LearnServe Paraguay (LSP)
Team in Santa Ana
Paraguay is a country of six million people and is the size of California, yet it is one of the poorest countries in Latin American. Hope for change is found in Paraguay‘s youth. LSP participants join young leaders in the capital city, Asuncion, and in the small rural town of Carapegua to learn first-hand what sustainable change is like. Next summer, LearnServe Paraguay (LSP) ‘10 participants will experience:
- Meet a group of inspiring youth leaders in the barrio of Santa Ana in Asuncion
- Work on projects in Santa Ana related to health education, job skills training, environmental education, and art
- Learn how a needs assessment can quantify the true requirements of a community in need. Plant trees, create a mural, renovate a playground and participate in any other project the youth leaders work on.
- Live with families from our partner school, Colegio San Jose, in an upper-middle class section of Asuncion (students only)
- Meet and live with families in Isla Puku, a small village about two hours from Asuncion, learning about rural Paraguayan life and culture (students and teachers)
- Work with computer education and training as part of the 250 computers that previous LearnServes sent to Paraguay
Gardening Project
LSP ‘10 will give you an understanding of how lasting change comes to the neediest communities in Paraguay – through projects developed by those communities themselves, and it will show you what you can do to make a difference in other peoples’ lives. Read last summer’s blog for the first-hand experiences of the LSP 09 team.
The leaders of LearnServe Paraguay are Sabine Keinath, Scott Rechler, and Domingo Alonso. Sabine is LSI’s program manager, has worked in development projects all over the world, and co-lead LSP in 2009. Scott is LSI’s Fellows Program Director, has worked in Chile for some time, and co-lead LSP in 2009. Domingo is one of the founders of the community center in Santa Ana and has worked with LSP since its inception. He now coordinates LSP in Paraguay.
Quotes:
I learned what I can do. I always talked about what I wanted to do, but I came to Paraguay and learned that I CAN get past being unmotivated and accomplish what I want to do.
Maura, student at Sidwell Friends School
I was prepared for poverty but wasn‘t expecting that they would be just like us.
Regina, teacher at Friendship Charter
People interested in participating in LSP should read the conditions for participation.
Note: Spanish is required of all the participants (at least one year).
Dates
The tentative schedule is to travel to Paraguay from June 19 to July 7, 2010.
All training will probably happen at Sidwell Friends School (upper campus), 3825 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016 from 3–6:30 PM on the following Sunday afternoons unless noted:
- February 24 (teachers only) 6.15-8.30 PM
- March 14 (teachers, students, and parents)
- April 18 (teachers and students)
- May 23 (teachers and students)
- June 13 Send off reception (All LearnServe Trip travelers and guests)
Post Trip meeting: There will be a post–trip meeting of all LearnServe Trips teams on Sunday, September 18, 2010, to review the trip and create action plans. Location TBD.
Cost of the trip: $3,200 (not including passport, visa fees, or inoculations). Any school or participant unable to cover the full cost of the program should contact Hugh Riddleberger by email or phone at (202) 365-2890.
For more information or to get involved, contact trips@learn-serve.org.
Resources
- Program specific information for parents, students, and teachers
