| Palo Alto
is hosting its third group of Central American rural teachers. Instructors
from five Central American countries are here to learn how to better educate
their students back home. Seventeen teachers from Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have been sent here to learn different teaching techniques. The voyage for the handpicked teachers is not very easy. The program is a year-long event beginning in the middle of January and ending in the middle of December. The students have to leave family and loved ones behind for a whole year. “We basically get to call home whenever we want. It’s very hard for us to get through the year, but we all help each other out with whatever support we can give to get through the day,” said Pearla McElroy from Nicaragua. Before the student even reaches U.S. soil, a competitive selection process takes place. The year-grant covers expenses of the trip, necessities and the cost of living. The Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships, developed by U.S. Congress covers these costs. Once the students arrive on campus at Palo Alto, they are paired with specific faculty and staff, which call themselves amigos or amigas, formerly known as colegas. “I really enjoy the part of having an amiga, even though my Spanish is not very good,” said Professor Eleanor Skelley. “When in conversation with my amiga, I jot things down and remember them.” Fun activities throughout the year keep them entertained, like theatre, museum and park visits and sometimes even visits to their amiga’s or amigo’s home for the day. “We are currently staying at the Alta Vista apartments, where we live as roommates,” said Carlos Caal from Guatemala. “We are mixed with different countries.” In December, the teachers will have a graduation. From there, they go back home to Central America to put their long, hard work to the test. |
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