Former U.S. President Bill Clinton pictured with EARTH President José Zaglul
Click on photo to read more.
Dear friends and supporters,
What happens when you build a university on the belief that one person can change the world?
EARTH happens.
Some 24 years ago we opened our doors with the premise that young men and women could not only become successful professionals, but also ethical leaders with the capacity and commitment to guide their families, neighbors and countrymen towards a more prosperous and just future. To create opportunities in the areas that need it most, we make a special effort to recruit youth from disadvantaged communities around the world. Today we can see the effect of this one-of-a-kind approach to higher education: EARTH alumni around the globe are making a difference. Indeed, they are changing the world.
So every time you give to EARTH you are not just affecting EARTH’s circle, but every other person with whom our alumni will share their knowledge, give dignified employment, promote peace or bring hope.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our vision—none of this would be possible without you.
José Zaglul
President, EARTH University
Mission
Prepare leaders with ethical values to contribute to sustainable development and to construct a prosperous and just society.
Our students
421 students from 36 countries
Gaining the mindset and skillset needed to be able to affect positive change and create jobs.
40% female
The highest in our history and an important step towards achieving our goal of gender equality.
60% of our students receive full scholarships.
In many cases, this represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at a university level. Our remaining students receive significant financial aid and/or educational subsidy.
84% of students graduate (in four or five years), a significantly higher graduation rate than most universities in the United States and other parts of the world.
In spite of the wide divergence in educational quality in secondary schools in rural communities in the developing world, exceptional support services and our innovative student-centered educational model ensure success.
At EARTH, we continually challenge our students to evaluate the environmental impact of their actions, and in our operations strive to be a model of environmental stewardship. This has far reaching effects, as we foster a strong commitment to environmental sustainability not just among our students, but also among the more than 7,500 visitors who come to our two campuses each year.
As part of their Graduation Projects, students Rui Madime (’13, Mozambique, left), Jesús Castrezana (’13, Mexico, center), Jorge Ferraté (’13, Guatemala) and Rodrigo Kohlmann Reyes (’13, Mexico, right) developed a dry anaerobic reactor or bio-digester that converts organic kitchen waste into biogas. The students fed the reactor every day with leftover Gallo Pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast dish of beans and rice, from the University’s cafeteria. In the closed system, methane-producing bacteria flourish as the leftovers decompose. The reactor is intended to be installed in industrial or restaurant kitchens, is odorless and provides a renewable source of fuel for gas stoves.
“The reactor itself taught us a lot. We had a design on paper, but once it was built and functioning we had to make a lot of modifications,” explains Rui.
Rui and Jesús both have plans to apply the design in their respective countries. For his part, Rui plans to remain in touch with his classmates in order to patent a prototype and seek financing for the project’s implementation in Mozambique. Jesús is also planning to apply the project in his family’s business in Mexico, which includes a farm, processing plant and restaurant.
At EARTH, reinforcing positive values—respect, honesty, commitment to community—is considered as important as instilling solid technical and scientific skills. We prepare leaders who will measure their success not based on their material wealth, but rather on their contribution to the betterment of society and the planet.
“EARTH fosters a desire to engage yourself in society. This is a great strength of the University: it isn’t just about agronomy, but also about the community.
”EARTH alumnus Norvin Goff Salinas (’06, Honduras) is the president of a Coalition of Indigenous Groups in La Mosquitia, the Caribbean coastal region of Honduras bordering Nicaragua. In September of 2013, Norvin celebrated with his people and indigenous populations worldwide as the Honduran government formally granted roughly 2,700 square miles of territory back to the hands of its original stewards. Norvin represents more than 100,000 residents from five different ethnic groups, and is a passionate promoter of territorial rights for indigenous people.
Regardless of their backgrounds and future aspirations, our alumni share in common an entrepreneurial spirit. They see opportunities others may miss and have the confidence to venture out and develop their own projects. But perhaps more importantly, they see business ownership as a means to achieving a more prosperous and just world by creating dignified employment, promoting environmental sustainability, and giving back in the process.
Classes of 2009-2013
Classes of 2004-2008
Classes of 1993-2003
In 2009, Susana Fallas (’01, Costa Rica) created the Hijos de la Tierra Foundation (Hijos de la Tierra translates as Children of the Earth), a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and addressing the needs of rural communities in several states in Mexico.
Today, her organization offers practical workshops based on the needs and interests of the communities she serves. Over the years, her Foundation has implemented workshops on organic fertilizers, waste water treatment, integrated farm management, livestock nutrition, rainwater collection, palm oil processing and cacao production, to name a few.
“What we are striving for is to generate social action; this is the most important part of what we do,” Susana says of the Foundation. “We’re not an organization that transmits technology, but rather a group that transmits knowledge, so that people can make their own decisions in the development of their communities.”
By ensuring every student has the support and programs needed to become highly-influential global citizens, we are not just changing the course of their lives, but also that of their families, communities and the future of humanity and our planet.
| Income | |
|---|---|
| Tuition payments and scholarship donations | $6,564.1 |
| Other income (special projects, commercial activities, other donations) | 3,790.9 |
| EARTH Endowment | 7,993.9 |
| $18,348.6 |
| Expenses | |
|---|---|
| Compensation and benefits for administrative and operational personnel | $6,412.3 |
| Compensation and benefits for faculty and senior administrative staff | 4,310.8 |
| Operational expenses | 4,947.5 |
| Equipment investment and replacement | 800.6 |
| Contingencies | 49.0 |
| Fundrasing | 1,828.4 |
| $18,348.6 |
EARTH subsidizes 59% of the total cost for each and every student, and 60% of the University’s operational budget goes directly towards teaching, academic support and student services.
From its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, the EARTH University Foundation, a registered 501 (c)(3) public charity, directly supports the educational mission of EARTH through generous gifts from the global community and other programs and initiatives.
| ASSETS | |
|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents | $1,763,056 |
| Prepaid expenses, deposits and other receivables | 427,260 |
| Receivable from EARTH | 121,416 |
| Pledge receivable, net | 4,537,501 |
| Endowment pledges receivable, net | 2,995,175 |
| Endowment and other investments | 18,634,304 |
| Cash surrender value of life insurance | 292,692 |
| Property and equipment, net | 13,412 |
| $18,348.6 |
| LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS | |
|---|---|
| Liabilities | $18,208 |
| Advance from EARTH | 100,000 |
| Scholarships payable to EARTH | 82,486 |
| Pledge receivable, net | 4,537,501 |
| Payable to EARTH Trust | 219,186 |
| Endowment and other investments | 18,634,304 |
| Cash surrender value of life insurance | 292,692 |
| Net Assets | |
| Unrestricted | |
| Board designated for endowment | 175,000 |
| Available for operations | 1,130,857 |
| 1,305,857 | |
| Temporarily restricted | 7,222,923 |
| Permanently restricted | 20,036,850 |
| 28,565,630 | |
| 28,784,816 |
| Programs | Administrative | Fundraising | Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries and Benefits | $359,888 | $124,310 | $249,523 | $733,721 |
| Consulting | – | 10,634 | 143,636 | 154,270 |
| Professional Services | 4,848 | 64,967 | 6,940 | 76,755 |
| Office Expenses | 89,043 | 27,323 | 53,589 | 169,955 |
| Events | – | – | 26,346 | 26,346 |
| Travel and Board Meetings | 5,996 | 23,749 | 65,031 | 94,776 |
| Scholarships | 1,818,374 | – | – | 1,818,374 |
| Project and Program Expense | 2,084,165 | 20,601 | – | 2,104,766 |
| Other | – | 11,529 | – | 11,529 |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | $4,362,314 | $283,113 | $545,065 | $ 5,190,492 |
Lynn Hoffman-Brouse, EARTH donor and member of the EARTH University Foundation Board of Trustees, photographed with EARTH student Primrose Najjemba (’16, Uganda) on the EARTH campus. Click on photo to read more.
We recognize and appreciate the generous support of the following donors whose gifts were received from January 1-December 31, 2013. These individuals, businesses, foundations, governments and international organizations make the continued fulfilment of our mission possible.
†Deceased
†Deceased
EARTH University,
PO box 4442-1000, San José, Costa Rica;
Phone: +506 2713-0000; Fax: +506 2713-0001
EARTH University Foundation; 3525 Piedmont Road NE, 8 Piedmont Center Suite 520, Atlanta, GA 30305, USA;
Phone +1 404 995-1230; Fax +1 404 995-1240
EARTH University 2013 Annual Report. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.