About us

Proyecto Asis is an organization dedicated to wildlife protection, environmental conservation, and fostering positive cultural exchanges through education and service.   It serves as an animal rescue center, Spanish school, and volunteer center.  Proyecto Asis’ Animal Rescue Center strives to give the animals the care and respect that they deserve while rehabilitating them.  It is also committed to providing quality Spanish classes, where the student is engaged and immersed in Spanish and Costa Rican culture.  Lastly, the volunteer center offers a variety of opportunities for the local communities and foreign participants to work together in order to increase environmental conservation awareness through communication and community service.

Asis Staff

Alvaro del Castillo is the Director of Proyecto Asís. He earned his professional degree as an Agricultural Engineer at the Universidad Nacional ( National University ) in Costa Rica . Since that time his interests have taken him to Mexico and the United States where he has worked as in fields related to agriculture and as a Spanish teacher. He developed a Spanish course for dairy farmers in Texas so that they can communicate with Spanish-speaking workers.

He organizes the animal rescue program in coordination with the environmental conservation authorities of the Costa Rican government and the park rangers of the Children's Eternal Rainforest.

His interest in and direct contact with rural communities and nature allows him to understand the real needs and problems of the area. “As Director of Project Asís I offer a program of ecological and cultural immersion in which the participant learns, serves and shares with the rural communities and the natural environment of Costa Rica”.

Alvaro combines a tireless work ethic with close attention to detail as he strives to create a program that will provide an unforgettable experience to all who visit Asís.

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alvaro@institutoasis.com

The founder of Proyecto Asís is Jaime del Castillo Riggioni. In 1995 Don Jaime purchased the 8 acre property that is now the home of Proyecto Asis. His goal then, as it is today, was to create a program of community education and environmental awareness that would nurture the environment and enhance the quality of life for all concerned.

Prior to embarking on the creation of Proyecto Asís Don Jaime earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in México. He pursued a very successful career as a veterinary doctor for 20 years. As the years passed Don Jaime proved himself to be a man of many talents. He has published several articles on subjects ranging from parenting to homeopathy and natural medicine.

He brings his considerable expertise to the Wildlife Rescue Center at Asís providing medical advice and care for injured and abandoned animals. Don Jaime continues to maintain a practice of homeopathic medicine as Proyecto Asís grows and moves toward a realization of his original vision of making a lasting contribution for the betterment of all beings. “Proyecto Asis is a center of humanistic coexistence where we want to elevate the human conscience to promote respect for and fraternity with nature.” 

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jdelc@institutoasis.com

Amanda Rossi is the new addition to the Proyecto Asis team.  She is Alvaro’s assistant director and is responsible for all the correspondence, marketing, coordinating of participant programs, and daily office duties.  Amanda is excited to work with former and new Asis participants.
Amanda comes from Greenwood Lake, NY. She studied Spanish and International business at Siena College and continued for her Master’s in Latin American Literature at the University at Albany. Amanda caught the travel bug in high school when she visited the Mayan ruins in Mexico, which led her to study abroad in Spain and travel around Europe. Amanda initially came to Costa Rica to take a month long TESOL certification course offered by SIT and fell in love with Costa Rica and stayed for a year as a volunteer English teacher in a rural community in San Carlos. 
Amanda loves to travel, read, and eat sweets.

info@institutoasis.com