Golden Valley Teen Helps Medical Clinic in Costa Rica

(Story submitted by Phil Siegel)

It is very easy to paint young people with a broad brush.  And some are painting the millennial generation as selfish, self-involved and unaware of the world.

Then you meet someone like Julie Ward.

The 16-year-old Golden Valley student from Hopkins High School just returned from a two-week service project in Costa Rica, where she joined a team working in a town called Herradura de Rivas in southern Costa Rica. 

The students worked on a construction project bringing the local medical clinic up to code so that it won't get shut down by the Health Ministry. This included improving wheelchair ramps and access, building additional walkways and interior renovations.

"It was hard work but throughout the whole experience, the kids were all dancing and having fun, and we formed a real bond," Julie said. "It felt really good to help the community because it felt like I was making a difference in the world. Now that I am home, I think that volunteering in the community takes on a whole new meaning, both here and abroad."

Julie is one of several hundred students across the country participating in a new summer program called "Walking Tree Travel."  It is more than an exchange program. Teen participants go to one of seven countries in Central America, Africa or Asia to work on projects to make a better world – whether building community centers, digging wells, or painting buildings. 

"At Walking Tree, we offer teens the opportunity to widen their world view," said Paul Laurie, director of Walking Tree Travel.  “We hope that our participants bring their experiences home and start a dialogue with other kids to better appreciate the world which we all share. 

And Julie is doing just that.