United Planet Blog » school

Teaching English on the Equator

unitedplanet — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:27:17 +0000

Last December, Karen Berry from Canada traveled to Ecuador as a United Planet volunteer. These are some of the pictures she chose to share with us from her unforgettable experience.

Shopping at the expansive indigenous market in Otavalo!

Nariz = Nose. The kids at the Villa Tica preschool in the inner city loved learning English and singing songs

Guanábana juice, a new favorite!

Some of the kids and I goofing around after our hard work in putting on an ‘Espectaculo de Navidad’ at the Villa Tica

To plan your own Ecuadorean adventure, visit our website!

Lights Out from Nepal

unitedplanet — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:25:27 +0000

Written by United Planet Volunteer Carrie Schramm.

I live on the third floor and spend a lot of my time in the living room (across from my room) or on the roof (the sixth floor) where I can see the top of some of the mountains on clear days.

Photo taken from Peter Akkermans, Flickr

The students at my school all ask for science experiments so I am thinking of small things that I can buy for the school that allows them to do science experiments. Even a beaker or graduated cylinder would be great. Any ideas? So far I’ve planned measuring water flow, playing with magnets, and some math games with flashcards and dice. I need help.

So there are two important things I forgot to mention because I am already getting used to them. The first is electricity. A comic was in the paper the other day that depicted two travelers getting shown to their room. The caption below read “This is your room. don’t worry about turning off the lights, the government does that for us.” The government turns out the electricity for eight hours a day (two – four hour segments). It usually is in the morning while I am at school and then when it gets dark from around six to ten. Most nights we eat, cook, talk, and read by candlelight. I actually like the simplicity. When the lights turn on there is a quick cheer and then everyone continues with whatever they were doing (or turns on the TV). It is a fun little surprise and makes a person appreciate the little things in life.

Photo taken from Dmitry_Sumin, Flickr

The other thing is the traffic. I have to cross the road to get to school and every day I feel like I should be so elated that I made it. Nima told me to “just walk, they won’t hit you.” So far that has worked! There are no traffic lanes and there are no traffic rules. When going around a corner they honk to see if someone is coming on the other side and they honk if they are coming. That way they know to try and stay on their own side. Very very few people drive something other than a motorcycle. They are the best because they can sneak through stalled traffic, lots of fun. I don’t almost scream when I’m in a taxi anymore because with this kind of traffic they never really get above 25 miles per hour. It is just a little scary at times.

Photo taken from ah_zut, Flickr

Well, I best get home and take a shower…I mean a “bucket bath.” There is no hot water so we heat up water in buckets and use a cup to rinse off. It is difficult to wash long hair in a bucket…but not all that different from camping. It is better than a cold shower!

Carrie Schramm is currently volunteering in Nepal. you can read more about her experiences on her blog. To plan your own adventure in Nepal, please visit our website.

Tranquilo and Cafecita in Costa Rica

unitedplanet — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:04:17 +0000

Post written by Mary Han, a United Planet volunteer

Upon arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica, we were greeted by a United Planet representative, and were driven to the Green House Hostel, where we stayed for two nights. This facility was comfortable and roomy, and was apparently a hot commodity for other travelers from all around the world, as we met people from England, Wales, United States, Canada, and New Zealand. I took the time at the Green House Hostel to settle in and get used to the area around me, as well as to the people. I met other international volunteers as well, and had time to get to know them as we would be volunteering abroad together for the next two weeks. We took this time to wander the streets and explore our surroundings. The most amusing thing that I encountered while walking around was the stares that the local people would give me and my friends. It wasn’t only the fact that we looked completely out of place with our different clothes, but because I, as well as my friend, are of Asian ethnicity and apparently we were fascinating to the locals.
During our stay there, our guide took us to the Irazu volcano where we had our chance to be tourists. We also visited Our Lady of Los Angeles Church in Cartago, where, luckily, a national holiday was being celebrated that day. People from all over Costa Rica had biked, walked, and arrived on horseback to pay tribute to the Virgin of Los Angeles. (Ironically, Los Angeles is where I am from.) We also visited the mall in San Jose, where I had a lunch at Quiznos. (I was still eager for some American food!)
We arrived at our host house, a tiny green and white four-bedroom home with the rainforest in the background. We stepped eagerly inside, anticipating everything from what the bathroom and showers would look like to rehearsing Spanish sentences as we had to speak 100% Spanish from now on. (Our guide spoke English quite well). We settled in to a cozy bedroom with a bunkbed and had our first real “home-cooked” Costa Rican meal: rice, beans, and beef stew. All of it was delicious. We also got to meet the children, who eagerly eyed the Nintendo DS that my friend brought along, which they eventually spent hours playing. The family consisted of a mother, father, three daughters and one son. After the meal, we decided to explore the village. As we were walking past houses, we suddenly spotted our host mother in front of a home that was not her own, and beckoning us to come inside. This property actually belonged to her parents, whom we soon met. It was quite shocking to realize that our host mother’s parents lived two doors down. The importance of family and togetherness was shown most through this discovery. (I can’t possibly imagine my parents living two doors down in my adult life. Hell, I can’t wait to go off to college!) We spent quite a long time on the porch surveying our surroundings and gazing off at the drizzling rain. It didn’t take long for us to notice that the Ticos (Costa Ricans) took things very very slowly. They took things slowly enough to enjoy them, whether it be making a meal or running some errands. It was a very different atmosphere from the hustling, bustling city life of Los Angeles, and one that I appreciated very much. Everything was “tranquilo.” Time and punctuality was unimportant here. (I rarely looked at the time during my stay, a surprise!) The Costa Ricans also had teatime every afternoon ’round 3, called “cafecita”, another activity to rest and relax, and to take things slowly.
The next morning, we were picked up by the administrators of the Fudebiol Biological Center where we would be working at, and had our grand tour of the place. It was such a beautiful facility, right in the middle of the rainforest. The view of the mountains from up there was extraordinary and breathtaking. The Biological Center consisted of a school, an office, a garden, a butterfly garden, a gazebo, and an inn type of place that travelers could stay in. After our welcome to the area by the main worker there, we walked back down to our host home. We didn’t know it then, but we ran down some very steep hills. The very same hills we would have to walk up the next morning. But that is another story. After coming back down, we had cafecita, and decided to take a bus trip to San Isidro (the local town). We visited a marketplace, walked past butcher shops and fruit venders, as well as bookstores and clothing stores. It was fun to see McDonalds, Subway, and Abercrombie in such a small town. After our visit to the town, we headed back home and spent the rest of the day playing with puppies. The next morning, we woke up bright and early (6 a.m.) and started our hike up the mountain to Fudebiol. At the biological center, we took to a number of activities, the first of which was to paint a schoolhouse.

And so a routine began, and I am all about routines. There was a schedule to follow, and a structure to maintain. With the mixture of structure and some good Costa Rican “tranquilo-ness” the days were quite fun. Our tasks at Quebradas changed from day to day, with weeding and gardening, and my favorite, making large wooden signs with a rotor. I initially came on this trip with the mindset of just being an international volunteer, but I experienced so much more than that. I was immersed in this rich, Costa Rican culture for two weeks, and it was so much fun. And I am all about fun. I made friends with the village kids, watched the Olympics with my host family, had a healthy dose of exploration, ate good food and did not get sick. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I obtained the best souvenirs that any eager tourist could possibly hope for. I have the best memories and stories to tell and to share when I got back home.

This is my story.

On The Stairs

unitedplanet — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:56:55 +0000

Post written by Amber Johnson, a United Planet volunteer

This week we’ve been back to the usual: work (Amber in the clinic and Josh at the school), Spanish lessons, spending time with friends and host family and continuing to explore Peruvian culture.
I’ve been doing a ton of Hep B vaccines this week and today we also gave tetanus shots to teenage girls in one school. Only girls get tetanus shots in Peru because vaccinations are expensive for the government and because it is more important to vaccinate girls who may become pregnant in the future.
Some pictures from school vaccinations (note many of the kids holding their left arm where we vaccinated them):
Monday afternoon we visited another large market in Cuzco called San Pedro. It hosts an abundance of meat butchers, florists, fresh juice makers, etc.
One of my favorite things here is the Mango con Leche (fresh mango milkshakes). Beth and I could not resist and ordered one from one of the juice vendors. They slice the mango and blend it right in front of you. But not wanting to sit and drink it, we asked the vendor if she had “to go” cups we could use. A few minutes later we walked away with our mango con leche in plastic bags with straws sticking out. (Also note in one of the pictures above, at one of the school where we gave vaccinations, they gifted us with Inca Cola “to go” (in plastic bags).)
One thing that has been very apparent since the day we arrived is that Peruvians like to celebrate and dance. Every day since we arrived, at some time of day, we have encountered a parade, people dancing in one of the many central squares or groups of people in traditional Peruvian clothing singing. 8am Saturday morning, midnight Tuesday night, 3pm on Thursday. Any time, any place. Tomorrow in the Plaza de Armas many of the local schools are participating in a traditional Peruvian dance competition. We’re going to go in the afternoon because the 16 year old son of from our host home is competing. Saturday night they are also having fireworks. It is especially festive right now because a very big celebration throughout all of Cuzco is happening on June 24th. I’m not sure exactly what they are celebrating but it seems to be somewhat equivalent to the American 4th of July. The festival on the 24th is unfortunate because we leave Peru on the 23rd.
It’s kind of like 2 years ago when we flew to Ireland the day after St. Patrick’s Day.
In other cultural events news, tomorrow we’re meeting with several other volunteers to go to a restaurant and eat one of Peru’s most traditional dishes. And by “we” I mean Josh and several other guys. Fire-roasted guinea pig does not look or sound appealing to me. At all.
We only have a few days left in Peru before we leave for Costa Rica and we’re making the final adjustments on our travel plans.

Volunteer Abroad with United Planet

Did you enjoy Amber’s story? Visit her Blog for more!

Video about our program in Peru

unitedplanet — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:53:47 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=da6ulTr_6Ek

United Planet featured on CNN

unitedplanet — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:52:34 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0avzB3Nt0M

Erin in Ecuador

unitedplanet — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:19:02 +0000

A 23-year-old member of the Springfield, Massachusetts’s community, Erin Duffy, is currently volunteering with United Planet to provide invaluable support to a community in Ecuador, while immersing deeply in Ecuadorian life and culture.

Erin Duffy left the United States in April 2006 in order to spend a year to work in an elementary school in Tonsupa, Ecuador. She teaches English and cultural fisica (physical education). For grades 2-7, there are a total of three teachers, each in charge of a pair of grades in one classroom. The walls of the school are made of bamboo with dirt floors and an outhouse for a bathroom. Before her trip, Erin was fortunate to gather four large boxes full of donations, which she recently distributed to her students.

Here is what Erin thinks about her experience in Ecuador with United Planet:

“This is absolutely a once in a lifetime experience. I really wanted to do something for someone in the world who wasn’t born into the same fortunate circumstances as we were. Nobody asks to be born into poverty. As much as we like to think we are giving something to the people here, we are receiving so much more. We have been welcomed with open arms and are absolutely enjoying every minute.”

What has she learned so far? First of all, Erin improved her Spanish right away! Working with so many children, she has also learned to be much more patient. In Ecuador, people live at a different pace than in the United States… Her host father says “time is not running,” and that is certainly the case according to Erin. Erin has learned so much about the culture and the people of Ecuador as well as the intricacies of how to teach English as a foreign language in Spanish. Most of all, she has learned that a little bit of kindness can go a long way.

Erin had to face the challenging cultural differences, especially related to the language. This experience is important to her because she is gaining more perspective on her own life every day, while being able to give something to the people here. She was greeted with smiles everywhere she went. “There’s so much more to life and happiness than I ever could have imagined before this trip.”

Cultural Awareness Project

unitedplanet — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:58:11 +0000

You can’t go abroad but still want to volunteer? Check our CAP program to see how you can help in your own community.

Communities are like small worlds, encompassing many cultures, races, and religions. As featured on CNN, the Cultural Awareness Project (CAP) is a cutting edge educational program designed to celebrate and bridge diverse cultures within our own communities.

United Planet works with schools, non-profit groups, companies, and communities around the world and provides them with opportunities to receive cultural presentations made right at their doorsteps! Presentations come in a variety of forms including storytelling, musical performances, and lectures, and thus are suitable for many different age groups. Presentations are made by committed volunteers from diverse backgrounds that have extraordinary global experiences. CAP Database allowing presenters and groups from all over the world to contact each other and participate in this enriching program. If your class, group, or company would like to receive a CAP presentation, or if you have an interest in volunteering and becoming a CAP presenter, please contact quest@unitedplanet.org for further information.