.
Rudman, Rainer and McDaniel handle most of the daily operations, and payroll, accounting and human resources are based in Jackson.
McDaniel said he first heard a proposal for a Costa Rica school a few years ago. It didn't seem like a good fit at the time, but he later mentioned it to Carl and asked for his opinion.
Both were interested enough to make separate trips to the country and exchange ideas. "I had to get a map to see where it was, honestly," McDaniel admitted.
But, he added, "I immediately fell in love with the country and the people."
Carl and his wife, Margaret, visited Costa Rica with friends and liked it as well. Waldrop knew a little about the place because Viking sometimes offers trips there as incentives to distributors.
Rainer said good luck brought them to Carl, and he already knew of Viking's reputation.
"Just the whole way that Viking does business, and the whole accent on quality and excellent customer service, seemed to be a great working model for trying to develop and roll out the school," he said.
From the acquisition of about 50 acres of land on the Pacific Ocean to the beginning of operation, the process took between 18 months and two years.
Each investor brought his own expertise to the project.
McDaniel has a background in behavioral health, and Rudman and Rainer have worked with special-needs students. Carl was very involved in designing the school, and Waldrop conducted a financial analysis and set up bank relationships.
The locally built school includes three 3,600-square-foot dormitories and a 7,200-square-foot administration building as well as an academic building and a student life building. "It's a stunning place," McDaniel said.
Most students are between the ages of 16 and 19. All must learn Spanish and study science and Costa Rican culture through interaction with the people there. Through the Global Citizenship Program, they also contribute to the community while interacting with local citizens.
Those studying science can observe a variety of aquatic plants and birds. They can see an active volcano and harvest turtle eggs. Participants also periodically go on adventure trips that might involve kayaking, mountain climbing, treasure hunts, or completing a jungle challenge course.
The state-of-the-art buildings already are a helpful selling point, but more offerings are being planned, Rainer said.
These include developing a marine science program beyond the basics already offered. The rainforest there is a great place to study ecology as well, he said.
"We're still kind of in the infancy stage of a lot of our development," he said. "But we feel like we've got a physical plant that's second to none - in the world, really. And we are slowly but surely developing a very high-quality education experience and therapeutic experience for these kids."
School staff members develop an Individual Education Plan for each student, and the plan is reviewed twice a year. Parents must approve the plan, and advisers contact parents, on average, once a week.
Initially, most of the faculty members came from the United States, but they also have found some good people in Costa Rica.
Coronado has been publicized chiefly through educational consultants, who are sought by parents to help their children achieve certain goals.
McDaniel said that because most of these consultants are in large cities - none in Mississippi - most of the students come from metropolitan areas as well.
Rainer said the young people come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have been diagnosed with adolescent depression or have been treated for substance abuse. Support groups and workshops are available to those with needs in specific areas, such as anger or stress management or dealing with family problems.
Other students just need help maturing, and sometimes spending time away from home can help speed that process, Rainer said.
Some of the students from wealthy families "have a lot of entitlement and expect the world to kind of open up for them just by raising their hand," he said.
Also, some parents feel it helps their children to have some separation from the temptations of home, he said.
Because many parents think of turbulent places such as Panama and Nicaragua first when they think of Central America, the idea of sending children to Costa Rica might require some convincing.
But the country has high-quality infrastructure and health care as well as a high literacy rate. It also is a neutral, stable democracy with no standing army. Once parents know these things, Rainer said, "it doesn't take a whole lot of sales on our part."
Enrollment at Coronado has been building steadily, and so far all of the students have been accepted to four-year universities.
McDaniel said the long-range plan is to build enrollment to about 100 students, give or take 15, but they want to grow slowly.
Waldrop said the school's financial prospects also are promising.
"Once we have people that come in and see our campus and see what we're doing with the kids and curriculum, they're hooked," he said.
FACTS ABOUT CORONADO
Some facts about Coronado Academy in Costa Rica:
- Student age range: 16 to 19 at the time of enrollment
- Typical class size: Five to 12 students
- Tuition and fees: $4,900 a month, including room and board; a one-time $2,000 enrollment fee; and other charges for things such as textbooks, clothing, field trips, medical services, and individual tutoring. Each student is expected to commit to at least one year, in addition to the semester in session at the time of enrollment. All must bring laptop computers.
- School facilities: Included are three 16-student dormitories, each 3,600 square feet; a 7,200-square-foot administration building; an academic building and a student life building.
- Curriculum: The core curriculum consists of Spanish language classes, Costa Rican cultural studies and experiential sciences. Other classes are tailored to students' needs, with electives in photography, culinary arts and many other disciplines.
- Other activities: A variety of sports and recreational activities are available. Students also take three weeklong adventure trips a year.
