Intel in Costa Rica

Community involvement

Over almost two decades, Intel Costa Rica has become a proven asset to our communities across the country. The employees have actively developed and executed community initiatives that focus on education, technology, and environmental awareness. More than 50 percent of its workers volunteer their time, energy, and skills to more than 15 different programs and projects annually.

Intel also executes programs where volunteers boost the entrepreneurial spirit, share environmental concepts, and motivate students to improve their writing skills. Intel Costa Rica volunteers contribute to national education programs that promote science and math and actively participate in the national science fair and other technology-focused programs. The company has been recognized for its commitment to improving the quality of life in Costa Rica. Intel is a seven-time winner of the Community Service Award from the Costa Rican American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM).

Education

Promoting education is a major priority for Intel Costa Rica. We invest an average of USD 1 million annually to support local education programs in the country. Our programs are focused on three areas: elementary and high school education, higher education, and education in the community. Our goal is to promote 21st century skills, including science, math, and engineering, through volunteer work, donations, and financial contributions.

In 2006, Intel Costa Rica implemented the Intel Involved Matching Grant Program, which gives employees the opportunity to earn money for nonprofit organizations that are meaningful to them. The Intel Foundation matches our employee’s volunteer hours through monetary donations. Since the program’s launch, Intel Costa Rica employees have donated thousands of hours and raised thousands of dollars to support local education.

Intel® Teach Program

The Intel® Teach Program helps teachers integrate technology into their classrooms to enhance student learning. In Costa Rica, the Intel Teach Program is coordinated in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Education, was implemented by the Omar Dengo Foundation, and now is executed by CECC-SICA.

Training is available for teachers in all regions of the country, including those in very remote one-room schoolhouses. More than 60 percent of K-12 teachers in Costa Rica have participated in this program since the program started in 2000, and it has had a very positive impact in almost all the student population of the country.

Intel Costa Rica has also donated computers and other digital equipment to schools, establishing model classrooms where teachers can use technology resources to improve the teaching of math, science, social sciences, and language. These donations and technical trainings have already made a major impact on education in Costa Rica.

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)

In collaboration with the National Science Fair Commission and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Telecommunications, Intel promotes student interest in science, math, and technology careers. We also support the annual Engineering Fair and the annual National Science and Technology Fair for elementary and high school students.

The finalists of both events compete at the Costa Rica Intel Challenge, and the winners represent the country at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) each year. One hundred and twenty students have represented Costa Rica at Intel ISEF since 1998, winning a number of awards and honors.

Intel Computer Clubhouse

The Intel Computer Clubhouse uses creative technology to help underserved youth develop confidence and acquire problem-solving and technology skills. This community education model forms a network of 120 Computer Clubhouses around the globe, locating two of these youth centers in Costa Rica where approximately 1,500 students benefit.

The Clubhouses have offered workshops in a diverse range of subjects, including robotics, conversational English, graphic design, and fashion.

Higher education

Intel has donated parallel programming labs to UCR and ITCR in 2008 and to the UNA in 2009, which allow computer science students to learn new programming skills that were not taught before in the classroom.

Donations is only one item of the collaborative relationship Intel has with universities in the country.

Intel Costa Rica works closely with academia and industry to improve the engineering, science, and math curricula to adapt them to the needs of the future market.

Additionally, our Innovation Lab hosts several multidisciplinary workshops with public and private universities to strengthen the professors skills and constantly introduce new trends to the education process.

Technical education

Working closely with the Ministry of Education, Intel Costa Rica helps strengthen the country’s technology knowledge base. We constantly donate industrial equipment to different technical institutions in the country.

Students of 18 technical specialties from these high schools design and build demonstrations, create manufacturing processes, and practice maintenance procedures with high-tech equipment. Intel places particular emphasis on the importance of conduct and occupational safety procedures in laboratory and school environments. Intel works with the technical education system to further promote the values and skills that are required in the workforce.

Learn more about education in Costa Rica (link leads to Spanish-language site) >

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

Intel has developed a major Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) community awareness program. Intel EHS professionals, together with community groups and local government officials, work with neighboring companies to improve our environmental impact and practices.

The arrival of Intel positively changed many safety paradigms in Costa Rica. The company has introduced new products with no adverse impact on the safety and health of our workers or on the environment. Its environmental performance indicators demonstrated continuous improvement. Injury rates were reduced to minimal levels, while recycling and waste minimization levels went up. The company has also implemented programs to share our environmental health and safety methods with the entire country.

Intel Costa Rica has significantly increased its solid waste recycling performance and is now recycling about 90 percent of the solid waste it generates. The revenue generated from our solid waste recycling program is donated to community public schools. Intel is also collaborating with community schools to help them adopt our recycling practices. Intel Costa Rica has continued to decrease our environmental impact by installing a new flow-control system at our sites to reduce water use and reuse water.

Intel Costa Rica's efforts to promote environmental health and safety have resulted in several awards. Intel is a four-time winner of the National Safety Award, "Preventico", from the National Insurance Institute—the most prestigious safety and health award presented by any government institution in the country. The company has also received the White Flag Award, presented by the Ministry of Health, for outstanding health and safety performance.

Read about Intel in the beautiful and peaceful province of Heredia, Costa Rica. This site hosts the largest Research and Development Center of the country and one of the most diverse and complex Global Services Center in the nation.

Contact Information

Costa Rica Public Affairs Department
Componentes Intel de Costa Rica
Calle 129 La Ribera de Belen
Heredia, Costa Rica
Phone number: (506) 2298-6000

Contact information >