Summer is here!

Our summer interns are here! Keep up-to-date with new posts from Christina, Michelle, Grace, Karianne, Juliana, and Rebecca over the next month! Our first guest post comes to you from Karianne:
-------------------

WE ARRIVED! We were greeted with hugs from Emily at the airport. She is full of energy, warmth and acceptance. I met our other group members: Rebecca, Michelle, Christina and Grace are from Vanderbilt, Julianna goes to College of Charleston and I am from Pepperdine. Cam is supplying the testosterone for our group and Dana and Lorena are friendly, supportive, and sweet. I am really excited to get to know their stories, passions, and hearts. Sololá, where we are living is an incredibly colorful, busy and spirited town. We are living in a home stay with a wonderfully sweet family. They are generous and hospitable, and accepting of my broken Spanish!

Today we went into the Guatemalan middle schools and taught English to 7th and 8th graders in Cam's class.  As expected the kids are playful, lively, and gracious.  A lot of them really do care about learning English which is exciting to see.

Even though it has only been two days, our group has bonded a significant amount and I can tell we are going to keep making incredible memories.  I have been humbled in this short time by the attitude of the Guatemalans.  Most of them seem incredibly content and happy with their lifestyle. Coming from America where I am blessed with convenience and luxury, I assumed that the Guatemalans would also prefer this lifestyle, but I don´t think that is the case.  There is definitely something to learn from their simple, hardworking, content way of living.  Having that mindset really does change the next month for me. in terms of thinking, teaching and learning. So excited for what is to come!

Karianne
 

650 bottles stuffed last week

We had a contest at our Guatemala site to see who could stuff the most plastic bottles with inorganic trash to be used as building blocks for the local school - 650 total!  Now we are ready to start building the second floor.  Pics here and here.

 

Summer interns are here

We have 19 interns between our 3 sites for the first summer session.  We are so excited to help them get started, and already see the incredible additions they will be to our teams!  Check out our blogs for more updates on interns at each site. blogs >>

 

Beginner's English: A teacher's pride

This week we have a guest post from Fiona about our Adult Beginner's English classes, which does a great job of reflecting what I also feel about our two amazing groups of students. Enjoy!


Four times a week, Sam and I teach a beginner's English class - Mondays and Wednesdays to about 15 students at El Salero, and Tuesdays and Thursdays to about 20-25 students at El Farito.  There used to be only one beginner's English class, but Sam and I started the new one at El Salero about 7 months ago because some of our teen English students were clearly interested in and capable of an adult English class.  Beginner's English has been one of my favorite programs this year, and we have a lot of fun teaching the class.  Our students are fantastic (most of the time...:-)) and it's a fun level of English to teach.

Last week, since we had finished our six-ish month curriculum, we gave a placement test to our students.  The test was to determine if they had learned enough in beginner's English to move on to our second English level.  Out of the 33 students who took the exam, 20 of them received a high enough score to pass!  I am so, so proud of our students and how much they have learned - the reality is that when we only have 2 hours of class a week, there's only so much we can do as teachers, and the students have to motivate themselves to study more and learn English.  I am particularly excited for our teen English students, because I have no doubt that they will quickly advance through our English levels if they stay motivated and will be able to speak very good English before they graduate from high school.  Knowing English is a huge help in getting jobs here in Nicaragua, so it will be a very useful skill for them to have at such a young age.

Every rose has its thorns, though, and this is no exception.  The 20 students who passed the exam will be moving up to elementary, and Sam and I are very sad to see them go.  It'll be strange not to go to our English classes next week and be greeted by the familiar faces of our students, but we're hoping to have a new batch of students interested and excited about learning English!


 Farito Beginner's English

Salero Beginner's English (the silly version)
 

 

Archive

 

Summer Vols!!

 

Summer Vols!!

 

We Workout!

 

We Workout!

 

Manna Benefit

 

Manna Benefit

 

 

Retreat! to Cotopaxi

 

Retreat! to Cotopaxi

 

English Party Turned Minga

 

English Party Turned Minga

 

The More, the Merrier!

 

Día de la Tierra

 

Día de la Tierra

 

Semana Santa

 

Semana Santa

 

Bingo Bailable

 

Bingo Bailable

 

CASEVACs and Enemy Fire

 

CASEVACs and Enemy Fire

 

Missing our Spring Breakers

 

Missing our Spring Breakers

 

Mujer Corre!

 

Mujer Corre!

 

International Women's Day

 

International Women's Day

 

Spring Break!!

 

Spring Break Begins!

 

Spring Break!!

 

Carnaval Weekend

 

Making Connections

 

Making Connections

 

Carnaval Weekend

 

Baseball and a special visit

 

Te Gusta Jugar Carnaval?

 

Te Gusta Jugar Carnival?

 

Te Gusta Jugar Carnival?

 

Te Gusta Jugar Carnaval?

 

New Couch!

 

New Couch!

 

Girl Power!

 

VECINOS!!!!

 

VECINOS!!!!

 

Teen Center Paseo

 

Teen Center Paseo

 

FDR

 

FDR

 

Solo Para Mujeres!

 

Solo Para Mujeres!

 

 

 

Feliz Año!

 

Feliz Año!

 

Christmas Party

 

Christmas Party

 

MPI Ecuador

 

Blog Swap: Nicaragua!

 

Blog Swap: Nicaragua!

 

Blog Swap: Guatemala!

 

Blog Swap: Guatemala!

 

MPI Guatemala

 

Nicaraguan Thanksgiving

 

UGA Volunteers

 

UGA Volunteers

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Home Stays

 

Your Moment of Zen...

 

Your Moment of Zen...

 

Antorcha de Vida

 

Antorcha de Vida

 

El Feriado (The Holiday)

 

El Feriado (The Holiday)

 

Long Weekend

 

Long Weekend

 

The Year of the Dog

 

The Year of the Dog

 

Presidential Elections

 

Emily and Matias

 

Emily and Matias

 

Nutrition News

 

Nutrition News

 

Rain, rain, go away...

 

Teen Center Revival

 

Teen Center Revival

 

Manna 101

 

Manna 101

 

Library Party!

 

Library Party!

 

Retreat and Quarterly Review

 

Hola teacher!

 

Hola teacher!

 

Keep up the voting!

 

Keep up the voting!

 

Help us win a MILLION dollars!!!!

 

Help us win a MILLION dollars!!!!

 

Happy Birthday Vinicio!

 

We Need Your Help!

 

Happy Birthday Vinicio!

 

Dinner at Jenni's

 

Dinner at Jenni's

 

Corn and Tourism

 

Corn and Tourism

 

Kids English

 

Games Games Games

 

Games Games Games

 

Montañita

 

Montañita

 

Getting our Sea Legs

 

Walter's Story

 

Walter's Story

 

A Bittersweet 'Despedida'

 

Final Retreat

 

Community Spotlight

 

Community Art Show

 

La Venta de Ropa

 

El Día de Las Madres

 

El Dia de Las Madres

 

Lake Xiloa

 

Quinceañera Norma

 

Semana Santa

 

Pool Time

 

Retreat!

 

Spring break in the garden

 

Spring break in the garden

 

Duke Spring Break in Baños

 

Duke Spring Break in Baños

 

Help Casa Base!

 

Retreating to Baños

 

Retreating to Baños

 

Comedor

 

Art at the MPI Ecuador Centro

 

Art at the MPI Ecuador Centro

 

Blog Swap Week!

 

donating blood

 

Blog Swap Week!

 

paseo

 

Fiesta in Rumiloma!

 

Ready, Set, Fast!

 

Festivities in the New Year!

 

Back in Managua

 

 

 

 

Finals period: Adult English

 

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Program Needs blog

 

Happy Turkey Day!

 

 

Birthdays in Ecuador!

 

 

 

 

English outside the box

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Horizons in Microfinance

 

 

Teen Talk

 

Happy Birthday to our Jefa!

 

A Special Thanks

 

Jack returns to Ecuador!

 

Summer Camp Graduation

 

Travelers galore...

 

Happy 22nd, Zoe!

 

My First Post (part 2)!

 

My First Post!

 

the beginning after the end

 

ins and outs

 

all good things must end

 

Questions for Jackie!

 

Toy Story 3!

 

Questions for Sarah!

 

Erik's Interview

 

Despedida #1

 

Lists and Art Pics

 

Preguntas para Sonia

 

Haley's Interview!