By Santa Elena Interactive Public Library
The project “Voces del Bosque” is an initiative of the Santa Elena Public Library, which won PDP funding under the Society, Culture, and Youth category. It consists of a series of intergenerational literary workshops designed to bring together young people and older adults in a shared creative space. The initiative aims to strengthen social cohesion, preserve local stories, and create accessible cultural spaces that foster intergenerational interaction and reinforce a shared sense of community identity.
By promoting active participation, creative collaboration, and public presentations, the initiative also seeks to deepen the community’s knowledge of Monteverde’s history and traditions, in alignment with the Monteverde Community Fund’s goals of revitalizing cultural spaces and heritage.
The project emerges in response to a growing social and cultural disconnection affecting both youth and older adults in Monteverde and surrounding communities. Young people often lack spaces for creative expression outside the school environment, while older adults have limited opportunities to share their memories, knowledge, and life experiences. As a result, both groups are frequently excluded from cultural activities, weakening community ties, limiting knowledge transmission, and reducing opportunities for artistic expression.
Through PDP funding 2025-2026, the project implements guided workshops, storytelling activities, collaborative writing, and audiovisual documentation. Participants exchange experiences and co-create a collective anthology, which will be published in both digital and print formats by the end of 2026.
The initiative has:
- Conducted 8 workshops for youth and adults focused on creative foundations for developing stories, poetry, oral storytelling, preparation for public speaking, recording, and writing.
- Generated impacts in strengthening cultural identity and the community fabric.
- Fostered creative expression, youth participation, and intergenerational interaction.
- Contributed to building participants’ confidence and self-esteem.
Additionally, the initiative contributes to the diversification of the local economy by generating income for workshop facilitators and for those providing food services during each session.
Know more about them in the following links:
