The following is a guest post from the non-profit organization Cooperative for Education, whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala through education.
We're excited -- even more excited than that one time we got two Snickers from the vending machine for the price of one (although that was a great day). This exhilaration stems from the fact that Adventure Life completely rocks and has very generously given us, Cooperative for Education (CoEd), a grant to further our mission to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala through education. The best part? This grant is already being used to improve life for primary school students and their families in rural Guatemala through the Culture of Reading Program (CORP).
These engaging story books are just one of the many ways CORP fosters reading and learning among primary school students in Guatemala.[/caption] The CORP program is intended to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning in children by providing teachers with best practices in reading instruction, as well as a selection of engaging story books. If Ismelia, a first grader currently in the CORP program at La Canoa primary school, is any indication, CORP is achieving its goal in every way. Her mother, Irma, is astounded by Ismelia’s interest in learning. She states, “When Ismelia comes home after school, all it takes is a simple question like ‘What did you do in school today?’ and Ismelia tells me every detail about her day—she even repeats the dramatizations and songs they do.” Irma goes on to explain that Ismelia’s older brother, now a sixth grader, didn’t learn how to read until second grade, so she is absolutely amazed that Ismelia is already reading and writing less than two months into her first grade year.
Ismelia is just one example of the thousands of students who are falling in love with reading and learning thanks to Adventure Life’s help. Irma takes great pains to ensure that Ismelia never skips a day of school, stating, “I don’t want her to miss out on a single moment of the wonderful learning experience she is getting.”
Thank you, Adventure Life, for helping Ismelia thrive, for helping teachers learn best practices in reading instruction, and for being a company that truly cares about the communities where they work and travel. It is refreshing to partner with an organization that shares our passion for sustainable long term solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. We couldn't be more excited to be a recipient of your good will—in fact, you can read more about our unabashed enthusiasm here!
As Maria Ovando, a Guatemalan Ministry of Education official, states, “Thanks to you, we have books so we can get to know the world. When these children grow up, they will remember the support you have given them, and because of your help, they will have a better life.”
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.