Knock knock. “Wake up! We’re gonna have some fun today!”

The crisp morning was refreshing but proved to be unsustainable, as the heat of the sun beamed aggressively upon the Glimpsers. By 7:30 am, the sun was already high up in the sky,and we were on our way on the new yet familiar pathway that led to the restaurant that served breakfast. Breakfast included ham and eggs, maduros (fried plantains), gallo pinto, and tortillas. Full and satisfied, we shortly began to prepare for our first English tutoring class that was planned for later in the evening. We wrote up a curriculum and added in icebreakers to get to know the future students. It was tough to coordinate something many of us have little experience in, but the teamwork and anticipation motivated us to push through.

Blanca Rosa graced us with her presentation about her work in special education schools. As the first speaker of the day, she opened our eyes to the education system of Nicaragua and prepped us for the activities coming up. It was a very impactful discussion, since none of us had understood the unique problems special needs teachers encounter. She shared her passion for her job which we inspired us to apply the same motivation to our own tutoring and other interests.

Briefly after the presentation, we energized the group with a game called Jiggalo. Glimpsers showed off their moves in an interactive and fun way. Ready to focus, we dived into the first CAP seminar, where we learned the three D’s: Discover, Design, Delivery. We were introduced to our partner program, Barrilete, which provides meals and a place to stay for homeless children and those at risk. This warmed us up to brainstorm ideas for our own CAP project.

After the seminar, we had lunch back at Imabite which we followed with another energizer. As seen in the picture, two teams battled in a riff off. The music bonded us all together, and it ended in a tie. The slight schedule change baffled us but we quickly adapted and greeted the next speaker Jaaziel, the coordinator FDCONIC, a technical school which allows Nicaraguans to pursue a higher education while being able to hold a career simultaneously. Jaaziel taught us to value the process rather than the speed of completion.

Next, we watched a movie about how Nicaraguans with differing privileges are affected by the school system. The movie followed three specific stories, each pursuing a different educational goal. The cruel reality of their daily lives based on their income put our minds into perspective.  Dinner was served shortly after with a glass of sweet iced tea.

Finally, it was time for English tutoring. Half scared and half excited, we rushed to get our classrooms set up for the students. We were divided into three groups based on Spanish skill level: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each class began with an awkward icebreaker which melted away the language barriers. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we could connect and relate to the students, showing that they were really not that different after all. At the end of the session, we were all excited for the next.

As usual, the nightly meeting wrapped up our long day and we passed the torch to the next LDD’s. 

And here we are, at 10:04 pm, sweaty and not-yet-showered, writing this blog post.

Chelsea and Diana signing out. HAGS!