Learning the intricacies of a new language can be challenging, but taking skills from the classroom to a live panel of nine for a Shark-Tank-style simulation is nerve-wracking, even for the prepared Principia Spanish 3 class. 

The contest: Retiros Rústicos, (or Rustic Retreats, for those of us who aren’t bilingual), challenged students to represent countries across Latin America to research, design, and pitch sustainable outdoor-tourism projects—entirely in Spanish—to a panel of fluent speakers.  

Through crafted advertisements, detailed proposals, and eclectic slide shows, each group presented viable and creative ideas, answered questions, and defended their ideas to the panel in Spanish. 

“We wanted to create real-world relevance,” explained Spanish teacher Jason Marschke. “The class had just wrapped up a unit on outdoor activities, enjoying all the natural features of different landscapes and diversity that are in the natural world throughout Latin America. For the project, the students played the role of a representative of the Tourism Ministry of a chosen country for their group and presented their ideas to a panel of eco-conscious philanthropists who have pooled their resources to invest in the project that has the greatest social and environmental impact.” 

Some students created tri-fold brochures for handouts, some created compelling videos, and some added special flavor to their presentations by preparing authentic, cultural foods like Guatemalan cajetas de leche and Ecuadorian empanadas from the regions they represented.  

“Every student was a winner for the courage it took to speak in a second language before a group of peers, faculty, and judges from local colleges and universities,” said Marschke. 

Beyond demonstrating their command of the Spanish language, students showed a deep commitment to environmental and social issues facing their chosen regions. They pitched their vision for tourism, camping, and affordable healthcare, emphasizing global stewardship that strengthens local economies by providing more resources for preservation of habitats and natural areas. In other words, these projects were built to make an impact. 

What stood out to Marschke was how confidently students met the challenge and responded to unscripted questions from the panel with poise fluency. 

The winning team represented Costa Rica, who impressed the judges with feasibility, fluency, and vision, but as Marschke says, “Every student was a winner for the courage it took to speak in a second language before a group of peers, faculty, and judges from local colleges and universities.” 

Marschke credits Principia’s ARTIful—Authentic, Relevant, Transferrable, and Impactful—model of learning, which encourages teachers and students to reach beyond traditional assignments, while cultivating confidence, curiosity, compassion, and real-world skills. This approach elevates projects like Retiros Rústicos from the classroom into meaningful and authentic learning experiences where everyone wins.