San Jose, Costa Rica -- (SBWire) -- 03/10/2014 --The Catholic Religious Association of Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena is pleased to announce that they have launched a campaign on Indiegogo.com to help raise funds to implement much-needed improvements in the St. Catherine of Siena School for boys and girls located in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The St. Catherine of Siena School has been dedicated to enriching the lives of its students through academic excellence, spiritual guidance and moral, civic and social values for more than 50 years. Located in the district of Pavas, San Jose, a socioeconomically challenged neighborhood where drugs, crimes and other indecent and immoral acts are prevalent, the St. Catherine of Siena School serves as a place where more than 400 children between the ages of 4 and 12 can benefit from positive, constructive influences in their lives.

The St. Catherine of Siena School is seeking $249,000 to build a security wall around the premises and construct two new playgrounds. The new security wall will replace the permeable mesh that has surrounded the school for the past 50 years, helping protect students from the influences of vagrants, drug dealers and patients of the nearby National Psychiatric Hospital who are often permitted to leave hospital grounds if they are non-violent offenders.

Pavas contains the lowest ratio of per capita green and recreational areas of any district in San Jose, which is why the construction of new playgrounds is so important. Studies performed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York have concluded that quality play time is vital to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing of children, and that recreation improves learning, reduces stress and helps children build strong relationships.

Contributors of $30 or more will receive a huge virtual hug from St. Catherine of Siena’s children as a thank you, and anyone who gives $300 or more will be honored with an inscription of their name on a special metal plaque. Most importantly, anyone who donates to the “Help us to Protect and Make Happy 400 Children!” campaign will be able to feel good about themselves, knowing that they have given to a worthy cause.

About The St. Catherine of Siena School
For the past 54 years The St. Catherine of Siena School has been helping students succeed academically and learn spiritual, moral, civic and social values. The pedagogical approach they strive for seeks to secure a happy school environment where students can acquire a competitive edge in intellectual, human and Christian maturity. For more information, please visit http://info.helpcr.org.