Donating Supplies and Fundraising Update

Here is a list of supplies I will be collecting to bring to the school in La Ceiba:

- pencils, pens, erasers, and hand-held sharpeners
- index cards
- coloring books, activity books, word searches, and basic reading books (lightweight)
- children's scissors
- markers and colored pencils (crayons tend to melt in the heat)
- colored paper
- posters / maps
- sidewalk chalk
- group games (BINGO, scrabble, chutes and ladders)
- stickers or stamps

Donations can be brought to my classroom at the Middle School.

Also, there is only one week left for my fundraising campaign.  If you are still interested in making a donation, please visit https://www.wepay.com/donations/teaching-english-in-honduras one day this week.

So far, I have exceeded my original goal and raised $1,325!  This is almost enough to cover the cost of the volunteer program.  Any money that I receive beyond the program cost will either help to purchase supplies, ship those supplies, or go directly to the school.  A huge thank you to the following sponsors for helping me to reach my goal:

• Segar family
• Borrosch family
• Ford family
• Klein family
• Kaufman family
• Agar family
• Pamela King
• Calhoun family
• Andrew Corey
• McIntee family
• William Walter
• Eric Greenwood
• Robb family
• West family
• Kelly family
• Bonnie Crittenden
• Kay Panek
• Sue and Ted Sanford
• Paganelli family
• Thompson family
• Puchebner family
• Marge Harter
• Ekholm family
• Fraser family
• Millard family
• Roy family
• Cheryl Lavery
• Villanti family
• D'Agostino family
• 6th grade Gold Team teachers

Education system in Honduras

After doing some reading about Honduras' education system, I realized how important it is for kids there to be exposed to the English language in order to compete with surrounding countries.  Here are some unfortunate statistics regarding education in Honduras:

• 13.5% of children do not have access to an education
• More than half a million people in Honduras are illiterate (equivalent to the entire population between the ages of 15 and 40)
• More than 90% of students need to repeat grades
• Over 50% of students never finish primary school
• Only 8% of students attend a university
• Schools are so understaffed that some teachers have up to 80 kids in one classroom

(Information from http://www.globalexchange.org/country/honduras/education and http://countrystudies.us/honduras/58.htm)

Students who learn to speak English have a better chance of getting a job when they finish school.  Unfortunately, there are very few English-speaking teachers or volunteers available to work with the kids.  Hopefully, my three-week volunteer program will make a difference in the lives of the students I work with.

Donation update

Thanks to 3 generous sponsors this week, I am now over halfway to my goal!  I will be putting together a list of supplies soon for anyone who is interested in contributing.  I am also looking for ideas of things to bring that will represent the Honeoye Falls / Rochester area. 

For monetary contributions, go to my fundraising page at https://www.wepay.com/donations/teaching-english-in-honduras.

Why I volunteer

Volunteering has been an important aspect of my life for a long time.  In high school, I joined organizations such as Students Against Drunk Driving and Big Brothers / Big Sisters.  When I got to college, I spent many hours involved with the Big Brothers / Big Sisters program (from being a mentor to coordinating the program).  I also participated in several volunteer and community service projects from the United Way's Day of Caring to helping out at the local nursery school.  Once I began teaching, it became more difficult to find time for volunteering, but I still took every chance I could get.  Staying involved with my church, scout groups, and local recreation program has helped me to give back to the community I grew up in.  As a teacher, I have always tried to stress the importance of volunteering and giving back to my students.

While at a service-learning conference I attended as a college student in Rhode Island, I learned a lot about myself and why I choose to volunteer.

I volunteer for two reasons.  One, service to others makes a difference.  Without volunteer ambulances and fire departments, small towns would struggle to provide these services to their citizens.  Without mentors, children at risk would have a difficult time making the right choices.  Without organizations like the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society to which people can donate time, money, and other forms of support, our medical fields would not be able to make the advancements they do.  If volunteering my time will make a difference in someone's life, even in some small way, then I can be a part of (excuse the cliche) "making the world a better place." 

The second reason I volunteer is because it is a valuable exchange.  When I spend time in service to others, I often gain just as much as I give.  Volunteering at a local soup kitchen opened my eyes to what life can be like for those who are less fortunate than me.  It made me appreciate the clothes on my back, the roof over my head, and the meal I eat every night.  Serving as a mentor to young kids has brought me joy, laughter, and an appreciation to the mentors I have had in my own life.  It helps me put things into perspective and strive to be a better teacher.

I chose "A Broader View" (the volunteer organization that I am working with to plan my project in Honduras) for the very reasons I volunteer.  The organization strives to make a difference in the lives of people around the world, and it provides a valuable cultural exchange.  It is my hope that I will return from my trip with a feeling that I have made a positive impact on the lives of children in Honduras, with a greater understanding of the Spanish culture, and with a broader view of the world.

If you are interested in helping me with this project, please consider making a donation on my project page.  To write a check or for information on tax-deductible donations, please send me an e-mail (robsanford89@yahoo.com).

Immunized!

I had an appointment yesterday with Passport Health up at Strong. They were great! Had a personalized packet ready for me with information about health risks and safety precautions for traveling to Honduras. For anyone planning to go abroad, I highly recommend setting up an appointment with them. I got my immunizations and prescriptions right there, and the nurse was very informative and helpful. Thanks to Cheryl for recommending them!

Fun Fact

La Ceiba (the city I will be volunteering in this summer) has an interesting history.  Its name comes from the Ceiba tree which is found throughout Central America.  In 1872, a man built a small shack on the Caribbean coast beneath an old Ceiba tree.  Over time, people began to settle there because of the great cultivation of bananas in the area.



The most popular species of the Ceiba tree is the Kapok.  You might be familiar with the children's picture book, The Great Kapok Tree.  I think I found my first English lesson to teach to the kids!  Now, I just need to locate a few copies of the book.

Donation update

Thank you to those who have made donations this week. I am currently at $175 - almost 20% of my goal! Scroll down to make a donation online or to track my project progress.

If you would rather contribute via check, you can either make it out to me or to "A Broader View Volunteers." For a tax-deductible donation, send me an email at robsanford89@yahoo.com, and I can send you a sponsor coupon to complete with directions on how to make the donation.

Spanish in the classroom

Upon request of a student, I have decided to start sharing my Spanish language learning with my English classes.  Each day, I am going to teach them a phrase or two in Spanish.  As 6th graders, they do not yet have the opportunity to take a language.  Next year, students will be able to choose between Spanish and French.  Today, I taught them a basic introduction:

Hola!  Me llamo _________.  Como te llamas?  which means "Hello!  My name is __________.  What is your name?"

The students are excited to learn more Spanish phrases.  

Speaking of learning more Spanish, I have made it through 25 episodes over the last week of a podcast called "Discover Spanish."  For anyone interested in learning the language, it's a great resource.  I am learning a lot of useful phrases that will help me get acquainted with my host family and the students at the school when I arrive in Honduras.  It's hard to believe that in less than 12 weeks, I will be immersed in a new culture!

Buenos noches!

The quest begins...

Last week, I decided to spend some time volunteering abroad this summer.  (It might have had something to do with the cold spring break weather we were having!)  After researching some volunteer organizations online, I decided to check into one called "A Broader View Volunteer Corps" that offers a program in La Ceiba, Honduras, teaching children in poverty to speak English.  In Central America, speaking English is a valuable skill when it comes to finding a job.  Schools are always looking for volunteers to come work with their students as there are not many native English speakers to work with them.  Having taken Spanish in high school, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to strengthen my own language skills while giving my time to help others.

Within hours of completing my application to the program, I was contacted by the organization (based out of Pennsylvania) with further information.  By the next day, my request was approved, and I renewed my passport and began to look for airline tickets.  I headed to Barnes & Noble and the local libraries to find some Spanish instructional materials and travel guides for Central America.  Not to mention, I found some great iPhone apps to help me build my vocabulary and practice my Spanish speaking skills.  "Mind Snacks" has apps for several different languages and provides a great interactive tool for building vocabulary.

By the end of the week, I had set up a meeting with the Passport Health office at Strong to go over recommended immunizations and safety precautions to take while in Honduras.  It is widely known that the drinking water in Central America is not the safest, so I plan to rely mostly on bottled water.  However, I am sure there is a lot more that will be helpful to know before I get down there. 

Just yesterday, I set up a donation page to help fund-raise some of the costs of this volunteer program.  Along with the program fee, it is my responsibility to cover my airfare, travel insurance, and travel expenses while in Honduras.  If you are able to contribute to this cause, please visit my donation page at WePay.  Every little bit will help, so even if you can donate $5, I would appreciate it.  In addition to my volunteer services, I would like to bring some classroom supplies down to the kids.  When I have an idea of what I want to bring, I will post a list if you are interested in donating materials instead.

Stay tuned for more information about the program!