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While many students were working hard at doing nothing over spring break, a group of 15 CMC students were working hard at making a difference in the small town of Cofradia, in northwestern Honduras. Their time was spent at the San Jeronimo Bilingual School, 10 minutes outside of town in an area that is relatively poor and very rural—and, quite a change from the stereotypical spring break destinations favored by some students.
The trip was organized based on a social tourism model, which encourages visitors to developing countries to leave something substantial behind. In addition to the school's new bathroom, the group of CMC students raised more than $9,600 for the grassroots organization Bilingual Education for Central America (BECA), an amount equal to about one-third of the organization's annual operating budget. The nonprofit exists to promote cultural exchange and affordable bilingual education for children in preschool through ninth grade.
Nick Zosel-Johnson '07, who received a McKenna International Grant to spend two months last summer in Honduras working with BECA, coordinated the spring trip with classmates Francesca Ioffreda '10 and Carey Tan '07. The return visit was six months in the making and raised nearly $16,000 from sponsors including the President's Office, ASCMC, and the Kravis Leadership Institute. For a second year, the Kravis Institute has funded the new student organization SOURCE, which provides nonprofit organizations with student consulting services. "With support from Kravis, I was able to hire Carey, Francesca, and myself to work on this very meaningful project," Zosel-Johnson says.
Those who returned with Zosel-Johnson found many ways to help out in Cofradia—splitting time between assisting teachers at the school and constructing its new bathroom, a diverse set of tasks that challenged its volunteers mentally and physically, especially in a bilingual environment. "They welcomed us into their schools and homes, and we benefited through hands-on cultural learning," Zosel-Johnson says. "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the community for hosting us so warmly."
"Helping the teachers in the classrooms was a real eye-opening experience," Tan adds. "Teaching complex word problems to middle-schoolers is tough enough, but doing it in English when all of your students are native Spanish speakers—that's a real challenge!" Fortunately, CMC students spoke the international language of fútbol, and were able to relax and bond with the young Hondurans outside of the classroom.
Construction work offered its own set of challenges, as students struggled with blisters while learning to mix concrete, work with rebar, and do basic masonry. Language was an occasional obstacle, even for the students who spoke Spanish, as few knew the technical jargon of construction.
"At one point, said Zosel-Johnson, "one of our Honduran mentors pointed to his eye and said 'boom.' No one understood what he meant, and so when he threw a bag of cement to the ground from a quite a height, everyone was surprised. Poor Erin Chamberlain '09 was standing right next to the impact and got completed covered in cement dust. She later commented that a piece of concrete landed in her ear. Needless to say, we had many good laughs over this incident."
Through their service, CMCers also made valuable connections with information and topics first encountered in their classes back home. "We talk and learn about life in developing countries," said Zosel-Johnson, "but this made it real. For me, it's part of the College's emphasis on a practical approach to education."
Teaching and construction duties were supplemented with lectures by Jamie Koppel, the head of BECA, on pressing issues such as Honduran development, CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement), the rationale for bilingual education, and the world of tourism and trade. The last two days were spent in Copan, where students experienced Honduran culture and learned about its roots through exploration of the Mayan ruins.
The experience of giving back was especially moving for Tommy Hand '07. "This trip changed my life," he said. "I now want to include nonprofit educational organizations in my career goals, especially with the poor."
"BECA's trip to Honduras is a shining example of CMC student leadership in every aspect: The very idea for the trip was sparked by a relationship initiated an innovative student-led group with a local nonprofit organization," Laura Spann '07. "The travel, homestays, itinerary and service all were organized by students and physically supervised by students while in Honduras.
"Most importantly," says Spann, "the students selected for the trip exemplified CMC's spirit of service and leadership. Whether it was tutoring English in the classroom or offering to help a tired peer carry cement blocks in the building process, students took initiative to achieve the potential this trip had for being an educationally, culturally, and personally rewarding experience.
"It was the best spring break I've ever had," says Spann.
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CMCers on the steps of the Ancient Mayan Ruins in Copan, Honduras.
Seniors Nick Zosel-Johnson and Laura Spann learn basic masonry, using cement blocks to build a bathroom.
Francesca Ioffreda '10 and Scott Eaton '08 mixing concrete by hand.
Erin Chamberlain '09 and Shawna-Kay Chambers '10, model dust from an exploding bag of concrete.
Fifteen CMC students cram, in 100-degree weather, into a stall of the new bathroom they helped construct.
A moment of play between three kindergarten students at the San Jeronimo Bilingual School.
Tommy Hand '07 and two students at the San Jeronimo Bilingual School.
The back porch of a teacher's home serves as a table for card games.
A newly completed bathroom at the school.
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