Fellow current, past and future educators - ESOL, WL, English...... please pass on if you are not interested/able for yourself..... I have volunteered with this group and done the trip. Its extremely rewarding and a lot of fun, as the whole town is involved.....I cannot do this this year, but would if I could........ Teach and Travel in Guatemala, Summer 2015 Thanks for your interest in the Riverdale Park—Ipala Teacher Exchange Program. I’m excited about sharing information with you about our 7th annual trip that will occur in July 2015. On Tuesday February 10 at 5:00 PM a presentation about the program will take place at Riverdale Park Town, 5008 Queensbury Road, Riverdale Park, MD 20737. Our first exchange occurred in the summer of 2009 and has happened annually ever since. Teachers from around the Washington area traveled to the small town of Ipala Guatemala, taught children English and worked with teachers in the town to improve their craft as well. Teachers participating this year will see the results of years of cooperation and a vibrant English education program that is genuinely appreciated by a warm and welcoming community. Ipala is a small town in the southeast part of the country near where El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala all intersect. It is primarily an agricultural town that has seen significant migration to the Washington area. Among its claims to fame is the imposing nearby volcano also named Ipala and the exquisite crater lake at its core. Easy access to Mayan ruins, the beautiful beaches of Northern El Salvador and the shrine town of Esquipulas make Ipala a great location from which to see some of Central America’s most striking locations. You are of course interested in how the program works. Teachers are asked to get themselves to Guatemala City at the start of the program, but from there you are picked up at the expense of the municipal government of Ipala and driven the three hours to the town. You will be assigned a host family that will provide basic room and board during your stay. All local activities will be provided free of charge. You will also be transported back to Guatemala City at the end of the trip. One or two trips farther afield will be organized by the Ipala, but if you chose to participate, the expense will have to be taken care of by you also. For example, in years past trips to Copan in Honduras and Antigua (the old colonial capital) were organized and most of the teachers participated. Each of these more extended trips include local guide and cost approximately $50-$70 each. The tentative itinerary this summer is follows: July 10 (Friday) all teachers will rendezvous in Guatemala City and drive to Ipala. July 11 (Saturday) welcome to Ipala, and meeting with your school families July 13-17 teach and mentor program at Impala’s schools and short excursions in the afternoons and evenings. July 18-19 weekend trip to regional attraction. This remains flexible to meet the desires of participants. In years past the most popular activity has been to go to the Copan Mayan ruins. Also, Esquipulas has been quite popular. July 20-24 teach and mentor program at Impala’s schools and short excursions activities in the afternoons and evenings. July 24 final activities in Ipala and farewell. July 25-26 weekend trip to regional attraction and return to Guatemala City. Conditioned on teacher input, they will travel to the old Guatemalan capital of Antigua and then return directly to nearby Guatemala City to fly home. Again, there will be a presentation on Tuesday February 10 5:00 PM at Riverdale Park’s Town Hall. I would love to meet you and get the opportunity to share more about our exchange and answer any questions you may have. Best wishes, Vernon Archer, Mayor Riverdale Park
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 00:34:00 +0000
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