Steve Connaughton "The Multilingual Ambassador"

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Steve Connaughton "The Multilingual Ambassador" Building leadership, language, and community through fun, hard work, and service. Supported by the Hamilton Community Foundation.

Founded by ESL teacher Steve Connaughton, who believes in empowering English Learners to lead and serve.

So thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Fund for Teachers.
10/10/2026

So thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Fund for Teachers.

What an awesome day for our 4th Grade Multilingual Ambassadors! Through outdoor challenges, wilderness survival, rock cl...
09/25/2026

What an awesome day for our 4th Grade Multilingual Ambassadors!
Through outdoor challenges, wilderness survival, rock climbing, and so much more, our 4th grade multilingual students created a great team. What a great start to their multilingual leadership journey at Crawford Woods!
A huge thank you to the Hamilton Community Foundation (OH) for making this incredible experience possible!

09/11/2026

Excited to share our Costa Rica fellowship with the Board of Education and grateful to Fund for Teachers for giving us the opportunity to bring this experience back to our Crawford students. Pura Vida!

Another great start with our Multilingual Ambassadors! Each morning, these student leaders work alongside me to greet st...
09/02/2026

Another great start with our Multilingual Ambassadors! Each morning, these student leaders work alongside me to greet students, help younger students get where they need to go, and talk with anyone who may need a little extra attention or simply a friendly face. Their excitement is contagious. I am proud of the way our Ambassadors are already brightening mornings at Crawford Woods! They are an invaluable help!

08/15/2026

Ready for a great year with students!

07/30/2026

A recap of our time in Puerto Viejo. Thanks to Alexia Ball for the work on this one.

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Bribri Indigenous community and follow the chocolate-making process from begin...
07/18/2026

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Bribri Indigenous community and follow the chocolate-making process from beginning to end.

We saw the cacao plants, opened the pods, pulled out the seeds, roasted them over an open fire, cracked them with large stones, and then ground them into a paste. Our guide worked alongside members of the Bribri community to show us a process that has been preserved through generations

The pure chocolate paste was definitely bitter and not exactly our favorite at first, but once water, sugar, and milk were added, it transformed into something sweet and delicious. It was such a great reminder that learning is a process. Sometimes it starts unfamiliar or even a little bitter, but with time, guidance, and the right ingredients, it can become something powerful.

We also toured the village and learned about medicinal plants, blow darts, and how the Bribri people have used the natural world around them for generations. One of the most fascinating parts was learning how poison dart frogs were traditionally connected to hunting practices. Seeing the frog and hearing that history helped us understand how culture, survival, science, and the ecosystem are all connected.

That was the biggest takeaway from today. There are so many different pathways to learning. We learned by seeing, touching, tasting, asking questions, listening to stories, and connecting new information to culture and place.

That is what we want for our multilingual students and all students. Learning becomes more powerful when students have multiple ways to access it: through language, movement, visuals, hands-on experiences, background knowledge, culture, and conversation.

After our visit, we headed to Waterfall Ma-Cuu, and it was breathtaking. We jumped into the water, swam up to the falls, and even sat behind the rushing water. It was an unforgettable Costa Rica moment.

We ended the night back at our ecolodge with a fun team debrief, great conversation, and a lot more to think about.

Pura Vida!

Today started with one of my favorite parts of this trip: waking up in our open-air ecolodge.Casa Marilulu feels like a ...
07/15/2026

Today started with one of my favorite parts of this trip: waking up in our open-air ecolodge.

Casa Marilulu feels like a retreat tucked just inside the forest. The huge open living space and kitchen allow us to look out in every direction and see birds, butterflies, and monkeys moving all around us. Every morning begins with the sounds of the rainforest, and honestly, that alone feels like an experience.

Then we headed out for another adventure: ziplining through the jungle.

What a great team experience. For some of us, it was about calming nerves. For others, it was about living out the adrenaline rush of flying across long ziplines high above the trees. It was also another chance to see the ecosystem from a completely different perspective — from above the jungle instead of walking through it.

Our guides were outstanding. They were fun, encouraging, and full of energy, but when a storm rolled in, you could see them shift to another level. The trees started swaying, the rain came pounding down, and the experience changed quickly. They became calm, focused, and completely locked in on keeping everyone safe. When Alexia had a slight injury after the wind and swaying trees led her into a branch, they handled it with care and confidence.

That really stuck with us.

In stressful moments, a steady and caring adult presence makes all the difference. Whether you are on a zipline in a storm or sitting in a classroom trying to learn something new, fear and uncertainty are real. Our students need adults who can be the calm in the storm — someone who encourages, supports, guides, and helps them believe they can keep going.

After ziplining, we made our way to Cahuita National Park, where we saw white-faced monkeys, a sloth, iguanas, and enjoyed the warm Caribbean water. We ended the night back at the ecolodge, cooking together, sharing a community meal, and enjoying great conversation.

Another day of adventure, teamwork, learning, and connection.

Pura Vida!

Today was a day to catch our breath.After several days of travel, exploring, hiking, rappelling, rafting, and learning, ...
07/15/2026

Today was a day to catch our breath.

After several days of travel, exploring, hiking, rappelling, rafting, and learning, today gave us something different but just as important: time together.

We started the day with breakfast at Nanku, made a grocery run as a team, attended Mass at Iglesia Católica Diaconía Puerto Viejo, and ended the evening with a shared meal we prepared together at our ecolodge and card games.

It was simple, but perfect.

There is something powerful about breaking bread together. A shared meal is never just a meal. It is conversation, laughter, listening, storytelling, and belonging. It is the kind of moment where a group becomes more than people traveling together. It becomes a community.

That is something we think about often with our students. Before students can take risks, lead, speak, ask questions, or fully engage, they need to feel like they belong. They need to know there is a place for them at the table.

For our multilingual students, and really for all students, belonging is not extra. It is where learning begins.

Today reminded us that community is built in the big adventures, but also in the quiet moments: eating together, laughing together, praying together, cooking together, and simply enjoying each other’s company. It sure is easy to do this surrounded by the sounds of exotic birds, monkeys and green in every direction.

Pura Vida!

07/14/2026

Recap of our first 5 days in Costa Rica! Thanks to Alexia Ball for making the video.

Address

Hamilton, OH
45013

Telephone

+15134054703

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