English Español
English Español

2014 Annual Report

MISSION
Prepare leaders with ethical values to contribute to sustainable development and to construct a prosperous and just society.
VISION
Our actions are mission-driven to alleviate poverty, promote social justice and build a future where our communities achieve sustainable and shared prosperity.
Click to download pdf version

Click to download pdf version

For a quarter century, EARTH University’s unique admissions program has sought out extraordinary youth from underprivileged communities in over 40 countries and given them the chance to learn and grow as professionals and, more importantly, as human beings with values and ethics.

The results of EARTH’s efforts are tangible and inspiring: a 2014 impact study funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Guatemala found that our graduates in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are fulfilling the University’s mission by making a positive social, environmental and economic impact in their regions, with 97% of them returning to their countries of origin. From rural communities in South America to villages in Africa, our students and graduates are improving labor conditions, starting their own businesses, generating employment, defending biodiversity and promoting sustainable development practices every single day.

Their success – and indeed, EARTH’s success – all starts with you, our trusted friends. We know that you share our belief in education as the most powerful tool we have to illuminate lives, transform our society and protect our planet. With each one of you by our side throughout the years, more than 1,900 leaders of change have had the opportunity to earn an innovative, worldclass education in agricultural science and today are illuminating lives around the world. For all this and more, we thank you.

This year I invite you to celebrate the impact that our extraordinary young people have already had, and at the same time, look forward to the exciting new opportunities that lay ahead on our path to a more just and prosperous future. There has never been a better time to be part of the EARTH community.

José Zaglul
President, EARTH University



President José Zaglul

President José Zaglul.

On September 23, President José Zaglul represented EARTH at the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York City. At the 2013 CGI meeting, EARTH announced its Commitment to Action in the form of a feasibility study for an innovative Global Master’s in Health and Sustainable Development, together with the American University of Beirut and The MasterCard Foundation.

Dr. Zaglul was invited to participate in a prestigious event entitled “Pitching for Partnerships” where he presented EARTH’s Commitment to Action before a panel of experts with the goal of spreading awareness and identifying strategic partners for the program.

OUR STUDENTS

The Class of 2018 is EARTH’s most international class in history, representing 35 nations that include seven new countries: Belgium, Chile, Italy, Madagascar, Malawi, Nevis and Zambia.

The Class of 2018 is EARTH’s most international class in history, representing 35 nations that include seven new countries: Belgium, Chile, Italy, Madagascar, Malawi, Nevis and Zambia.

• The vast majority of our students come from rural areas and 70% of them receive full scholarships that include housing, meals, tuition and textbooks for all four years of study.
• For the second consecutive year, 40% of our scholars are female which represents an important step towards reaching our goal of gender equality.
84% of students graduate in four or five years – a significantly higher rate than most universities in the U.S. and around the world.
422 STUDENTS
FROM 43 COUNTRIES

in the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and Europe.

mapa_en

STUDENT DISTRUBUTION BY COUNTRIES OF ORIGEN 2015

422

STUDENTS

40%

WOMEN

43

COUNTRIES


Claudia Jerónimo (‘05, Guatemala)

Claudia Jerónimo (‘05, Guatemala)

After graduating, Claudia Jerónimo (’05, Guatemala) returned to her native country with a clear goal in mind: work tirelessly to address social issues in the rural and indigenous communities where she grew up. At the Fundacion Tierra Nuestra, Claudia works to empower women by facilitating trainings in food security, gender equality and entrepreneurship, giving them the tools they need to start their own projects, increase the family income and send their children to school. She says of her education, “It was an experience that changed my life.” Claudia remarks that EARTH’s “learning by doing” approach helped her become the self-motivated professional she is today: “The University isn’t trying to make you memorize and repeat lessons, instead they prepare people who are capable of improving things and looking for new information.”

“I think you need to perform actions that benefit as many people as possible, that’s one of the things that influences my work and helps to build fairer, more equitable and less violent societies,” reflects Claudia.

OUR GRADUATES

1,931
GRADUATES FROM 32 COUNTRIES
4 out of 5 are working in their countries of origin

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Guatemala funded a comprehensive study with the goal of measuring the social, environmental and economic impact of graduates in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua who were given scholarships by the Norwegian government. The study was carried out by the Research Institute for Development in Education, part of the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City.

The study shows the impact that EARTH graduates have made in:

The study shows the impact that EARTH graduates.
97%
of graduates returned to their countries after graduating.

After interviewing 132 professionals, these were the results:

ECONOMIC IMPACT ECONOMIC
IMPACT:

94%

work in jobs related to what they studied at EARTH.

74%

work in leadership positions.

92.7%

have participated in initiatives that create jobs.

89.4%

of women graduates are economically active.

77.4%

contribute to raising the average income of rural families.

50%

have created a new business at one time during their career.

17.8%

work in their own business.


SOCIAL IMPACT SOCIAL
IMPACT:

8 out of 10 graduates

frequently use strategies to promote community development, increase the incomes of rural families, support marginalized groups, promote social equality, improve work conditions, provide training for farmers and encourage respect for cultural diversity.

85.5%

encourage respect for cultural diversity.

84.7%

promote social equality.

83.1%

contribute to better labor conditions for employees

78.2%

support marginalized groups.

77.2%

promote community development.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT:

7 out of 10 graduates

report having worked in water, soil and waste management and biodiversity conservation.

Between 30% and 50%

of graduates promote reforestation and forestry.

noni


Ana Quirós’s farm started over 20 years ago with little more than a crop of medicinal plants and a few cows. Slowly but surely, and with the help of EARTH students, Ana made her dream come true by converting her humble property into a tourist attraction and working farm. “EARTH students helped us change our lives, they trained us and worked with us out in the fields. They came every Wednesday, we developed a work plan, and over time we were able to integrate the farm. It was EARTH students who came up with the idea of selling medicinal soaps,” she explains. In the photo, Ana shows Luis Carazo of EARTH’s Community Development Program her line of natural products called Mizú (meaning “health” in Japanese) that she hand crafts in an on-site laboratory and sells to visiting tourists and researchers. In addition, she has a small restaurant that serves home-grown organic produce. “EARTH has taught and helped us so much, but now it’s our turn to lead. We have to make sure that we are improving every single day,” Ana concludes.

THE IMPACT OF AN EARTH EDUCATION

…IN THE COMMUNITY

In 2014 alone, EARTH students and the Community Development Program (CDP) impacted more than 2,500 people in the nearby communities of Las Lomas, Verdetica and El Triunfo, with dozens of trainings in agricultural best practices, food processing and entrepreneurship. In addition, they installed 14 biodigesters that contain waste, decrease contamination of local water sources and produce clean, free gas for cooking and heating.

The University’s dedication to local communities is replicated in our graduates: 84% of them return to their countries of origin to fulfill their roles as leaders of change.

84% of graduates surveyed in 2014 reported having a direct and positive impact on social issues, primarily in:

• training farmers (57%)
• improving working conditions (47%)
• generating employment (45%)
• increased income for rural families (44%)
• project development (41%)

80% of the solid waste on campus was recycled.

Did you know? In 2014…

Approximately 7,500 visitors were exposed to environmental stewardship and sustainability principles.
80% of the solid waste on campus was recycled.
More than 12 tons of organic waste were converted into organic fertilizer and applied to our on-campus crops, which are cooked and served daily at the University cafeteria.

…ON THE ENVIRONMENT

EARTH’s Center for Research and Development in Renewable Energies (CIDER) is the largest and most advanced knowledge transfer center of its kind in Central America. Last year, CIDER provided trainings for nearly 400 farmers, community leaders and government decision makers from around the world.

Additionally, the University’s Carbon Neutral Unit carried out 17 trainings in carbon neutrality for over 250 students and verified six new organizations as C-neutral.

83% of EARTH graduates surveyed in 2014 report having a direct and positive impact on environmental issues, primarily in:

• soil conservation and management (52%)
• water conservation and management (40%)
• waste management (40%)
• conservation and biodiversity (39%)
• organic production (31%)

86% of EARTH graduates surveyed in 2014 report having had a direct and positive impact on the agricultural sector, primarily in:

• increasing efficiency in agricultural production (46%)
• promoting the rational use of agrochemicals (42%)
• soil nutrition and quality (31%)
• integrated pest management (30%)
• projects or actions that help mitigate climate change (26%)

COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

For 25 years, EARTH University has served as an international model for holistic and comprehensive environmental education, having successfully integrated the principles of environmental stewardship and sustainability into the very foundation of our institutional identity.

EARTH students are continually challenged to come up with new and creative ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and create innovative solutions to fortify our production systems against the inevitable threat of climate change.

Joaquín Viquez (’07, Costa Rica) is the founder and owner of Viogaz, a business that designs and installs biodigesters (a technology that transforms human and animal waste into sustainable energy and treats waste water). Apart from promoting sustainable resource management, Joaquín is committed to making sure that the services his company provides “are accessible to businesses both large and small.” His company currently employs five people, including a fellow EARTH graduate, and has offered its services to more than 30 businesses and farmers in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Nigeria.

The education Joaquín received at EARTH helped sharpen the technical and entrepreneurial skills he had developed while watching his parents run their own small business. It also imbued a large dose of social and environmental responsibility, notes Joaquin: “When you study at EARTH, there is this feeling that is always under the surface that is difficult to describe. It is a message that makes you want to create something and generate a positive impact in the lives of others, the community and the environment. It is what you think about every time you make a decision.”

…AROUND THE WORLD

Investing in one EARTH graduate creates nearly four jobs in the developing world.

20% of alumni have created their own or family business by their 15th class reunion.

Among graduates with their own or family business, 77% report that they have created jobs.

84% of graduates surveyed in 2014 report having a direct and positive impact on the business sector, primarily in:

• development of new projects (50%)
• administrative improvements for increased profits (41%)
• diversification of activities (36%)
• development of innovative ventures (35%)
• development of value-added chains (28%)

ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS PROGRAM

Our graduates have told us time and again that EARTH’s Entrepreneurial Projects Program is one of the most valuable components of our innovative curriculum – and with good reason. EARTH is the only university in the world that requires each and every student to plan, operate and close a real business venture, all while maintaining the highest standard of ethical best practices.

This incredibly dynamic learning experience helps to fuel our alumni’s entrepreneurial spirit.

GREENOVATORS

From November 12-13, 2014, EARTH University hosted the 16 finalists of Greenovators, a contest developed with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) dedicated to finding worthy ideas and projects from young innovators that mitigate or adapt to climate change. The winners were recognized in an awards ceremony held on campus that was attended by the First Lady of Costa Rica Mercedes Peñas, Spanish Secretary of State Jesús Gracias, IDB representative Rodrigo Parot and representatives from the Ibero- American Youth Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), among others.

The finalists are from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua and received seed money to implement and/or expand upon their innovative projects in environmental education and awareness, sustainable business, resilient agriculture, renewable energy, energy efficiency and water resource management.

The Greenovator contest is part of the ECOIN initiative, an intergenerational environmental stewardship conference that convenes youth and world leaders to discuss and find solutions to combat climate change. ECOIN will be held on EARTH’s campus in 2015.

greenovators

Fatumah Birungi (’17, Uganda) The MasterCard Foundation Scholar

Fatumah Birungi (’17, Uganda) The MasterCard Foundation Scholar

“Right now I have a job, thanks to the University. I have a radio program called in Uganda“Program ya byobuilimi” that transmits across the country; I give agricultural advice for small farmers. They also contact me for help, and I give them my answers based on everything that I’ve learned in my first year. Some people even think that I’ve already graduated! They pay my mother for my work and I let her keep all of it.

I feel like I am where I was destined to be, in my heart I just want to thank EARTH University for all that I have learned.”

Fatumah Birungi (’17, Uganda) The MasterCard Foundation Scholar

OUR FINANCES

25th Anniversary CampaignIn 2014, the EARTH Board of Directors voted to increase the 25th Anniversary Campaign goal from $75 million to $90 million. Consequently, the EARTH Board Challenge was created by an anonymous board member who offered to give $1,000,000 if all board members committed a collective $1,000,000 in new monies. The goal was surpassed by 22% and completed on December 31, 2014.

At the end of 2014, gifts and pledges to the 25th Anniversary Campaign total $75.5 million, leaving a balance of $14.5 million to be raised in 2015.

EARTH is deeply grateful to the hundreds of donors across the globe who share our excitement about the true impact of an EARTH education.

EARTH University Operational Budget
2014 Financial Results (in thousands of dollars)
Income
Tuition payments and scholarship donations $ 7,104.8
Other income (special projects, commercial activities, other donations) $ 4,442.5
EARTH Endowment $ 6,317.8
$ 17,865.1
EXPENSES
Compensation and benefits for administrative and operational personnel $ 6,296.6
Compensation and benefits for faculty and senior administrative staff $ 4,481.6
Operational expenses $ 4,391.1
Equipment investment and replacement $ 827.6
Contingencies $17.9
Fundraising $1,850.3
$ 17,865.1


HOW WE ALLOCATE OUR OPERATIONAL RESOURCESHOW OUR BUDGET IS FINANCED


EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Statement of Financial Position
as of December 31, 2014
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,835,738
Prepaid expenses, deposits and other receivables $ 39,025
Receivable from EARTH $ 123,389
Pledge receivable, net $ 4,830,684
Endowment pledges receivable, net $ 2,804,422
Endowment and other investments $ 21,177,712
Cash surrender value of life insurance $ 306,382
Property and equipment, net $ 63,723
$ 31,181,075
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 63,051
Advance from EARTH $ 101,489
Scholarships payable to EARTH $ 69,412
Payable to EARTH Trust $ 20,563
$ 254,515
Net assets
Unrestricted
Board designated for endowment $ 175,000
Available for operations $ 1,780,425
Temporarily restricted $ 6,488,170
Permanently restricted $ 22,482,965
$ 30,926,560
$ 31,181,075
STATEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES
Year End December 31, 2014
Programs Administrative Fundraising Total Expenses
Salaries and benefits $ 418,782 $ 182,368 $ 386,067 $ 987,217
Consulting services $ 1,363 $ 8,679 $ 24,038 $ 34,080
Professional services $ 4,983 $ 53,703 $ 7,986 $ 66,672
Office expenses $ 43,088 $ 55,433 $ 80,667 $ 179,188
Travel and board meetings $ 20,348 $ 64,455 $ 99,277 $ 184,080
Scholarships $ 2,066,810 $ 2,066,810
Project and program expense $ 1,465,546 $ 117,249 $ 1,582,795
TOTAL $ 4,020,920 $ 481,887 $ 598,035 $ 5,100,842

OUR INTERNSHIP SPONSORS

The trust and partnership we receive from our internship sponsors across the globe makes it possible for every third-year EARTH student to gain invaluable work and life experience through a 15-week professional internship in the field of their choice.

9 Bean Rows Farms, MI, USA
Aga Khan Foundation, Mozambique
Agrícola El Cantaro S.A, Costa Rica
Agrícola y Agropecuaria Kong S.A, Ecuador
Agro Norte Pesquisa e Sementes Ltd., Brazil
Agroindustria del Campo, Guatemala
Agromax Oriente S.A., Colombia
Alia2 S.A, Ecuador
Allegro Coffee Company, CO, USA
Allied Farms Ltd., Jamaica
American Nicaraguan Foundation, Nicaragua
American University of Beirut, Lebanon
AquaBioTech Ltd., Malta
Asociación Sostenible de Café, Guatemala
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC),Uganda
Berryhill Farms, Canada
Black Star Farms, MI, USA
Bland Farms, GA, USA
Cerdos el Cerro S.A, Costa Rica
Chatham University, PA, USA
Comercializadora e Industrializadora de Productos Chiapanecos S.A., Mexico
Comercializadora el Grano S.A, Guatemala
Community Enterprises Development Organization (CEDO), Uganda
Compañía Chiricana de Construcción S.A, Panama
Cooperativa Agrícola Mixta de Montecarlo Ltd., Argentina
Corporación Favorita C.A, Ecuador
Cummins Ghana Ltd., Ghana
Del Monte S.A., Costa Rica
Earth Island, CA, USA
Equity Group Foundation, Kenya
Everglades Research and Education Center, FL, USA
Fideicomiso Ingenio El Potrero, Mexico
Finca La Hammonia-Selva Negra, Nicaragua
Finca Sevilla, Guatemala
FPC Group S.A, Guatemala
Frieda’s Inc., CA, USA
Fundación Co. Hondurcafé, Honduras
Fundación InTerris, Ecuador
Fundación Paraguaya-Tanzania, Tanzania
Fundación Sur Futuro, Inc., Dominican Republic
Fundación UTA-RedBIOCOL, Colombia
FUNDAOSA, Costa Rica
Gainey Vineyard, CA, USA
Ganadera Cinco Erres S.A, Costa Rica
Grupo Citrofrut, Mexico
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar, HI, USA
IDV Arbol, Peru
Instituto de Investigación Tecnologías Agroalimentarias (IRTA), Spain
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Jamaica and the Bahamas
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Uganda
Jamaica Dairy Development Board, Jamaica
JYC S.P.R de R.L, Mexico
Kalsec Inc., MI, USA
La Cosmopolitana Agroecológica Ltd., Colombia
Medida Guisol S.A /Rancho Figueras, Guatemala
Michigan State University, MI, USA
Monte Rosa S.A, Nicaragua
National Agriculture Showgrounds, Belize
Naturaleza Viva, Argentina
North Dakota State University, ND, USA
Omorbanog, Ecuador
Orchard: Africa, South Africa
Ortensi Farms LLC., NY, USA
Palma Tica S.A, Costa Rica
Papyws S.A, Haiti
Paraiso de Ayotoxco SPRDERI, Mexico
Phytogrow S.C.P, Mexico
Poligrow Colombia Ltd., Colombia
Purdue University, IN, USA
Regadio do Baixo Limpopo (RBL), Mozambique
Reserva El Jaguar, Nicaragua
Sandridge Partners, CA, USA
SanLucar Fruit S.L, Spain
Sociedad Agrícola e Industrial San Carlos S.A, Ecuador
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, FL, USA
Tuskegee University, AL, USA
Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales-León, Nicaragua
University of Florida, FL, USA
University of Georgia, GA, USA
UNOCACE, Ecuador
Vitivinícola del Morro S.A, Ecuador
Student Kevaughn Bonner (’15, Jamaica)

Student Kevaughn Bonner (’15, Jamaica)

Student Kevaughn Bonner (’15, Jamaica) is from the rural farming community of Ritches in Clarendon Parrish. Last year, he completed his 15-week internship at Allied Farms, an organic project located in his native Jamaica that is run by fellow EARTH graduate Luis Rojas Corrales (‘11, Costa Rica). Responsible for a wide variety of projects that included hydroponic systems optimization, plant nursery management and geographic referencing, Kevaughn collaborated with local farmers to meet his goals. “Every day I worked with my fellow Jamaicans and they are wonderful people, but there are always challenges in sharing new ideas and getting people to accept them.” He adds, “The whole community development aspect at EARTH helps you to be patient, tolerant and teaches you how to explain complicated, technical knowledge in a way that anybody can understand it. It teaches you how to be creative and use what you already have to get something done. It really helped me a lot.” After graduation, Kevaughn plans to return home and “Implement my own business in my community to create some new jobs, perhaps in horticulture or commercial aquaponics. I want to see how much of a difference I can make in my country.”

OUR DONORS

We recognize and appreciate the generous support of the following donors whose gifts were received from January 1-December 31, 2014. These individuals, businesses, foundations, governments and international organizations make the continued fulfillment of our mission possible.


EARTH Supporter for 20+ Consecutive YearsEARTH Supporter for 15+ Consecutive Years
EARTH Supporter for 10+ Consecutive YearsEARTH Supporters for 5+ Consecutive Years* Multi-year commitment

$10,000,000+

The MasterCard Foundation*

$5,000,000 - 9,999,999

The Cummins Foundation*
W. K. Kellogg Foundation*

$1,000,000 - 4,999,999

Jane and Dameron Black III*
Exposition Foundation, Inc.*
Dianne Gatins*
Instituto Ecuatoriano de Crédito Educativo y Becas
A.G. Leventis Foundation*
Katherine John Murphy Foundation*
Karin and Mark Ohrstrom*
Open Society Foundations*
Denny and Tim Solso*
USAID-ASHA*

$250,000 - 999,999

AYCO Charitable Foundation*
The BOMA Project*
Kathleen and Douglas Colson*
Karen and Robert Kustel*
Sally and Ken Ohrstrom*
José Roberto Marinho
Wege Foundation*
Whole Foods Market

$100,000 - 249,999

Anne Bass*
The Edward Colston Foundation, Inc.*
Barbara and Ivor Freeman Charitable Fund
Dianne and Ron Hoge*
HPR-AAF Trust*
Instituto para la Formación y Aprovechamiento de Recursos Humanos
Alan Kelso
Gerald A. and Karen A. Kolschowsky Foundation, Inc.*
Karen and Gerald Kolschowsky*
The Martin Agency
Linda and William McQuillan*
Moore Family Foundation*
Kathleen Justice-Moore and Steven Moore
Charles R. O’Malley Charitable Lead Trust
Panasonic Corporation of North America*
Fundación Simón I. Patiño
Fundación Poligrow
Rand Sparling and Adrienne Meisel*

$50,000 - 99,999

Americana Foundation
Elyse and Joshua Arnow*
Jean Blackwell and Kim Williams
Bland Farms*
Sandra and Delbert Bland*
Marisa Brenninkmeyer
Corrugados del Atlántico
Mark S. Brouse and Lynn Hoffman Brouse*
Norma Buchman
The Butler Foundation*
Barbara Butler and Jeffrey Bendis*
Dentons Canada LLC
Francis Durman
Hoffman-Brouse Foundation*
Island Outpost, LLC*
Mammel Family Foundation*
Ministerio de Educación de Belice
George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Foundation*
Scotiabank
The Sustainability Laboratory, Inc.*

$25,000-49,999

Anonymous (2)*
Hon. Anne Slaughter Andrew
  and Joe Andrew*
Claire Lewis Arnold and H. Ross Arnold III
Francine and Bob Barrett
Eight Strands Foundation*
Fundación CRUSA
Frieda’s, Inc.*
Therus Kolff*
LB Foreningen
Cameron McLain*
Clare and George Todd
Rebecca Wood*
Jeannie Wright*

$15,000 - 24,999

Anonymous (1)
Micki and Michael Besancon
Briarwood Farm Foundation
Coca Cola Interamerican Corporation
Christine and Herbert Fluharty
The Isaf Family Foundation, Inc.*

Cynthia and Stephen Isaf*
Kalsec, Inc.

$10,000 - 14,999

Abdallah Alaoui
Diane and Kent Alexander
Chester W. Kitchings Foundation
Mary and James Moog
Teofilo Cuesta Borja
The Trio Foundation of St. Louis
Gertrude and William C. Wardlaw Fund

$5,000 - 9,999

Ray C. Anderson Foundation
APM Terminals
Banco Davivienda S.A.
Margaret Ashleigh and Lawrence Black
Allan and Marilyn Brown Fund
Alison and G. Richard Fletcher*
Frey Foundation*
Laura Frey*
Duvall and J. Rex Fuqua
Betty and Whitney MacMillan
James Starr Moore Memorial Foundation
Starr Moore
Rodrigo Oreamuno Blanco
Realan Foundation, Inc.
Schnieders Family Foundation
Sharon and Thomas Sherrard
WEM Foundation

$1,000 - 4,999

Maureen and John Bridgeland
Kathleen S. Brooks Family Foundation, Inc.
Diane and Richard Clark
ConocoPhillips
Sylvia de Leon and Lynn Coleman
Mary and Mahlon DeLong, M.D.
Elizabeth Dietel and Michael Sands
Linda and William Dietel
Dowager Fund
James Duncan, Jr.
Wendy Druce and Hugh Durden
Janet Eastridge
Marlene Fluharty
Pamela and Rick Foster
Debbie and Charles Frank
Ruth Graf
Helene Harding and Dr. Patrick Briggs
Jessie Harris and George Cunningham
Mary E. Haverty Foundation, Inc.
Carlos Enrique González Pinto
Nan and Rawson Haverty, Jr.
Debra and Douglas Highsmith
Christine and Jon Hoek
Kathryn Hutchison
Robert Jetmundsen
Gina and Rich Kelley
Ann Kerr-Adams and Ken Adams
Jacquelyn and Timothy Kolschowsky
Larry Lord
Louise and David Lutton
Maurer Publishing LLC
Mary and Wesley Maurer
Julie and Charles Merrill, Jr.
Virginia and Hartley Neel
Chiako and Barnaby Ohrstrom
Public Property Financing Corporation of California
Hannah Rusch
Victor Sanchez and Faith Vruggink
Daniel Sherrard and Wendy Judy
John Short
Cary and Jack Sibley
Gayle and Eric Starr
Tim Statler
Steven Tanksley
Randal Teague, Esq.
Tull Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Jane Smith Turner Foundation
United Way of Bartholomew County
Amy and Andrew Vaughn
Jennifer Potter Winton and John Winton
Margaret and Terry Wittenberg
Randi S.N. Yoder and Michael J. Henley
José Antonio Zaglul Slon

Richard and Sue Vander Veen have been loyal supporters of EARTH since 1991 and in April of 2014 they brought their entire family (including grandchildren!) to visit our tropical campus in Costa Rica.

Richard and Sue Vander Veen have been loyal supporters of EARTH since 1991 and in April of 2014 they brought their entire family (including grandchildren!) to visit our tropical campus in Costa Rica. “The whole EARTH model is so right for this troubled world, it is a shining beacon of intelligence and kindness,” comments Sue. Rich goes on to say, “EARTH is my favorite project. Every time I come back, it reminds me that this is the best place, that this is where we want to be helpful.”

The Impact of Your Gift in 2014

For our students

Your generosity made it possible for EARTH to provide scholarships for outstanding students from underserved communities, supply cuttingedge technology for all of our classrooms and laboratories and increase our multicultural awareness and campus integration projects.

For our faculty

With your support, the University was able to recruit and retain talented new faculty and staff while offering them competitive compensation and access to ongoing professional development opportunities.

In our curriculum

Your gift in 2014 allowed us to maintain and expand our essential programs, including: the Entrepreneurial Projects Program, the Community Development Program, the Peri-Urban Garden Module, the Integrated Organic Farm and EARTH-La Flor.

On our campus

Gifts to EARTH made it possible for us to keep the lights on, computers humming and banana trains running all day long, in
addition to maintaining the roads, bridges and infrastructure on our two expansive campuses.

grad

OUR BOARDS AND SENIOR LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tim Solso, President, IN, USA
Alan Kelso, Vice President, Costa Rica
Pedro E. León Azofeifa, Secretary, Costa Rica
Ana Regina Aguirre de Riojas, Guatemala
Abdallah Alaoui, Morocco
Anne Slaughter Andrew, MD, USA
Marisa Brenninkmeyer, UK
Franklin Chang-Díaz, Costa Rica
Francis Durman, Costa Rica
Carlos Enrique González Pinto, Costa Rica
Olav Kjorven, Norway
Randal Teague, VA, USA

EMERITI DIRECTORS

Isabel Abreu, Dominican Republic
Salvador Alemañy, Puerto Rico
†Rodolfo Cortes R., Costa Rica
†Jorge Manuel Dengo O., Costa Rica
†Hernán Fonseca, Costa Rica
†Eduardo King Carr, Brazil
Luis Alberto Monge Álvarez, Costa Rica
†José Elias Sanchez, Honduras
†Glen Taggart, USA

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Randal Teague, President, VA, USA
Randi Yoder, Vice President, MN, USA
G. Richard Fletcher, CA, USA
Mark Ohrstrom, VA, USA
Tim Solso, IN, USA

EMERITUS TRUSTEE

†Norman A. Brown, USA

EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Mark Ohrstrom, Chairman, VA, USA
Therus Kolff, Treasurer, UT, USA
Kent Alexander, GA, USA
Ross Arnold, GA, USA
Claire Arnold, GA, USA
Joshua Arnow, NY, USA
Michael Besancon, CA, USA
Jane Black, GA, USA
Mark S. Brouse, UT, USA
Kathleen Colson, VT, USA
Lynn Hoffman-Brouse, UT, USA
Ronald Hoge, CA, USA
Alan Kelso, Costa Rica
Sylvia de Leon, DC, USA
Gustavo Manrique, Ecuador
Tim Solso, IN, USA
Randi Yoder, MN, USA

PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY BOARD

John M. Bridgeland, President, VA, USA
Ashleigh Black, DC, USA
Jane Black, GA, USA
Carlos Gustavo Cano, Colombia
Ernesto Castegnaro, Costa Rica
Richard M. Foster, MI, USA
Abdulsalam Haykal, Syria
Whitney MacMillan, MN, USA
Elke Ruge, UK
Malcolm W. Wilson, CO, USA
Ann Kerr-Adams, CA,
USA

PRESIDENT’S YOUNG ADVISORY BOARD

Edward Brenninkmeyer, President, Brazil
Coco Brenninkmeyer, UK
Caily Bridgeland, VA, USA
José Mauricio Cano, Colombia
Olli Coupe, Australia
Will Dunn, CA, USA
Sofia Englund, CA, USA
Paula Ferraz, Brazil
Amanda Hawila, UK/Costa Rica
Elena Hawila, UK/Costa Rica
Dia Haykal, United Arab Emirates
Davar Irvani, GA, USA
Adam Klopp, DC, USA
Chris Kobes, VA, USA
José López Sánchez, Dominican Republic
Cameron McLain, CA, USA
Sophie Morrison, NY, USA
Alishba Patel, NY, USA
Lily Rubino, NY, USA
Shukri Shammas, Lebanon
Joshua Stroman, MA, USA
Jonney Taee, NY, USA
Alex Ward, UK
Johnny Winn, UK
Luc Ziegler, VA, USA

EARTH University Leadership Team

José Zaglul, President
Daniel Sherrard, Provost
Gerardo Mirabelli, Vice President of Development
Edgar Alvarado, Dean
Patricia Loría, Finance

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT EARTH:

• Purchase EARTH products at Whole Foods Market.
• Learn at EARTH. We offer a wide range of shortterm courses and training programs, as well as educational tourism packages for youth and adults alike.
• Be an active part of our online community and share our posts.
• Tell your friends about how EARTH is changing lives, one leader at a time.

Universidad EARTH

EARTH University
P.O. Box 4442-1000
San José, Costa Rica
Phone: (506) 2713-0000

EARTH University Foundation

3525 Piedmont Road NE8
Piedmont Center, Suite 520
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 995-1230