A Surf School for Sustainability

While a student, Travis Bays ’04 was inspired by the international opportunities available, from a diverse student population to numerous study abroad programs. The passion he developed for other cultures led him to join the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where he began his journey as a Changemaker committed to sustainable development. In 2010, he and three friends founded the Bodhi Surf School to teach surfing while educating participants on marine conservation and sustainability in the region. The surf school encourages collaborations for greater social impact and engages local communities through programs such as Siempre Unidos para Reforzar nuestro Futuro (SURF) to empower at-risk youth. Bays is partnering on the launch of a new social venture, GEOPORTER, which offers geospatial technology to assist local communities in building the capacity for a tourism economy that can maintain its own sustainable growth.