1. EARTH Connections
Planting a sustainable future
Dear Friends,
With just a few months left until 2015, it is hard to believe
that we stand on the threshold of EARTH’s 25th
Anniversary.
EARTH was created in response to a global need for
professionals capable of creating positive and sustainable
change in their communities—and for 25 years,that’s exactly
what we’ve done.
To date, more than 1,800 leaders of change from 29
countries have graduated from EARTH,and the vast majority
of them have returned to their home countries. But more
important than the numbers is the fact that they have proven
themselves to be ethical leaders who are working not for
themselves, but planting the seeds of change for a more
sustainable future.
President’s
CORNER
For the next 25 years, we will continue to offer educational
opportunities to leaders who are committed to addressing
the major challenges facing humanity—poverty, climate
change and food security.In the coming years,we want those
opportunities to reach even more young men and women,
from more countries around the world.But we can’t do this
without the support of loyal friends like you.
We invite you to celebrate our achievements with us and
actively participate in the promising endeavours to come.
There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of
EARTH.
José Zaglul
EARTH University President

2. Graduate impact study reveals
RIPPLE EFFECTACROSS CENTRALAMERICA
In an effort to assess the impact of their
investment in scholarships for students
from Guatemala,Nicaragua and Honduras,
the Royal Norwegian Embassy engaged
the Research Institute for Development
in Education (INIDE) to conduct a
comprehensive study of EARTH alumni
from those countries. Released in
September,the study sought to measure
the impact of graduates through personal
interviews with alumni, their families,
co-workers and employers,in addition to
a quantitative survey.The overwhelmingly
positive findings of the study confirm that
the University’s focus on innovative,
experiential education and emphasis on
values are essential in creating ethical
leaders for a better tomorrow.
One of the most important findings of
the study was that 97% of the graduates
have returned to their country of
origin, fulfilling their promise to “go
back and give back.” The report also
found that 85% of graduates are
fulfilling EARTH’s mission by
promoting both cultural diversity and
social equality in their companies, while
74% of alumni are positively impacting
biodiversity conservation in their
countries.
Claudia Hernandez ('08, Guatemala) is
one of the 17 cases highlighted in the
study,and is the first woman in her
family to obtain a university degree.
Claudia currently works at “Economic
Cooperation for Social Interest” a
company that works with indigenous
farmers who produce fresh vegetables
for exportation. She is responsible for
providing technical assistance to
small-scale producers across the region,
supervising everything from planting and
harvesting to weed treatment and
fertilizer application.
As a young female agronomist working
in male-dominated trade, Claudia faces
challenges that go beyond the typical
struggles of new professionals.The idea
of gender equality is still developing in
Guatemala, but Claudia chooses to lead
by example.According to her boss, “She
[Claudia] has made her place as a woman
in a job where most of the workers are men.
Right now, we have a group of five male
agronomists and Claudia, and she has
integrated very well into the team. She is a
respectful person who gets along with
everyone and relates to her agronomist
peers.”
For Claudia, the training and education
she received at EARTH has allowed her
to feel confident in her abilities to
complete any task that comes her way.
“The fact that the University doesn’t focus
on making us specialists in any one area
allows us to be very versatile and be
successful in many different areas.
Agriculture is a very broad field; it’s so
much more than just production. I think
that the training at EARTH is based
around this idea.”
EARTH President José Zaglul
concludes, “We are incredibly proud of
our graduates. This study shows once
again that agronomists who study at
EARTH act as leaders of change not only
by developing sustainable agricultural
projects, but also by promoting change
through everyday professional actions as
citizens and as members of a family or
community.”
Claudia Hernandez ('08, Guatemala)

3. Campus BUZZ
Juan Bol (‘17, Belize), first-year EARTH student
and The MasterCard Foundation scholar, was
selected to participate in the 2014The MasterCard
Foundation (TMCF) Partner Appreciation dinner
on September 22 in NewYork City, along with
Foundation collaborators, current scholars and the
TMCF Board of Directors.The students also
received an intensive all-day leadership and
entrepreneurial training session from social
entrepreneur and best-selling author Miki
Agrawal.
Juan says of the experience, “I have walked away
having overcome my fear of the wider world of
entrepreneurship.I understand what tools there are to
achieve my dream of solving problems and creating a
positive impact for the betterment of my family, my
community and country as a whole.”
EARTHCOMMUNITYCREATES
HUMANLOGOWITHACOLORFUL
TWIST
On August 6, over 800 students, faculty, staff and
visitors came together to create a giant human
replica of the EARTH University logo, guided by
lines drawn in chalk on the soccer field. Many of
these community members were also present in
2005, when a similar activity was held to
celebrate EARTH’s 15th
Anniversary.
This year, every volunteer was given a colorful
surprise in the form of bags of brightly colored
powder to toss in the air, filling the logo with
vibrant hues.Aerial and ground footage from the
event will be featured in the 2014 EARTH
Christmas video, to be released in December.
WHOLE FOODS CO-CEOWALTER ROBBTO
DELIVER KEYNOTEADDRESSAT 2014
GRADUATION
Walter Robb, Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, will deliver
the keynote address at EARTH’s graduation ceremony in
Costa Rica on Friday, December 5th
, 2014.
Mr.Robb is an avid organic and sustainable agriculture advocate
and has served on the Board of Directors
of the Organic Trade Association and the
Organic Center for Education and
Promotion. He is on the Board of Regents
for the University of the Pacific and serves
on the Board of Directors for both the
Whole Planet Foundation and the Retail
Industry Leaders Association. Robb also
serves as Chairman of the Board for
Whole Kids Foundation and Whole Cities
Foundation.
On September 23, José Zaglul represented the University at the
2014 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)Annual Meeting in NewYork
City. His participation was a follow-up to last year’s CGI meeting,
during which Zaglul announced EARTH’s Commitment toAction to
create an innovative Global Master’s program in Health and
Sustainable Development together with the American University
of Beirut.
Dr. Zaglul was invited to participate in the event “Pitching for
Partnerships,” where he presented our Commitment to Action
before a panel of experts,with the goal of spreading awareness and
identifying strategic partners for the program.
JOSÉ ZAGLUL PRESENTSAT 2014 CLINTON GLOBAL
INITIATIVEANNUAL MEETING
EARTH STUDENT PARTICIPATES IN 2014 MASTERCARD FOUNDATION PARTNER
APPRECIATION DINNER
Juan Bol ('17,Belize)
Barbara Kinney/ Clinton Global Initiative

4. Impact
Alumnus Edilberto “Eddie” Romero
('93,Belize) proudly refers to himself as a
“pioneer,” along with the rest of his
classmates who took a leap of faith over
20 years ago and became the first-ever
class of students at a new university
called EARTH. Eddie now works as
Executive Director for Programme for
Belize, a non-profit organization that
promotes biodiversity conservation and
sustainable development in Belize. In the
following Q&A, Eddie shares how his
training at EARTH has changed his life
and his vision for the future of his alma
mater.
When you arrived at EARTH 25
years ago,what affected you most?
Apart from the infrastructure, it was my
friends at the University who were all from
different countries and nervous. It was the
first time I had traveled to a new country and
I didn’t know what to expect,but the warmth
of the Costa Ricans, of the professors, staff
and students was really outstanding.
What do you miss most about life
at EARTH?
I remember the quality of the professors and
the classes that they gave us,the practice in
the field and above all, being able to learn
from my teachers as well as my classmates.
We became as close as family.We were also
able to have an open dialogue with faculty
and suggest changes, in fact we were the
ones who created the EARTH Games and
the first international fair—events that still
happen today.
How has EARTH changed your life?
EARTH opened up a path for us where we
learned theory in addition to practical skills.I
learned to value the knowledge of the
communities, and I can say that working in
the community opens up your heart and
helps you to see life differently.Also,the
classes that were focused on protecting the
environment showed me another aspect of
agriculture, which led me to complete a
master’s degree in Natural Resources
Economy.Today, my job is centered on
production, conservation and sustainable
development—and it all started at EARTH.
How do you imagine EARTH in
the next 25 years?
I see a university that will be a world leader
in sustainable development, utilizing
technology and renewable energies.EARTH
has the skill and the creativity to achieve it.
PIONEER GRADUATE EDDIE ROMERO SHARES
“HOW ITALL STARTEDAT EARTH”
Edilberto Romero ('93, Belize)

5. Sharing
EXPERIENCES
In the 1960s,Frieda Caplan became the
first woman in America to own her
own wholesale produce
company—the aptly named Frieda’s
Inc.With a history of innovation (the
company has introduced more than
200 new fruits and vegetables) and
proven commitment to sustainable
foods and the people who grow them,
Frieda’s, Inc. sets a high standard not
only for the produce industry, but for
the future leaders of agriculture. For
almost 20 years, Frieda’s, Inc. has
provided generous support for young
men and women to study at EARTH
University and gain the skills they need
to create positive change in society and
in agriculture. Since 1990, Frieda’s, Inc.
has been owned and run by Frieda’s
two daughters, Karen Caplan and
Jackie CaplanWiggins
President and CEO Karen Caplan
states that, “Our mission is to change the
way America eats fruits and vegetables
and part of that is sourcing products from
around the world. We are a
compassionate and value-oriented family,
so the fact that there is a university that
teaches students how to build enterprises
that help elevate communities is very
aligned with what we represent.”
FRIEDA’S INC.AND EARTH WORKTOGETHER FOR A MORE
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
In addition to sponsoring students by
awarding financial scholarships, in 2010
Frieda’s went a step further and
created an internship program for
third-year EARTH students. “We work
really hard to create important projects for
the fourth quarter because we know we
are getting an EARTH intern and we want
them to gain that experience,” explains
Karen. She goes on to say, “For me, it
became a very personal connection to
EARTH and to all the families of the
interns.”
Their fifth EARTH Intern, third-year
EARTH student Isaiah Lekesike ('15,
Kenya) arrived at Frieda’s in September
to begin his four-month internship. He
says, “I chose Frieda’s because it is a
special company, based on its core values
and the history of how it all began. I want
to be the kind of agronomist who can
work the entire production chain, from
placing the seeds in the soil to introducing
the product to the market. By doing this, I
can change the lives of small farmers in
Kenya by ensuring that they are not taken
advantage of by the brokers.”
In the future, Karen looks forward to
the possibility of coming full circle and
establishing a business relationship
with an EARTH graduate.“I hope that
some of the people we’ve interacted with
will create enterprises in their home
countries and then we could begin a
commercial relationship.”
Isaiah Lekesike ('15, Kenya)
Jackie Caplan
VP & COO
Frieda Caplan
Founder
Karen Caplan
President & CEO
Alex Jackson
Marketing Programs Manager

6. NEWS Brief
In 2014, EARTH University received two
groups of volunteers from theWhole Planet
Foundation (a non-profit organization
established byWhole Foods Market) as part
of an ongoing collaboration to promote
community development in rural Costa
Rican communities.
The first group of 10 volunteers arrived in
July and donated their time and efforts to
the La Argentina de Pocora Elementary
School. The improvements made to the
school will benefit more than 55
students and their families. In August,
the second group of 11 volunteers
renovated a rural community health
clinic in the LaArgentina neighborhood
near EARTH’s campus.These repairs
will help improve the quality of
healthcare services for the more than
1,000 people in the community.
EARTHANDWHOLE PLANET FOUNDATION JOIN
TO PROMOTE RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Events
Credits
NOVEMBER 2014TO JANUARY 2015
November 12-13:Greenovator Conference
November 26: Graduation Project presentations from
fourth-year students
December 3-5:Alumni Reunion for the classes of 1994,1999,
2004 and 2009
December 3-6:AMIGOS visit to EARTH
December 3: Heliconia Awards and cultural presentations
for the families of graduating students
December 4: Flag Raising Ceremony, Records Signing
Ceremony and Graduation Dinner
December 5:Commencement Ceremony
December 5 – January 11:Student vacations
December 19 – January 5: Institutional holiday (campus
closed)
January 10-13:25thAnniversaryAMIGOS visit to EARTH
January 12:First Day of Classes 2015
EARTH University Office of Communications | EARTH Connections
Edition 9, November 2014 | Copyright © 2014 EARTH University,All rights reserved.
OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON
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University Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public
charity, will help provide opportunities to
young leaders who want to make a difference
in the world but lack the resources to pursue
a higher education.
Gifts to EARTH University Foundation can be
made:
• Online at earth.ac.cr/support-earth
• By phone: 404-995-1235
(Mon-Fri, 8:30 am-5:00 pm ET)
• By mail: EARTH University Foundation
8 Piedmont Center Suite 520
3525 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
Office:404-995-1235 / Fax:404-995-1240
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