All of the 7th grade students in the John G. Borden Middle School received a forty-minute presentation about Guatemala. Photos of various Guatemalan communities (cities, villages, markets, and ancient Mayan cities), as well as: plant and animal life, textiles, traditional clothing, volcanoes, etc. were used to teach students about the beauty and need within this incredible country.
Students were invited to complete a student application if they were interested in participating in a special after-school program, the Guatemalan Action Project, which would involve working with me once a week, after school, for ten weeks. The goal of the program is for the students to develop, organize and implement a community fund-raiser to benefit a specific needy community in Guatemala. Over 40 applications were received for the 17 slots available! (A wait list has been created with the additional applications should a student have to withdraw from the project.)
By participating in this program, students will learn and enhance their skill levels within the areas of public speaking, marketing, organizing and planning, community outreach, problem solving, and time management. In addition, students will experience a sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as deep personal satisfaction in knowing they made a difference in the lives of children and families living with severely limited resources.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Program Introduction
Greetings! The Guatemalan Action Project is the after-school service learning component for "Cultivating Compassion in the Classroom."
In the winter of 2009, I was very fortunate to spend three weeks in the beautiful country of Guatemala. During that time I studied Spanish at Proyecto Linguistico in Antigua, Guatemala. It was an excellent Spanish immersion experience that included one-on-one professional instruction for 7 hours a day, and a caring Guatemalan host family.
As I traveled through Guatemala I met some amazing people, visited ancient Mayan ruins, took some incredible photos and witnessed the tremendous poverty 90% of the population experiences.
Despite their hardship, the Guatemalan people were incredibly warm, kind and generous. Upon returning home to the Hudson Valley, I knew that I had to find a way to do something helpful, and use my photos and experiences as valuable educational tools.
My experience with our youth has shown time after time that they are very sensitive to the issues, but often lack the opportunities to transform that concern into positive action for change. Many young people are not aware of their potential to make a real difference within their local community, or the global community that they are a part of.
In the winter of 2009, I was very fortunate to spend three weeks in the beautiful country of Guatemala. During that time I studied Spanish at Proyecto Linguistico in Antigua, Guatemala. It was an excellent Spanish immersion experience that included one-on-one professional instruction for 7 hours a day, and a caring Guatemalan host family.
As I traveled through Guatemala I met some amazing people, visited ancient Mayan ruins, took some incredible photos and witnessed the tremendous poverty 90% of the population experiences.
Despite their hardship, the Guatemalan people were incredibly warm, kind and generous. Upon returning home to the Hudson Valley, I knew that I had to find a way to do something helpful, and use my photos and experiences as valuable educational tools.
My experience with our youth has shown time after time that they are very sensitive to the issues, but often lack the opportunities to transform that concern into positive action for change. Many young people are not aware of their potential to make a real difference within their local community, or the global community that they are a part of.
Program Goals
In addition to the goals for participating students listed above, the Guatemalan Action Project goal is to create up to two community fund-raising events which will benefit the community of Santa Cruz la Laguna through the organization, Amigos de Santa Cruz. This incredible organization has been providing meaningful and necessary assistance for the children and families on Santa Cruz la Laguna.
During my trip, I stayed in this small Mayan community, and visited their school and community health center. I also had the opportunity to meet some of the villagers and see how they have benefited from Amigos first-hand!
90% of all donations are used directly for programs and services. These services include a healthy snack program which feeds over 400 children every day at school, a vitamin program, eco-water filter program, and many more! I encourage you to check out their website and learn more about them for yourself. You can find them at: http://www.amigosdesantacruz.org/ .
During my trip, I stayed in this small Mayan community, and visited their school and community health center. I also had the opportunity to meet some of the villagers and see how they have benefited from Amigos first-hand!
90% of all donations are used directly for programs and services. These services include a healthy snack program which feeds over 400 children every day at school, a vitamin program, eco-water filter program, and many more! I encourage you to check out their website and learn more about them for yourself. You can find them at: http://www.amigosdesantacruz.org/ .
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