Hello friends and family! Writing to you tonight is Kristin Huot, typically the Program Coordinator on site but today I also wore the hat of La lider del dia (leader of the day). El/La lider del dia a role that all students will have the opportunity to partake in, and is a chance for the students to grow and shine as leaders as they guide the rest of the students for a day and own the activities. Today’s theme was culture. We started off the morning with an engaging academic seminar lead by our GGLs Cyndi and Elias. The students had an opportunity to reflect on their own culture and how it impacts the way in which they see the world.

From there, we hopped on our bus and headed to a nearby village called Sainagua where we were welcomed by Fundacion Sol Naciente, a community organization rich in cultural identity and very proud and eager to share it! We started off with a hop-hop and merengue dance class, led by a local Dominican dance teacher. It was really fun to see the students go from timidly following the dance moves at the beginning, to letting loose and dancing their hearts out by the end! We got to experience a palos presentation, a group who plays drums and sings. Lunch was rice and beans, chicken, and a potato salad and was cooked by a local woman in the community using a woodfire.

Afterwards, the students were able to play basketball and get to know the community members before hopping on the bus and heading back to our new home, CONAMUCA. Next up was an academic seminar on aid and development. The students split into teams and debated the pros and cons of these topics. We saw the students continue to break out of their shells and engage in the discussion. It was an intense and close debate but the best part was that at the end the students grew even closer as leaders.

Day 3 has come and gone and time is flying fast! It’s been immensely rewarding getting to know and being inspired by each of the Glimpsers! I’m looking forward to the rest of this adventure together!