May 25 2008
Betsy climbs a volcano
Betsy B., Maggie’s godmother, is a high school teacher at Prospect Hill Academy (PHA) in Cambridge, MA. This May PHA launched their Junior Journey, a three-week immersion trip to Antigua, Guatemala. Betsy and two other teachers are leading a group of 20 students in the pilot program, and if all goes well, subsequent years will see the entire junior class (60-75 students) on the spring trip.
Students are spending their mornings in Spanish class and their afternoons teaching English at a local gradeschool. They live with host families and from their entries seem to be learning and seeing a lot. They are learning how to be long-term guests in a home (a difficult task for anyone), having adventures (including climbing a volcano), and witnessing firsthand the simplicity and poverty of Guatemala. One student conducted a clothing drive at her church, and she and her classmates delivered 11 checked-bags worth of clothing to the families of their English students.
They are keeping a blog of their journey, which i’ve enjoyed reading. It’s getting me geared up for our own family’s return to Central America. I’d encourage you to read it here too!