What many of us never had as children
Many parents in this valley never had a childhood rooted in nature, community and craft, and wanted one for their own children. The nearest conventional school means a long commute and no connection to the land. The only other option was no structured learning space at all.
Now their children do
In August 2023, a group of parents and neighbors built one. Coliazul’s children’s program opened in January 2024 and has run five days a week since, in Spanish and English, for children ages 7 to 12, on a rhythm inspired by Waldorf education.
Four days a week, the children work with their main teacher, who holds the group’s rhythm: mathematics, language, science and social studies woven together with music, drawing, handwork, local culture and time outdoors, each subject met through story, art and craft. Then community teachers bring their own gifts. An ecologist teaches by restoring the Barú watershed. A permaculture specialist teaches in real soil. Movement and acroyoga build balance, trust and confidence. Theatre and expression find a voice through play. A neighbor mentors a child one to one in a skill they carry: sewing, painting, drawing, singing, mechanics. A few times a year, the children join the local public school’s festivities, celebrating alongside its students.
What’s been accomplished
- Run the children’s program five days a week since January 2024.
- Built a circle of community teachers in ecology, permaculture, movement, theatre and mentorship.
- Opened Casa Coliazul, the community space in San Salvador de Barú that is now the program’s home.
- Opened the Coliazul Library, built entirely from donated books.
- Planted trees with Community Carbon Trees, restoring water sources and biodiversity in the watershed.
- Held seasonal community gatherings with music, food and performances by the children.
- Brought bilingual theatre to the valley: Momo and the Time Thieves, performed by artists from across Diamante Valley over five performances.
The children’s program is also the seed of something larger. Alongside Diamante Bridge Collective, Coliazul is planning a Cultural Center on land held in trust by Diamante Luz. Land agreements, site preparation and architectural blueprints are already in place, though building hasn’t started. This page doesn’t fund that construction, but sustaining the children’s program sustains the people carrying the larger vision forward.
Help sustain the program
Families cover the teaching themselves. Everything around it depends on outside support: the room, the specialists who teach, materials, trips out of the valley, and the artists and musicians who bring the community’s festivals to life. Support keeps Casa Coliazul’s doors open, brings in specialists consistently, stocks the art table and the garden, and opens room for children still waiting to join.
Be part of it
Support Coliazul directly at coliazul.org, or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
