Update #12

Update #12

In this issue:

• Director's update
• Class update
• Adelantes' current needs
• Fundraiser note

Director's update:

These past couple of weeks have been full of many ups and downs for me. I was hit by a couple sicknesses one after another, which really made classes hard and left me very low energy. But I'm happy to report that now I am back to full health and ready to hit the grindstone. Last week, Adelantes' first volunteer arrived ready to get his hands dirty. He is living with a local Nicaraguan family and is enjoying what the culture and country has to offer. He has been observing class for this past week, and a few times has run his own activities. Next week I plan to integrate him more into the lessons as well as allow him to teach a full class by himself. He will also observe and then lead some activities with the pre-school kids that attend school across the street from Adelante. He is more than up for the challenge and I am very happy to have him. In just under two weeks he'll continue his journey on to Costa Rica and Panama.

Last week I was asked to participate on a panel for a non-profit leadership organization that brings California high-school students to Nicaragua. It was fun to meet other people working in the area on the panel as well as talk to the students. I have become very re-energized as a result of talking to the director of the program (especially after he commented on how impressed he was with Adelante). He provided me with a lot of very good contacts which I plan on using very soon.

These past weeks' "rainy season" has also taken on a new meaning. It has been very wet, and has been raining non-stop in the afternoon and evening. As the roofs here are tin, it sometimes makes it a little tough to hear during the class, but we get around that by doing fun language activities that don't require precise listening. All in all I am doing well, and looking forward to my visit back home in November.

Class Update: The most exciting news is that I have begun to actively train one Nicaraguan student of mine to aid in teaching another one of my classes. She is aspiring to eventually teach at Adelantes' school. Another student whom I plan to present this idea to already is comfortable in advanced English and would be a perfect candidate for a teachers aid. The evening class has just finished their mid-course exams relating to the topic of how to disagree formally and informally. The morning beginners class will take their mid course review on Monday.

Adelante Needs: Adelante has begun construction on the physical structure of the classroom and so we will be gathering computer equipment to stock the classroom. We have received many inquiries about donating computer equipment but nothing has come through yet. As such, if anyone has some good contacts to get computers or computer equipment donated please let us know. Our ideal situation would be to have 12 laptop computers, so as to make storage and security easier. As a second option we will stock the classroom with flat panel screens to conserve energy. Again, any and all donations are more than welcome.

*NOTE* Fundraiser in November – Details to come