Dear Glimpsers,
¡Saludos! This is Team San Juan de la Maguana 1 sending a personal bienvenida your way!
Program Coordinator: Kimberly Peña
I was born into a family with strong Mexican roots in Colorado, USA. As a Mexican-American, I had always been interested in learning about various cultures and traveling abroad. I studied as a first-generation scholar and I hold two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Social Work and one in Economics from Colorado State University. After graduation, I traveled to South America for a year, where I learned how important travel is for personal development and learning about global issues. I have worked with youth in various roles such as being a mentor to international students and as an advocate for youth. I am very enthusiastic to join the Global Glimpse team for my second year and I´m looking forward to continue sharing my experiences as I learn from the glimpsers and the Global Glimpse team!
Program Coordinator: Andrea Deleo
I am originally from Managua, Nicaragua, a country located in Central America. I am a psychologist passionate about mental health and sustainable community development. I am the co-founder of a social movement “Movimiento Ventana” that promotes mental health and works to decrease the stigma that surrounds mental illness in my country. As well, I love to volunteer in a wide array of social projects and work with diverse groups of people. I am thrilled to be a part of Global Glimpse and to be able to live and work in San Juan de la Maguana and to learn about the extraordinary culture of the Dominican Republic.
We have been working diligently on your summer itinerary and are very excited to share it with you and see your critical perspectives unfold. Here is a a glimpse of a couple of the activities that you will be experiencing!
One activity that we’re most excited about this summer is our “Living Like A Local” theme day. On this day, we will have the chance to live and work alongside Guanito, a great community. We will be visiting many of the families’ homes who are part of the Mother’s Center. The Mother’s Center was founded in 1981 to collaborate on the development of the community and manage sustainable projects. These incredible women were able to bring around-the-clock electricity to the their community! Another activity that we’re equally excited about is our Community Action Project (CAP) and will be partnering with the same community, Guanito! During this day, you will embark on a journey with the community to find a project that most meets their local needs. In the span of three days we will create and carry out a community project as a team, under the guidance of the Mother’s Center and other organizations. This project will remain in Guanito even after all of us have gone, so we hope to make it as impactful and sustainable as possible.
This is also a great time to have everyone begin introducing themselves with a Spanish greeting! We can’t wait to finally have you here and show you such a beautiful part of the world. We are looking forward to connecting with you very soon and wish you a wonderful rest of your day!
Sincerely,
Kimberly and Andrea
Meeting with community members!
During our training!
