A collaborative mural project connected a group of Reading elementary students with their peers in a small community in northeast Costa Rica
The recent art exchange, facilitated by Alvernia University Total Experience Learning Institute, partnered third- and fourth-grade kids from Tyson Schoener Elementary School art club with fourth graders at Escuela Hojancha, or Hojancha School, in Hojancha, Costa Rica.
Organizer said the work, “Colibri: Pintando los Suenos de Nuestra Ninez” or “Hummingbird: Painting the Dreams of Our Children,” is rooted in culture, connection and creativity.
“This project was a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience art, culture, teamwork and kindness,” said Dr. Salvador Sepulveda, principal of Tyson Schoener. “We are extremely grateful that they had an international experience they will never forget.”
Tyson-Schoener Elementary School fourth graders Annalyce Dorsey, Ariah Douglas and Ketzy Rivera paint components of a mural installed in March at Hojancha elementary school in Hojancha, Costa Rica. (Courtesy of Michael Miller)
Initiated by Israel Mesen Rubí of Tarya Educational Expeditions and coordinated by Michael L. Miller, studio manager at Alvernia, the exchange built on a previous collaboration between the two educators in 2023.
“This project gave students the opportunity to connect beyond geography and language through art,” Miller said. “They weren’t just creating something beautiful; they were building relationships.”
The collaboration began in February with virtual meetings between the two schools, aided by their similar time zones.
Reading students then worked with Miller to design a mural for the Costa Rican school.
They chose the image of a hummingbird as the bird’s seasonal journey between Central America and Pennsylvania mirrored the students’ own cross-cultural exchange, organizers said.
Under the guidance of Tyson Schoener art teacher Annie Schnore, students in Reading painted portions of the mural on a specialized polyester material used for large-scale installations.
Third- and fourth-grade students at Tyson-Schoener Elementary School show off the flower designs they painted for a mural installed in March at Hojancha elementary school in Hojancha, Costa Rica. (Courtesy of Michael Miller)
Miller later transported the materials to Costa Rica, where he was joined by Berks County artists Gregory Didyoung and Nicholas Kiedeisch for the installation.
“It was incredible to see the excitement across the entire school as the mural came to life,” Kiedeisch said
During a three-day residency, the artists worked alongside students at Escuela Hojancha to transform the design into a permanent fixture on the school’s campus.
“I loved watching the kids develop their artmaking skills and take ownership of the project,” Didyoung said.
The Tyson-Schoener students followed the installation through a live virtual session, watching their work take shape thousands of miles away.
The mural’s completion was celebrated by students and staff in Hojancha, marking not just the end of the project but the beginning of what organizers hope will be an ongoing partnership between the schools.
Third and fourth-grade students from Tyson-Schoener Elementary School, Reading, show off the mural they painted recently for their school’s lobby. (Courtesy of Michael Miller)
Students at Tyson Schoener also completed an 8-by-15-foot mural inside their own school. The kids painted the work during weekly after-school art club sessions over three months.
Designed by local artist Jonathon Ruiz, it features composite portraits of three children and was inspired by the student body.
Titled “Garden of Hope,” the piece was recently installed in the school’s main entrance.
That project, also coordinated by Miller, involved art teacher Annie Schnore, art club adviser Dakota Schlappich and Leslie Alexandra Ramos, who served as lead painter and studio assistant.
“It was a great experience for these kids, to be both local and international muralists this year,” Miller said.