Bienvenidos to my Blog!

Hello Family, Friends, and Curious Readers,

Thanks for stopping in to see what I am up to. This is my first blog, and I hope not to bore you too much with the details of my life. But rather hope to offer you some insights into development work, the highs, the lows, and well the boring.

But before I move away for 27 months, let me give you a little information about myself before I lose a steady internet connection.

So after graduating from Boston College in 2005, I decided I wanted to learn Spanish and "save the world" so I moved to Cusco, Peru. I began by volunteering for The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco by researching and writing a small business plan for the organization. I continued to work with the organization until February of 2008, when I returned to the US to prepare for my move to Madrid, Spain for 15 months to study an International MBA at IE Business School. And now, after a year of searching for the perfect development job, and taking odd jobs in the meantime, I have joined the Peace Corps and am volunteering again. So wish me luck, and PLEASE someone stop me from volunteering again!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

My First Workshop and the end of Month 2

Wow, I can hardly believe I am only two days away from having been in site for 2 months.

First off, I would like to thank all of the family members and friends who have sent me postcards, letters, packages, etc. They have been such wonderful surprises and mean so very much.
Elena wearing the Hessel Boat Show T-shirt I got in a package from home!


Secondly, I am sure you want an update on how my first teacher workshop went. Well I was told that 30 teachers from the Department were invited, and that they would all be professors of the 4th and 5th year of high school and teach the entrepreneurship class that I am helping to teach. Well the reality was that only 12 teachers showed up and only about half of them teach 4th or 5th year. But either way, we (a 3rd year volunteer came to help support me in my first workshop, Thanks Diego!) had a good time, we were able to put the class that these professor's teach into a greater context and gave them materials that will help them give their course that much better. Also, I was asked to redo the workshop this coming Friday (tomorrow) at the municipal-wide teacher training workshop, so I will have a chance to reach even more teachers.We covered topics such as, what is entrepreneurship? why is it important in Nicaragua? and why are business plans necessary and how do you write one?  I was also able to have the teachers fill out an evaluation form to ask about more specific topics they would like covered next year. I am going to try to make this a bi-monthly (every two months) occurrence to reach more teachers than just the one's I am assigned to.

Ready to give the workshop!

Diego my only participant, just kidding, we took this while waiting for teachers to arrive.

Participants filling out their evaluations! Positive reviews!

Me at the school where we gave the workshop with Matagalpa behind me!

  
Diego and I all Peace Corps-ed out!

It has been a great 2 months, and I can say I have officially lost 10 pounds! And haven't been sick a day! I have continued to workout 4 to 5 times a week and watch what I am eating. I am comfortable riding around on buses and love my new city. All in all, good times, and I can't wait to explore more of this very amazing and never boring country! Keep making good choices! Love you all!

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations, glad to hear your workshop went well and you received lots of positive feedback. So proud of you for working out, eating right, and staying healthy.
    P.S. Elena is adorable in the Boat Show t- shirt.

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  2. I especially like the banner in the background in photo #2 Good to have context. Love ya. Chat soon.

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