This is Matthew, again, your trusted GG Leader and designated leadership coach. This will likely be the last post I will be typing myself, as El Lider Del Dia (the Student Leader of the Day) will be writing the blogs in the future.

With today being “Culture Day”, we started off with an academic seminar after breakfast processing the idea of what culture means and how culture is perceived in Nicaragua and in the U.S.A. The students brought strong and critical perspectives; they must have been prepared well by their school site coordinators. Following breakfast, the group took a trip to San Ramon Mujeres de Plomo, which is a local organization that makes jewelry out of seeds and recycled materials. A workshop was lead, allowing students to make their own versions of the jewelry made at San Ramon de Plomo. Right after, we went to Comedor Divine Niño to learn the art of preparing the traditional Nicaraguan cuisine, nacatamal. We were then treated by eating pre-prepared nacatamales; it would have been nice to eat our own products, but we would have had to wait 4 hours for them to be cooked.

Students preparing Nacatamal.

Students preparing Nacatamal.

After lunch, the group headed back to the hostel to begin preparing for English tutoring, which will start the evening of day 4. Students appeared anxious and excited to begin tutoring locals English.

The group was told that we would be having a dance class after the English tutoring seminar, but I think we were all surprised that it would be the aerobic exercise that it turned out to be. The dance instructor guided the students in zumba and traditional cultural dances. As a GG leader, I was more than impressed and amazed at how quickly the students delved right into the dance class, without a wall flower to be found, needing to be persuaded to participate.

Students doing zumba.

Students doing zumba.

Students learning Nicaraguan folk dances.

Students learning Nicaraguan folk dances.

So far, the energy of the group has been amazing. Students have been very inclusive and have gotten to know each other very quickly. Parents and family members should be very proud of their students.