The Centro de Apoyo en Pedagogía Hospitalaria HNN-HSJD CEAPH was the venue for the 2026 Regional Chess Tournament of the San José Central Regional Education Directorate, held on April 8 with the participation of 127 primary and secondary students.
The event brought together students from various educational centers, including Liceo de Costa Rica, Ricardo Fernández Guardia, Liceo del Sur, Colegio Salesiano Don Bosco, Internacional SEK Costa Rica, Dr. José María Castro Madriz, Instituto Educativo Moderno, Liceo Franco Costarricense, Liceo de Alajuelita, CTP de Hatillo, Colegio Seminario, Colegio El Rosario, Teodoro Picado and Edgar Cervantes Villalta. Three students from CEAPH also participated due to their health conditions alongside representatives from several primary schools.
The San José Central Regional Education Directorate chose CEAPH as the tournament venue to showcase and inaugurate a new facility acquired last year for teaching and administrative staff. This building is the first acquired by the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) specifically for serving students in hospital environments. Located near the National Children’s Hospital (Hospital Nacional de Niños), it accommodates 49 education professionals providing services such as Physical Education, Music and Speech Therapy.
Key processes at this site include inter-institutional coordination and interdisciplinary meetings supporting all 27 regional education directorates in Costa Rica. The facility is also equipped for staff training sessions and offers spaces for families and students who attend due to recurring medical needs.
At the closing ceremony of the tournament Viceminister Guiselle Alpizar Elizondo said that chess “enhances critical thinking skills, decision-making abilities and promotes values through healthy competition.” Students advancing in their categories will move on to an interregional stage.
The investment in this infrastructure marks a significant step toward improving educational support for hospitalized children while enabling more comprehensive academic and socio-emotional care.
