As spring break approaches, a lot of students are making plans to go home or on vacation, however a small group of students are planning a trip to Nicaragua.
This group of students, along with two coordinators, are going to Nicaragua with Outreach 360 to help with teaching English to school aged children over the reading week in February.
Outreach 360 aims to help children in disadvantaged communities learn English in hopes of helping them work towards a better life. If the children can speak English, it increases their chances at breaking the poverty cycle that is common in their geographical area, by giving them more work and educational opportunities.
Jamell Vanterpool, who is the Outreach Coordinator for the Algonquin Student’s Association, said that children in these communities get very excited when a new group comes in and that although the Algonquin students will only be helping out for a week, that’s enough time to make strong connections with the kids. He also says that these groups of people going are always very useful because it’s added help for the teachers that work in the communities all the time.
In order to go on the trip students must raise $1000 for airfare and another $1000 as a program fee. In order to raise these funds the students are holding several events. On January 19, they held a bake sale with a large variety of homemade treats and they plan to hold two other bake sales, one on February 2 and the other on February 9.
“These students going are an extension of the college,” Vanderpool says “you’re not going but you can help.” He explains that although only a select few students are going on the trip every person who buys from the bake sale or took part in the raffle at karaoke are helping to make a difference.
Tyler Salive, a first year police foundations student, who was in charge of the bake sale on January 20 explained that he is looking forward to the trip in the hopes of helping these children even if it’s only for a week. This will be his first time going on a trip with Outreach 360.
Aside from monetary fundraisers, Salive says that they are collecting school supplies for the children to bring with them on their trip.
For information about when there are fundraisers or where to drop of donations students can go to Algonquin SA on Facebook, @algonquinSA on Twitter and SA_Algonquin on Instagram.