“Pura vida” is more than just a slogan that so easily rolls of the tongues of Costa Ricans; the phrase is a true mantra for the way of life in this Central American country. Said only by Costa Ricans, this phrase would literally be translated as “pure life”, but it means much more than that. […]
WHAT A STUPENDOUS DAY – CELEBRATING 20 YEARS Fond Farewells – Final Glimpses of Our Beautiful City of Monopoli. Everything was happening for the last time – last class, last lunch, last time to shop, but more importantly the last time to feel the soul and spirit of Italy. But, along with the sadness […]
Today started the usual way a real yearning to turn off the alarm and go back to sleep. But what would the Galileo Galilei students do without us or, more to the point, how could I think of missing a day and not see all those smiling eager faces? So, off to breakfast, our morning […]
The volunteers got off to a good start on a brisk, sunny morning. The Galileo School had become a familiar and comfortable environment for us now. We relax in the teachers lounge; share teaching ideas and strategies; walk the halls with smiles; and make new friends with teachers and the hall monitors. We lunched […]
Sometimes your everyday life keeps you so busy that you don’t realize all the amazing things you can find in your city, much the less in your country. Peru is a country with a rich ancient culture that can be seen everywhere in ruins scattered around cities. It can also be appreciated through its music […]
Finally some cool weather! Week two began today with rain and a cooling trend. Could it be that fall has arrived in Monopoli? All volunteers are in a routine and since the heat has finally abated, classes have moved back indoors. Over the previous week each of us has settled into his or her own […]
Aahh yes, the morning breakfast routine has been established. The excessive heat of the day has already been assessed and the school administration has slightly shortened our day and we will now end at noon. Peter and I first worked with second year/sophomore students. A sense of open conversation increased by a sequence of questions […]
After beginning the day with our morning breakfast of cappuccinos, cafe lattes, fresh fruit, and an assortment of pastries, we took the bus to Gallileo Gallilei for class. My first class went smoothly, working with my mom, Joanna, and Peter with a group of shy second year students. For my second hour, I was taken […]
Reflections from Colleen Shannon, who volunteered with her daughter, Lauren, and two grandsons, Max and Darwin in Crete, Greece: Our family volunteer experience in Crete last month was one of the highlights of my life. Not only was it personally fulfilling, but watching my daughter and grandsons interact with the children, other volunteers and our hosts was […]
Alumni volunteer Gary Gullikson talks about his experience teaching English in a school in Poland, his 3rd service program in the country. This year was my first year of organized teaching English in a school in Poland. Previously I taught at a summer camp in a county-owned historic estate called Reymontowka, which is a few miles […]