We'd like to introduce our first Peace Corps project blog! Our project blogs will showcase a project that we have completed in our community as a part of our Peace Corps service.
Vacation Course: Conociendo la Naturaleza en Inglés
Playing with monkeys at the zoo!
This project, which translates as "Learning about Nature through English," was a suggestion by one of our community counterparts. He originally asked for an English course for the high school students to attend during their two-month vacation from school, but our project area is Natural Resources Conservation (NRC). So we decided to teach both English and environmental education.
We both collaborated on this project. Kirstie set the framework for most of the classes, and Isaac fitted that framework with his knowledge and experience; we also co-taught the classes.
Each week we had a different environmental theme simmered together with English grammar, pronunciation, practice, and related vocabulary (and even some English language history!).
Our themes included:
We both collaborated on this project. Kirstie set the framework for most of the classes, and Isaac fitted that framework with his knowledge and experience; we also co-taught the classes.
Each week we had a different environmental theme simmered together with English grammar, pronunciation, practice, and related vocabulary (and even some English language history!).
Our themes included:
Solid Waste Management
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| Field trip to the municipal landfill, sorting facility, and compost-making area. |
Water Quality
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| Field trip to the municipal water source and treatment facilities. |
Plants
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| Walk through the jungle. |
Animals
Playing with monkeys at the zoo!
We met for about an hour a day (longer for field trips) on weekdays to discuss concepts, do art projects, practice English, and explore nature around the school and even into the far reaches of the county. We ended with a graduation ceremony in which each participant had to write a paper in English and do a presentation in Spanish for their families. Themes included birds, water conservation, and deforestation.
We were able to see the girls transform over this time. One mother told us that her daughter is now acting as the Water Police in their house, making sure that people turn off the tap and worrying about leaks (a big problem in our city). They also took big strides in language, going from not being able to hear the difference between B and V in English to being able to produce the sounds. These are just two examples of many.
Throughout this project, we also met some important community leaders and were able to visit some interesting places. It was also a great confidence booster for us to be able to complete a project that was so successful., and we're excited to delve further into our Peace Corps service!
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe zoo is fairly close to our site; there are actually several nearby. This zoo in particular is kind of sad, with some of the animals fighting for space and things, but the squirrel monkeys seem happy enough.