I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves on this one – we spent the morning at our favorite stop on this trip, the Gallon Jug Community School, which serves the children of the folks who work out here. Run by 2 young Americans, the school now has 80 children who are first generation English speakers and have the opportunity to get an excellent early education.
The Brooks students had been in touch with the teachers by e-mail over the last week or so and had developed lesson plans in 2 subjects – mostly science and art. They gathered their own resources and came down with lessons and supplies and taught 2 full classes each today, with recess in the middle.
The children were incredibly excited, as they have come to look forward to this visit every year. The Brooks kids did an amazing job and the teachers (3 American, 2 Belizean) are always thrilled for the extra support.
We also carried down a new LCD projector, a DVD player and a lot of art and sports supplies for the school, as well as 2 new soccer nets, which we will install tomorrow. Many students want to go back tomorrow, as these children steal your heart; once you've been here, you never forget them.
The Brooks students had been in touch with the teachers by e-mail over the last week or so and had developed lesson plans in 2 subjects – mostly science and art. They gathered their own resources and came down with lessons and supplies and taught 2 full classes each today, with recess in the middle.
The children were incredibly excited, as they have come to look forward to this visit every year. The Brooks kids did an amazing job and the teachers (3 American, 2 Belizean) are always thrilled for the extra support.
We also carried down a new LCD projector, a DVD player and a lot of art and sports supplies for the school, as well as 2 new soccer nets, which we will install tomorrow. Many students want to go back tomorrow, as these children steal your heart; once you've been here, you never forget them.
Tonight, a lovely meal in the dining room of Chan Chich Lodge, and then we'll head to Silvester Village to watch the regional round of the national spelling bee (seriously). We'll cheer for the kids we taught today.
Tomorrow we'll be riding, having a quiet day with nature walks on the trails around Chan Chich and exploring the unexcavated Maya ruins around us, and we'll spend our last night here having an amazing BBQ on top of the Upper Escarpment, a huge rock promontory that juts 1,000 feet over the jungle floor and allows views for hundreds of miles. Equipped with chairs, tiki torches and a bonfire set up, it's an amazing place to watch the sun go down. Barry Bowen has hinted that he may even fly up some fresh shrimp from his aquaculture operation in the south to add a seafood flair to the meal. A great way to end this leg of the trip!
