Gold Coast: Educative Innovation in Tamarindo

Photo Courtesy of Goald Coast School Learning Center

  Characterized for its academic excellence, innovation, and social responsibility to the community, the Gold Coast School Learning Center has established itself as a quality educational option in Tamarindo.

 In June 2010, Gold Coast School Learning Center opened its doors with just two classrooms at Blue Ocean Bilingual Academy.

Today, it is located in Villa Tuscan, across the street from The Oaks Apartments, on the way to Huacas. Its new facility includes five classrooms, a kitchen, den, swimming pool, apartments, and beautiful landscaping. 

With 24 students and 3 graduates, Gold Coast projects having 30 local students and the possibility of opening a residency program linked to the K12 program and Keystone School. 

“We believe in staying small, and will cap enrollment at a total of 50 students,” said Mark Sluzky, Gold Coast’s Director.  The K12 International Academy is a private online school that offers the world-renowned curriculum from K12, the U.S. market leader in online curriculum programs for kindergarten through twelfth grade.  

As the first school accredited by Flex Global Academy in Latin America, Gold Coast serves as a model to expand this new method of education in the region.

 “We are the Costa Rican representatives for K12 and look to expand and open other Gold Coast Academies in other areas of Costa Rica,” remarked Sluzky.  

Gold Coast offers guided online learning. Fully certified U.S. teachers present information in the traditional method of a teacher in front of a blackboard. Students take notes and interact with one another.

 The content itself comes from K12, the world’s leading provider of online education. 

 “The main difference is that students have access to over 180 classes presented at the regular, honors, and Advanced Placement levels,” mentioned Mr. Sluzky.  

Their philosophy is that by allowing students to take classes they want to take motivates them to become lifelong learners.   

“Since our students earn their diplomas from the United States, there is no need to take the Bachillerato exam for students planning on going to Costa Rican universities.

 Their transcripts are sent to the Costa Rican consulate in NY for certification. Students then present the documents to the Ministerio de Educación Pública in Costa Rica and may go directly to Public and Private Universities in Costa Rica”.

The degree that students earn from their online program is a fully accredited U.S. High School degree, accepted by colleges and universities around the world.

 It is not a Homeschool program or DEGREE but a real high school diploma. 

Soccer, Beach Volleyball, Surf Club, Drama Club, Photo Club, Model United Nations Club, Honors Society, Student Government, and Paint Ball are part of the elective activities that Gold Coast offers. 

Community Service is very important for Gold Coast. “We have adopted the Salon Comunal in Huacas. Over the past year, we have invested over $10,000 into the center. We have built new bathrooms, painted the inside and outside, installed retractable basketball hoops, and installed lights for evening events,” related Mr. Sluzky. 

This year’s goal is to build a children’s playground and Skate Park on the property.   Also, Mr. Sluzky told Tamarindo News that last year all three of their Seniors graduated and went off to prestigious colleges in the US and Europe.   

“Our valedictorian, Walter Augustine, was accepted into the world leading engineering program of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  Our other graduates went to Hult International Business School in London and Mira Mesa College in the United States.”