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Dear Friends,
Six teenage boys in six beds stretched from one end of the room to the other – ¡la casa de EARTH! You can imagine the pitch of their voices as they excitedly talk about their day on campus – everything from swimming and soccer to snacks and animal sightings. That was my son Diego’s first weekend at EARTH with his friends from San José. Already the EARTH community has embraced my family and me, and EARTH has very quickly become home. We all feel the special sense of place here, that essence of EARTH’s mission that extends beyond the classrooms and the fields and lives in the hearts and minds of the students, faculty and staff.
Costa Rica has been my home since 1998, and I wasn’t in this country very long before learning about EARTH. At that point, the EARTH vision was young and full of promise. Today, thanks to José’s leadership and the work of countless others, that promise remains, and there is also measurable, powerful proof of the impact of an EARTH education.
Earlier this year, I met several students at our dinner to welcome first-year students. Lucas, a fellow Ecuadorian, was willing to part from his three-year-old daughter at home because his EARTH education will transform his life and hers. Sandra, from Malawi, learned about farming from her grandmother and kept a family garden alive during times of struggle. “When I heard about EARTH, I saw that it was a dream place for me,” she told me with great conviction. In Grace’s Ugandan village, she is only the second person to study beyond high school. Most of the girls marry very young. Grace’s plans include supporting an orphanage “so that each child can study” as she grows. Each of their stories is unique, yet all share the qualities of persistence, sacrifice, resilience and the determination to create a better world.
This annual report is full of the evidence of EARTH’s impact. From Mexico to Somaliland, the University selects young leaders from around the world and, through an experiential education in sustainable agriculture and ethical entrepreneurship, prepares them to be agents of change and builders of prosperous and just communities for humanity’s most vulnerable. I invite you to take a look. I think you will be impressed by our efforts and our results – your results too, for without your belief in our mission, none of this would be possible.
My wife Leo, our children – Isabella, 17; Diego, 13; and Adrian, 4 – and I extend our heartfelt thanks for your welcome and your support. Please come visit us at EARTH. There is no substitute for meeting the students who are empowered by your generosity, seeing our renewable energy lab (and the solar-powered golf carts!), tasting the sweetness of fresh campus-grown pineapple, and even struggling with a bit of Spanish. I look forward to meeting you in the weeks and months ahead.
This is our home at EARTH and yours as well.
Warm regards,
Arturo Condo
President, EARTH University
Dear Friends of EARTH,
2016 was a momentous year for EARTH. We marked the retirement of José Zaglul, our founding president, the Board of Directors appointed Arturo Condo as EARTH’s second president, EARTH was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation made a spectacular commitment of $40 million to EARTH’s endowment. By any measure, it was a significant year in EARTH’s history.
The real measure of EARTH’s success, however, comes in the form of our students and graduates who personify the mission of EARTH. As a third-year student, Sindy ’16, raised the funds to train 35 women from rural Costa Rica in the art of making natural banana fiber products. Their success emboldened her to launch the project in her homeland of Guatemala where “a lot of bananas means a lot of opportunity for work.” And Mauricio ’07 oversees the creation, implementation, and follow-up of projects to help farming cooperatives add value to their production as a regional project manager for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Costa Rica. While a secondary school student in Kenya, Phenny ’17, now one of our fourth-year students, created a project to train women farmers on sustainability, agroforestry and enterprise development. Remarkably, while at EARTH, she has continued as an active member of the project, providing farmers with information about financial literacy and technical advice on pest control and farm management via videoconferences.
This is the EARTH that inspired Arturo Condo to become president. Arturo’s commitment to education as a principal change agent, his values, and his vision make him an exemplary president for EARTH. His expertise in the area of strategic planning and his grasp of key global issues were crucial elements in the board’s enthusiastic endorsement.
Arturo is already working with board members and staff to develop EARTH’s strategic plan for 2018-2022. It promises to deepen and widen EARTH’s impact, to stretch our imagination about EARTH’s role in the future of rural development worldwide, and to strengthen the core experience of educating women and men whose personal stories of challenge and resilience inspire us all.
We look forward to your input as this exciting plan takes shape and to your continued support as EARTH forges ahead. Together we can ensure that the remarkable vision imagined nearly 30 years ago continues to flourish in the 21st century as we actively strive to create a more just and prosperous world.
Sincerely,
Tim Solso
Chair, Board of Directors
Farewell, don José!
In 2016, EARTH University organized several events to honor Dr. José Zaglul, EARTH’s founding president, and his nearly three decades of service leadership to the University.
In May, José and his wife Rosario flew to London and met with EARTH donors from Europe who wanted to honor them and their contributions to the University.
In September, more than 100 supporters from across North America gathered at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. to thank them for their service.
The following month, celebrations continued in Costa Rica with a reception at the San José Children’s Museum. On October 24, nearly 400 friends, family members, government officials, donors and EARTH employees of past and present attended the event. The program included performances by the Youth Symphony Orchestra and Carlos Guzmán, the well-known Costa Rican singer-songwriter and EARTH University Anthem composer. Special tributes were presented by the Vice President of Costa Rica Ana Helena Chacón, Vice President of the EARTH University Board of Directors Alan Kelso, former EARTH professor Richard Taylor and his wife Eugenia, and EARTH graduate María José Retana (’04, Costa Rica).
EARTH’s community was also able to say goodbye to José and his family during a heartfelt ceremony that dedicated the Rectory, the University’s chief administrative building, in his honor. He was joined by Rosario, his children and grandchildren, planting a mimosa tree in front of the building that now bears his name.
EARTH’s community was also able to say goodbye to José and his family during a heartfelt ceremony that dedicated the Rectory, the University’s chief administrative building, in his honor. He was joined by Rosario, his children and grandchildren, planting a mimosa tree in front of the building that now bears his name.
412 students
from 42 countries
in the Americas, Africa,
the Caribbean and Europe
The University is dedicated to providing transformational education to students from rural communities, and more than 80 percent of our students receive a full or partial scholarship for four years. EARTH’s unique admissions process sends faculty to dozens of countries around the world to personally interview and select each candidate. An 85 percent student retention rate is maintained, reflecting the supportive campus environment and the quality of our scholars. This figure, representing students who graduate in four or five years, is highly competitive in relation to universities worldwide. The campus demographics in 2016 inched even closer to true gender parity, with a student body that is 47 percent female and 53 percent male.
Student distribution by countries of origin
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STUDENTS
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WOMEN
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MEN
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COUNTRIES
EARTH students are also extremely active at international events, participating in different types of gatherings to share and discuss their views on global challenges youths are facing. In 2016, 22 students traveled to 10 different forums representing EARTH.
2,130 alumni from 39 countries in the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and Europe
Four out of five EARTH alumni return to their home countries where most (90%) are working in agriculture, environment and community development.
Graduate-led coffee company named Exporter of the Year in Honduras COHONDUCAFÉ (Compañía Hondureña del Café S.A. de C.V.) received the Premio Presidencial Orquídea Empresarial 2017 (Presidential Enterprise Award 2017) as the top coffee exporter of 2016.
COHONDUCAFÉ is a Central American company, dedicated to the manufacture and export of high-quality coffee, advancing agricultural productivity and quality standards. Its social mission arm, the COHONDUCAFÉ Foundation, supports economic growth, social responsibility and environmental concern.
EARTH graduates were part of the company’s formation and vision building and continue leading it today. They include: Terence Fuschich (’98, Honduras), founder/CEO and president of the foundation; Edgar Joel Castro (‘03, Honduras),program and projects coordinator for the foundation; Tony Arévalo (‘11, Honduras), departmental manager; Nadia Castillo (‘13, Honduras), departmental manager; Daniela Reyes (‘13, Honduras), departmental manager; Arnulfo Alvarado (‘15, Honduras), intern; Cipriano Martínez (‘15, Panamá), intern; Dolores Salazar (‘16, Honduras), intern; and Norman Reyes (‘16, Honduras), intern.
Through its coffee production and sister foundation, COHONDUCAFÉ addresses common challenges, such as low farm productivity, inconsistent product quality and lack of access to job training, technical assistance, financing, marketing and more. On top of that, the company has supported the construction and improvement of schools, donated school supplies to students and instruction materials to teachers, funded medical services, organized projects around basic sanitation (building toilets, improving graywater treatment and purifying drinking water), strengthened food security through the construction of family food gardens and trained women and young people in how to start a small business.
Alumni elect advisory council to the president After discussing ways in which alumni could be more involved with their alma mater, their representative body – made up of 46 graduates – elected the members and alternate members of the President’s Alumni Advisory Council. This group’s role is to become a consultative arm to the University’s leadership, providing input, suggestions and support.
“I chose EARTH because it teaches you how to face today’s challenges. I feel prepared to head out and confront them. It’s been an incredible experience not only because I grew my technical skills but also my professional ones. I’m no longer afraid to give my opinion or devise solutions. EARTH has taught me to be a different kind of professional, one who can interact with all kinds of people and excel in all areas of agronomy.” – Irene González (’16, Ecuador)
The trust and meaningful partnerships we maintain with our global internship sponsors make it possible for every third-year EARTH student to gain invaluable work experience through a 15-week professional internship in their chosen field and in any country across the world.
EARTH’s talented and diverse faculty is responsible for creating a participatory and experiential learning environment that provides students with the resources and knowledge necessary for their academic advancement, professional success and personal growth.
Saving mangos
Walter Ndonkeu Tita, Ph.D., received a $30,000 grant to research improvements to mango pest management in the face of thrips, a mysterious sap-sucking winged insect that has begun spelling big trouble for the fruit’s production. This ongoing research, a partnership with the University of Florida and funded by Manga Rica, already has seen a major breakthrough: the correct identification of three different types of the pest, each with various destructive habits and requiring distinct methods of control.
Shattering the rainforest’s glass canopy
After 22 years as an EARTH professor, Yanine Chan, Ph.D., was named Dean of Academic Affairs when Edgar Alvarado retired from the post. Chan is the first woman on EARTH’s campus to hold this leadership role, responsible for shepherding the University’s education model and academic development. Her caring and students-first nature, along with her unrelenting commitment to EARTH’s mission in everything she does, made her a natural fit for the role.
Unforgettable commitment
Edgar Alvarado, a member of EARTH’s pioneer faculty group, joined the University in 1991 as professor of entymology. He later served as academic dean, from 2012 through 2016. After 26 years of service, he retired at the end of 2016.
His work touched the lives of thousands of students who passed through EARTH’s halls. He will be remembered by them as a dedicated, patient professor and as a caring dean who always had time to listen.
All EARTH students run a real business during their first years at EARTH, fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and planting the seed for future business development.
Twenty percent of EARTH alumni report owning their own business or working in a family business (per the 2016 alumni survey findings).
REAL-LIFE PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
EARTH students and alumni almost unanimously mention the yearly Multicultural Fair as one of their most valuable entrepreneurship experiences during their four years in school. The fourth-year cohort is responsible for organizing all the details of this nationally renowned two-day event, including entertainment, food, vendors and all the aspects pertaining to finance, logistics and safety/security. The goal of the EARTH Multicultural Fair is to raise funds to help pay travel costs for relatives of graduating students to attend the commencement ceremony in December.
The Fair attracted around 7,500 visitors in 2016. The proceeds made it possible for 65 family members to be present in Costa Rica, covering the costs of their plane tickets, immigration processes, food and lodging for a week.
USING PRECISION TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY
EARTH is building a center for precision agriculture at the La Flor campus, which is situated in the arid corridor of Central America. Funded by Costa Rica’s Development Bank, the project aims to train and support small farmers with technologies to improve productivity in regions with extremely dry conditions.
FIRING UP WOOD STOVE RESEARCH
With support from Cummins, the Aprovecho Research Center and the NGO Sustainable Harvest, CIDER (EARTH’s Center for Research and Development in Renewable Energies) started a collaborative research project to study and improve wood stoves in Central America through the collaboration of EARTH internship students.
FOR THE LOVE OF BANANAS
An international consortium of European universities and international research centers launched MUSA, a global project dealing with sustainable management of banana crops. EARTH University leads research on biological control of parasitic nematodes and Fusarium Wilt, along with overseeing advanced training of banana farmers in Latin America.
GLOBAL DEMAND HAS GONE BANANAS
EARTH University’s commercial operation produced more than one million boxes of bananas – 1,067,886 in total – for the first time in a single year. Each box contains 105 bananas, meaning more than 112 million EARTH bananas were shipped to consumers! Considering each purchase of an EARTH product helps to provide scholarships to our students, more bananas sold means more dreams supported!
DRIED FRUIT PRODUCTION HEATING UP
EARTH exported its first containers of dehydrated fruits to Whole Foods Markets in the Rocky Mountains and Northeast regions. The product will make its way onto shelves in other markets during 2017.
IN THE NEWS
In October, EARTH University was spotlighted in a 7-minute feature by PBS NewsHour, the famed American daily evening television news program. The University’s innovative methodology, community devotion and future focus were the primary points of interest.
“Education is the best way for really improving one generation over another.” – W.K. Kellogg
In the 1980s, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation invested in a dream of a university that would intentionally seek out vulnerable youth in underserved, rural communities in the developing world and prepare them to be catalysts of social change. In pursuit of this dream, EARTH created a world-class experiential program that fosters strong scientific and technical skills, an entrepreneurial mentality, values and ethics, and social and environmental conscience. More than 25 years after welcoming our first students, we can clearly see the fruits of this investment.
Throughout EARTH’s history, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded many grants supporting scholarships, youth leadership programs and rural community development. These grants have been crucial, allowing EARTH to educate hundreds of W.K. Kellogg Foundation scholars, positively impact more than 200,000 rural residents in Central America and Mexico through our Permanent Education Program, and, by way of our commercial ventures, pioneer more sustainable and socially responsible agribusiness opportunities in the region.
In 2016, EARTH’s three-decade-long partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation welcomed a new chapter with a transformational grant of $40 million to EARTH’s endowment to support scholarships. Of that contribution, $15 million is designated as a challenge grant, meaning all gifts made through August 2019 will be matched dollar for dollar.
“More than 25 years ago, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation partnered with the government of Costa Rica and USAID to build a unique model of education grounded in leadership, entrepreneurship and environmental consciousness,” said WKKF President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron. “At the time, no such institution existed and it was a great risk. Today, EARTH continues to be aligned with WKKF’s mission. EARTH educates students from over 40 countries. Their vision stands strong, and we are honored to provide this recent gift to the University, which has a matching component. EARTH provides a unique model for educating tomorrow’s leaders and deserves support – from WKKF and others – for the next 25 years.”
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has created a true legacy of impact that spans multiple generations.
EARTH is able to reach further than our founders ever imagined thanks to the generous investment of WKKF.
In 2016, representatives of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation visited EARTH and shared special moments with students.
“When I was in my first year at EARTH, a professor told us his story, about how he’d been able to study thanks to a scholarship and how he, after finishing his studies, was compelled to do the same for others – to give back to society, in one way or another, what had been given to him. This stuck with me. He said that more than 20 years ago, and, at the time, I thought to myself that is something I would do one day. When that day arrived, I did it.
I support EARTH University because it’s where I studied, where I prepared myself for the real world. Even though we mainly do this with EARTH, we also support primary schools, high schools and other universities.
Osael Maroto, operations manager at Mayca Food Service, has supported EARTH for more than 10 years.
One of the beneficiaries is Dennis Gutiérrez (‘20, Belize).
I believe education is a tool we have for eradicating poverty and breaking the vicious cycles that afflict families. Our hope is that, with our help, students will move forward motivated to support others when they have the chance.”
–Osael Maroto Martínez (‘94, Costa Rica)
We would like to extend a special thank you to our donors who have made lifetime gifts of more than one million dollars.
We recognize and appreciate the generous support of the following donors whose gifts were received from January 1- December 31, 2016. These individuals, businesses, foundations, governments and international organizations make the continued fulfillment of our mission possible.
*= EARTH Supporter for 5+ Consecutive Years | **= EARTH Supporter for 10+ Consecutive Years | ***= EARTH Supporter for 15+ Consecutive Years | ****= EARTH Supporter for 20+ Consecutive Years
| ASSETS | |
|---|---|
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $3,629,131 |
| Prepaid expenses, deposits and other receivables | 43,385 |
| Receivable from EARTH | 167,606 |
| Pledge Receivable, net | 5,779,557 |
| Endowment Pledges receivable, net | 1,616,371 |
| Endowment and other investments | 50,206,295 |
| Cash surrender value of life insurance | 359,817 |
| Property and Equipment, net | 41,259 |
| $61,843,421 | |
| LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS | |
|---|---|
| Liabilities | |
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $113,294 |
| Advance from EARTH | 100,000 |
| Scholarships payable to EARTH | 157,990 |
| Payable to EARTH Trust | 34,227 |
| 405,511 | |
| Net assets | |
| Unrestricted | |
| Board Designated for endowment | 175,000 |
| Available for Operations | 2,421,015 |
| 2,596,015 | |
| Temporarily restricted | 8,264,176 |
| Permanently restricted | 50,577,719 |
| 61,437,910 | |
| $61,843,421 | |
| ASSETS | Programs | Administrative | Fundraising | Total Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries and benefits | $540,062 | $288,872 | $482,215 | $1,311,149 |
| Consulting | – | 8,069 | 45,235 | 53,304 |
| Professional services | 6,651 | 43,808 | 6,089 | 56,548 |
| Office expenses | 45,168 | 88,215 | 57,294 | 190,677 |
| Events | – | 370 | 51,164 | 51,534 |
| Travel and board meetings | 3,038 | 78,643 | 79,995 | 161,676 |
| Scholarships | 2,722,356 | – | – | 2,722,356 |
| Project and Program expense | 1,582,428 | 8,400 | – | 1,590,828 |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | $4,899,703 | $516,377 | $721,992 | $6,138,072 |
| INCOME | |
|---|---|
| Tuition payments and donations | $10,816.80 |
| Other income (special projects, commercial activities) | $1,534.50 |
| EARTH Endowment | $6,912.90 |
| TOTAL: $19,264.20 | |
| EXPENSES | |
|---|---|
| Compensation and benefits for administrative and operational personnel | $6,505.50 |
| Compensation and benefits for faculty and senior administrative staff | $4,887.90 |
| Operational Expenses | $5,417.50 |
| Equipment investment and replacement | $500.00 |
| Contingencies | $155.80 |
| Fundraising | $1,797.50 |
| TOTAL: $19,264.20 | |
