First Steps to Cultural Understanding for US Teens

Special thanks to the Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners student chapter for continuing their exceptional planning efforts and clearly demonstrating their desire to stay involved with the youth projects.  The photos below are from a packing day at the Stevens Point W/NP warehouse in preparation for an upcoming shipment.  The group of students from SPASH (Stevens Point Area Senior High School) came out to learn about what happens after someone donates an item for Nicaragua.  There is a fine tuned process in place that assures every donation sent from the Stevens Point warehouse in Wisconsin, travels 2,350 miles ending up in Managua, Nicaragua ready to be delivered to the intended recipients.  For example, the AAUW (American Association of University Women) Wausau chapter put together a collection of teacher backpacks for educators in Nicaragua.  The backpacks were filled with items that would be helpful to a teacher (pencils, pens, paper, scissors, markers, stickers, flash cards and paper clips).  Each backpack was marked with a pink or orange ribbon as a flag to the staff in Nicaragua, that this donation is designated for a teacher rather than what would normally go to a student, teachers need support too!  The students (joined by their teachers too who had collected and shared their teaching resources) unloaded and packed the AAUW backpacks along with the backpacks and school supply items they had collected for students and schools in Nicaragua.  Only a couple weeks after the packing day, the items departed via 40 ft. container from Stevens Point and arrived June 6, 2012, to Nicaragua.     

It is refreshing to see how both the Wisconsin and Nicaraguan teens are stepping up and realizing the potential they have moving projects forward while educating their peers around them.  

• Nicaraguan Youth Project – “Give a Hand to the Education", delivers school supplies and does TV program
• Wisconsin Jr. High students collect educational materials for Nicaragua
• Nicaraguan Youth identify those in need (and do something about it!)  photo below of recipient of medical donation
• Wisconsin/Nicaragua Student Partners host Nicaraguan visitors at their meeting

Nicaraguan Youth Project – by Lilliam Perez

Hello everybody!!  Today, February 5th,  "Give a Hand to the Education", made its main school supplies and didactic material delivery for kids and teachers at Zoila Aurora school, located in El Viejo, Chinandgea.   Followed by a piñata and some raffles for each classroom.  The activity was a success, the kids received us with a beautiful talent show and we also received welcome words from the teachers and parents. We had the support of the Lions club for the transportation, represented by Alvin Gutie and Martina Porta.  In a personal way, I want to express how gratifying it was to receive a big hug from a kid that remembers me since the first time I went to the school and we organized a piñata for them, it’s been a year since this project started and we´ll keep going!  Contributing with the education of the Nicaraguan kids. :)
The selected phrase for the project is: " we have not born just for us" and as a picture speaks more than a thousand words, I’m going to share some, so you can see how was the activity.

Also in February, Lilliam Perez & Harting Briones  (coordinators of the “Give a Hand to the Education” project) had an  interview on the Nicaraguan TV show "Buenos Dias", Channel 12, in order to show people the amazing job that has been done thanks to the collaboration of many people.

Wisconsin Jr. High students  P.J. Jacobs Junior High School, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 

Educating our children is a challenge no matter where you live, and Wisconsin's partner country, Nicaragua, is no exception. Rural education in Nicaragua is struggling. With a net attendance rate among rural primary school students of 70.5 percent, (statistics from UNICEF), the Nicaraguan education system is vastly different and underserved.  While we can't change the country, we can enhance the experience for many, while educating youths in Wisconsin at the same time.

Project Nicaragua is an effort to help Spanish students from P.J. Jacobs Junior High School make meaningful connections with other cultures. The students collected supplies for schools, lending libraries, hospitals, orphanages, learning centers and special needs centers in Nicaragua. One-hundred-thirteen fleece blankets and 130 puzzles were collected.

The project culminated with a cultural presentation by Linda Weber, Spanish teacher from Appleton and vice president of Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners, and Moises Guillen, Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners coordinator from Managua, Nicaragua. (photos below)  Gabby Strojny, from left, Hanna Rottier, Jenna Plier, Mackenzie Durkee and Andrew Ruzek, students in Pam Murillo and Susan Hamiliton’s Spanish classes at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School, prepare supplies they collected for schools, lending libraries, hospitals, orphanages, learning centers and special needs centers in Nicaragua.

Nicaraguan Youth identify those in need  

“Ligia is the one that received the walker sent from Wisconsin, about 2 months ago, thanks a lot for the donation, she and her family really appreciated it and are very grateful to wnp.  She is from Leon,  has Alzheimer’s disease, she hardly walks, and almost never talks.  She doesn’t have insurance and it’s really hard to help her.  She was a really active person, always working till she got Alzheimer’s, the sickness advanced really fast, she has had it for only two years and it’s in a very advanced stage.”  - Lilliam, 2008 Youth Ambassador

Wisconsin/Nicaragua Student Partners

The Wisconsin/Nicaragua Student Partners group meets every Tuesday after school.  Several of the members have either hosted Nicaraguans or have traveled to Nicaragua themselves.  The group prides itself on welcoming any teens who have an “International” interest and would like to broaden their cultural understanding.   Recently, they hosted two Nicaraguans at their meeting, Moises Guillen and Diddman Jarquin.  

Links:

• WNP Youth Projects