EARTH Stories

More than 30 years ago, when EARTH took over the property where today’s Guácimo Campus in Limón is located, it inherited a commercial banana farm that became a transformative project in many ways. From the beginning, the University had two goals for its commercial operations: to impact the lives of students and neighboring communities, and to apply sustainable agricultural practices to help transform the banana industry—a crop that has positioned Costa Rica as one of the world’s leading producers.

EARTH Futures brings together the University’s strengths with community leaders, businesses, and institutions to drive economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and innovation in rural communities.

Óscar Arreola (Class of 1993, Guatemala) recalls with nostalgia what it was like to arrive at a campus under construction in 1990, where challenges, multicultural life, and collective work shaped a transformative experience.

All student-residence buildings at EARTH University’s campuses in Guácimo (Limón, Costa Rica) and La Flor (Guanacaste, Costa Rica) are named after trees. The metaphor makes a lot of sense: Each foundation we lay for a new building is like sowing a promising new seed that will germinate and grow.

EARTH implements strict biosafety protocols across its campuses to protect the physical and mental health of its community, adapting education and operations amid COVID-19.

Host families from communities near EARTH open their homes to international students, guiding them through cultural and language adaptation while building bonds that transcend borders.

Environmental leader Yolanda Kakabadse shared with the EARTH community her vision on conservation, the urgent need to transform our lifestyles, and the role each person plays in building a sustainable future.

From the Kiziba refugee camp to EARTH’s campus in Costa Rica, the story of Solange Ingabire (Class of 2024, Rwanda) shows that with perseverance and hope it is possible to overcome barriers and open the door to new opportunities.