I’ll never forget watching my first group of photo students in Solentiname walk away from me to shoot some of their first pictures. I was standing inside of the poorly lit classroom with a massive smile on my face – I could hardly contain my happiness – and reminded them one las[...]
Posts Tagged ‘Education’
Can English Really Open Doors?
As soon as Meridith Price had her first taste of travel, she knew she’d been struck with a bad case of wanderlust. While searching for a cure for her condition in Latin America, she found herself petting alpacas in Cusco, mountain biking in the San Pedro de Atacama desert, dining al fresco in San [...]
“Can you help me with my homework?”
Three nights ago, while I was relaxing on the porch outside of my room, I received a surprise visit from a young man who I had met on several occasions but never actually spoken with. Without telling me why, he asked me if I could follow him. Naturally, I agreed. He led me to another young [...][...]
How I Came to Be a Volunteer
I’d like to be straightforward with you from the very beginning and tell you that I’m no volunteering expert. In fact, I’m quite the novice. I’ve only volunteered once before and that was for one week during my freshman year of college. I had an incredible experience and left intending to do[...]
Saludos de Ecuador!
I have now been living in Ecuador for nearly three months. It seems unreal to me that just a few short months ago I showed up in this country not knowing Spanish, never having taught before and never having lived abroad. Needless to say, I was nervous when I arrived. But after [...][...]
Educational Exchange with New Hope Teachers
Most of the content of this blog focuses on the adventures of English-speaking volunteers who are planning to or are currently exploring Latin America. While it’s not an easy thing to embark upon, it’s often much more accessible than the reverse, when Latin Americans look for experiences to expl[...]
Take Action in NYC: Mercy Corps
Not quite ready to head off for an international volunteering adventure? Still searching for resources that will help you decide what kind of volunteer project you may want to participate in? In addition to Idealist, there are lots of great organizations working to connect people with resources in[...]
A Smorgasbord of Volunteer Opportunities, Chapin Style
Over the past few weeks, I had a chance to meet with four energetic volunteer coordinators at nonprofits based in Antigua, Guatemala, with programs all over the country. For the next few posts I’d like to share some of their thoughts with you on volunteers and volunteering. I started out each inte[...]



