Save Bethany's School (Instituto Estelar)
Donation protected
My sister Bethany is the hardest working person I've ever met.
Bethany moved to Costa Rica in 2007 to teach English and quickly realized that she never wanted to leave. In 2010 she started her own language school - Instituto Estelar Bilingüe. She has poured her whole life into this school and turned it into a thriving business with hundreds of students - locals learning English and travelers studying Spanish.
Last year, Costa Rica entered a recession which turned 2019 into a difficult year for the business. Just as things were starting to look up in 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic quickly changed everything. As a country that relies mostly on tourism, many of her students immediately lost work and in turn Bethany's school saw its income cut by 60% in March. As I make this GoFundMe account, there are currently only about 25 students registered for April, down from 430 just a month ago.
Laws are very different in Costa Rica compared to the US. There is no 'laying people off', there is no 'unemployment'. And there is certainly no 'stimulus check' coming from the government. Letting long-term workers go means having to pay their regular salaries for months, even if your business has closed it's doors. The school is applying to be able to reduce expenses like an extension on the mortgage of the building and cutting back worker hours. But these applications could take weeks or even months to be approved.
The goal is to help get the school through the month of April. Getting through the month means more time to figure out the next steps, keep teachers and staff working, and hopefully get approved to make necessary changes in May to keep the business afloat through this worldwide crisis.
Please, if you can give anything - even a dollar or two - it will help more than you know. If you can't give, please share this fundraiser. If you want to help and also get something in return, you can sign up for an online Spanish or English course - just $20/hour this month - at www.estelarcr.com
Thank you so much for your support ❤️
Update: Despite losing over 200 English students in April, this GoFundMe campaign along with a lot of new online Spanish students have helped the school stay afloat thus far. In May the school lost 40 more English students, but had 20 students sponsored by generous donors abroad (which was really cool as it had never happened before!). As June approaches, the school could definitely use more support through this campaign, sponsorship of English students who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and also from new Spanish students who can sign up online for just $20/hour.
May 30, 2015 - 'Instituto Estelar Appreciation Day' started by Kate, a former English teacher
Bethany moved to Costa Rica in 2007 to teach English and quickly realized that she never wanted to leave. In 2010 she started her own language school - Instituto Estelar Bilingüe. She has poured her whole life into this school and turned it into a thriving business with hundreds of students - locals learning English and travelers studying Spanish.
Last year, Costa Rica entered a recession which turned 2019 into a difficult year for the business. Just as things were starting to look up in 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic quickly changed everything. As a country that relies mostly on tourism, many of her students immediately lost work and in turn Bethany's school saw its income cut by 60% in March. As I make this GoFundMe account, there are currently only about 25 students registered for April, down from 430 just a month ago.
Laws are very different in Costa Rica compared to the US. There is no 'laying people off', there is no 'unemployment'. And there is certainly no 'stimulus check' coming from the government. Letting long-term workers go means having to pay their regular salaries for months, even if your business has closed it's doors. The school is applying to be able to reduce expenses like an extension on the mortgage of the building and cutting back worker hours. But these applications could take weeks or even months to be approved.
The goal is to help get the school through the month of April. Getting through the month means more time to figure out the next steps, keep teachers and staff working, and hopefully get approved to make necessary changes in May to keep the business afloat through this worldwide crisis.
Please, if you can give anything - even a dollar or two - it will help more than you know. If you can't give, please share this fundraiser. If you want to help and also get something in return, you can sign up for an online Spanish or English course - just $20/hour this month - at www.estelarcr.com
Thank you so much for your support ❤️
Update: Despite losing over 200 English students in April, this GoFundMe campaign along with a lot of new online Spanish students have helped the school stay afloat thus far. In May the school lost 40 more English students, but had 20 students sponsored by generous donors abroad (which was really cool as it had never happened before!). As June approaches, the school could definitely use more support through this campaign, sponsorship of English students who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and also from new Spanish students who can sign up online for just $20/hour.
May 30, 2015 - 'Instituto Estelar Appreciation Day' started by Kate, a former English teacherOrganizer
Sharai Kirk
Organizer
Sonora, CA
