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Twenty U.S. teachers, chosen as educational ambassadors through the Toyota International Teacher Program, spent 10 days this spring exploring Costa Rica—the cultural and biological crossroads between North and South America.

Ranked among the 20 most biologically diverse countries in the world and home to more than a half million species of plants and animals, Costa Rica is a first-time destination for the Toyota program, which has an nine-year heritage of providing teachers the opportunity to build environmental awareness and global perspectives by visiting worldwide locations.

While traveling in Costa Rica, participants learned how innovative strategies are being implemented in the areas of development, agronomy and conservation from experts at the internationally recognized National Biodiversity Institute (INBio). After a visit to Costa Rica's National Museum, the teachers built on their theoretical knowledge with field visits to important pre-Columbian archaeological sites, and at EARTH University, the teachers participated in projects focused on sustainable agriculture in the tropics. Near the city of San Carlos, the teachers had the opportunity to discuss best practices in environmental education with Costa Rican educators.

The delegation of 20 U.S. teachers represented nine states this year – Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. With multidisciplinary backgrounds ranging from science to art, the selected teachers brought their unique perspectives to those they meet in Costa Rica, and upon the teachers’ return to the U.S., their experiences is being incorporated into classroom curricula and community projects, providing students the kind of 21st century education they need for success in an increasingly global future.

"We are proud to offer the nation’s teachers a program that promotes the understanding of cultural and environmental conservation methods that they can take back to their schools and communities,” said Michael Rouse, corporate manager, philanthropy and community affairs at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. "Costa Rica is the perfect destination, as it is a country on the forefront of protecting its ecosystems as well as maintaining its cultural heritage."

Funded through an annual $1.2 million grant from TMS, the Toyota International Teacher Program is the only one of its kind sponsored by a major U.S. corporation.

This year’s trip to Costa Rica will took place March 8 through 20 and included rigorous physical activities as participants explored program locations in the country’s lowlands and highlands. Overall, the Toyota International Teacher Program has greatly surpassed expectations regarding long-term value and impact. Building on the original program design, the study tour to Costa Rica offers increased opportunities for American educators to build closer, ongoing relationships with the teachers and community leaders they meet due to the country’s greater accessibility.

The 20 educators that traveled to Costa Rica teach a variety of subjects and were selected based on their professional and leadership qualifications, as well as their plans to incorporate their experiences and research into their curriculum. To be eligible, teachers must be a U.S. citizen, employed full-time as a secondary classroom teacher (grades 7-12) and have a minimum of three years teaching experience.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C., the nation's most experienced non-profit international exchange organization, administers the program. "The Toyota International Teacher Program is a unique opportunity for U.S. educators to dialogue with experts, participate in hands-on learning activities and interact with colleagues in education in Costa Rica—all the tools they will need to bring global perspectives and environmental issues to the forefront of their curricula and classrooms," said IIE President and CEO Dr. Allan E. Goodman.

The trip to Costa Rica is just one of the professional development programs for teachers that Toyota sponsors. Toyota is also offering study visits to Japan and the Galapagos Islands in 2007. The Toyota program strives to expose educators of all classroom disciplines to the diversity of peoples and ecosystems worldwide in an effort to inspire the creative teaching of international, cultural and environmental themes in U.S. schools and communities.