Transforming Education in Costa Rica: Growing From 30 to 100+ Engaged Students in Just One Year with our allLearners Approach!

In August 2023, I arrived at a struggling primary school in Costa Rica with just 30 students. Recognizing its potential, I stepped into an interim management role to pave the way for change together with the future principal @simon.

By January 2024, the school had been rebranded as Real World School and launched with nearly 50 students, and a new approach. 

Fast-forward to August 2024, when we celebrated the start of a new academic year with over 100 students enrolled! 

How did we achieve this?

→  Building Trust 

The journey started with rebuilding trust amongst parents and staff. They - in this case - needed to rediscover the school’s sincerity, and have to recognize their needs in the school's future goals. We implement a future-proof communication style which 99% of the schools don’t use. A style which resonates deeply with parents, staff, and students, empowering them to talk about education with an open mindset.

→ A New Approach
We focused on personal motivation and shifted the school’s focus towards delivering great Experiences for students, which lead into personal motivation and personal learning questions and goals. As a result we see highly practical students dive deep into theoretical topics, and vice versa: theoretical students presenting their learnings practically. Which, for both, deepens their level of understanding.

→ A new Rhythm

Together with the educational management team (which now also includes @Carlos), we didn’t start with the learning goals, but with the experience we want to offer our students. Based on this, we created a bi-weekly rhythm. A new workflow which allows facilitates group & individual needs. 

→ Leading by Example
We set up staff trainings mirroring the experience we wanted for students—engaging, practical, and growth-oriented. We emphasized actionable strategies that could be immediately applied in classrooms, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

→ Focus on Personal Growth
Not just for students—it extends to staff, parents, and management. By identifying each person’s “stretch zone”—a space for productive growth—we motivated everyone to contribute their best in alignment with the school’s mission.

Results, that Matter:

→  Students Happiness - by ensuring a save school culture

→ Students Engagement - with our daily rhythm which gives them the chance to experiment and play

→ Students Motivation - through real-world challenges with a clear (personal) purpose and goals

→ Parent satisfaction - by involving them in the by-weekly rhythm and updating them on a weekly basis. 

I’m pleased with where we are at the moment. And happy to announce that we at allLearners.org grown our team, which allows us to help more schools in 2025. 

Curious about transforming education in your community? Feel free to connect.