Editing Centro Explorativo

'''Project Guatemala and Partner CES'''

'''Project Guatemala and Partner CES'''

==What is our investment funding?==

==What is our investment funding?==

In 2007 Nourish International, Chapel Hill invested just over $10,000 in the construction of CES's "Exploration Center" in the village of La Pista, Quiche. The village is a former refugee camp that is 20km away from Nebaj, the nearest moderately-sized town. La Pista's 20,000 residents (includes other nearby smaller villages) are incredibly dependent on Nebaj for day to day life. The Exploration Center would house the first library in the area and it would be the first building with internet access. Both of these resources will serve in nourishing the community's intellectual and economic long-term development.

In 2007 Nourish International, Chapel Hill invested just over $10,000 in the construction of CES's "Exploration Center" in the village of La Pista, Quiche. The village is a former refugee camp that is 20km away from Nebaj, the nearest moderately-sized town. La Pista's 20,000 residents (includes other nearby smaller villages) are incredibly dependent on Nebaj for day to day life. The Exploration Center would house the first library in the area and it would be the first building with internet access. Both of these resources will serve in nourishing the community's intellectual and economic long-term development.

==Preliminary budget==

==Preliminary budget==

    

    

    

    

    

    

==The Exploration Center==

==The Exploration Center==

Called "Centro Explorativo" in Spanish, the center believes that "The brain is not a glass waiting to be filled, but a lamp waiting to be lit" and its goals are:

Called "Centro Explorativo" in Spanish, the center believes that "The brain is not a glass waiting to be filled, but a lamp waiting to be lit" and its goals are:

The center will have desperately needed and wanted books, research materials, computers with internet access, as well as a local teacher and a greenhouse. The teacher will be a local from the area that is in addition trained by CES to provide computer literacy training for the community. The center will provide free after school activities led by the teachers open to children from 3 to 12 years old. It will also serve older youth in the community by providing the necessary research materials and space to complete successful school projects. The greenhouse that will be constructed on the premises, not too differently from last year's project in Argentina, will serve to boost the local economy and provide the necessary agricultural development and diversification that La Pista needs to start its own marketplace. Currently every resident in the area must walk the 20km needed to reach Nebaj in order to make their day to day purchases, CES believes that the Exploration Center is just what the community needs in order to develop its own market. The greenhouse's profits will also offset the monthly expenses of the center.

The center will have desperately needed and wanted books, research materials, computers with internet access, as well as a local teacher and a greenhouse. The teacher will be a local from the area that is in addition trained by CES to provide computer literacy training for the community. The center will provide free after school activities led by the teachers open to children from 3 to 12 years old. It will also serve older youth in the community by providing the necessary research materials and space to complete successful school projects. The greenhouse that will be constructed on the premises, not too differently from last year's project in Argentina, will serve to boost the local economy and provide the necessary agricultural development and diversification that La Pista needs to start its own marketplace. Currently every resident in the area must walk the 20km needed to reach Nebaj in order to make their day to day purchases, CES believes that the Exploration Center is just what the community needs in order to develop its own market. The greenhouse's profits will also offset the monthly expenses of the center.

==Other important aspects of the project==

==Other important aspects of the project==

We sure hope so. Carlos Toriello, NI-CH International Projects chair and Guatemalan, has been talking since winter break 2006-2007 to students at three of Guatemala City's universities, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Universidad del Valle and the Universidad Francisco Marroquin; with the intention of starting a Guatemala chapter of Nourish International. Currently the plans include at least one visit from Guatemalan university students. We are also investigating the possibility of having information sessions at each university after the completion of the project to have the opportunity to talk about NI directly to the university community. We believe this would be a great first step toward the establishment of our first international chapter.

We sure hope so. Carlos Toriello, NI-CH International Projects chair and Guatemalan, has been talking since winter break 2006-2007 to students at three of Guatemala City's universities, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Universidad del Valle and the Universidad Francisco Marroquin; with the intention of starting a Guatemala chapter of Nourish International. Currently the plans include at least one visit from Guatemalan university students. We are also investigating the possibility of having information sessions at each university after the completion of the project to have the opportunity to talk about NI directly to the university community. We believe this would be a great first step toward the establishment of our first international chapter.

In order to gage NI's impact on poverty reduction it is necessary to conduct research on our investments. The research will analyze the impact of an Exploration Center in La Pista and therefore develop data on the impact that both CES and NI are having. CES has been interested in doing this in the past but lacks the time and resources to develop it on its own. They have expressed great interest in this idea and also have the professional experience needed by our students to conduct accurate and effective research. We also want to research how prepared our students are for the cultural immersion experience that a relief project represents in order to improve future experiences. Nourish International will have considerable gains from this research and will use the findings to improve our operations.

In order to gage NI's impact on poverty reduction it is necessary to conduct research on our investments. The research will analyze the impact of an Exploration Center in La Pista and therefore develop data on the impact that both CES and NI are having. CES has been interested in doing this in the past but lacks the time and resources to develop it on its own. They have expressed great interest in this idea and also have the professional experience needed by our students to conduct accurate and effective research. We also want to research how prepared our students are for the cultural immersion experience that a relief project represents in order to improve future experiences. Nourish International will have considerable gains from this research and will use the findings to improve our operations.

Indeed. Currently we are developing the necessary faculty relationships at UNC in order have an academic component accompany the experience. Dr. Altha Cravey from the Geography department has expressed interest in working with us to develop a syllabus that could represent 1 hour of academic course credit. Also, Linda Quiquivix, a doctoral student studying under Dr. Cravey (and also a Guatemalan), will be accompanying NI students on the project in order to have on-site assistance with the academic work. We hope that in this way our students will learn as much as possible about the reality of poverty in Guatemala and will understand enough about this reality to make meaningful connections to the community.

Indeed. Currently we are developing the necessary faculty relationships at UNC in order have an academic component accompany the experience. Dr. Altha Cravey from the Geography department has expressed interest in working with us to develop a syllabus that could represent 1 hour of academic course credit. Also, Linda Quiquivix, a doctoral student studying under Dr. Cravey (and also a Guatemalan), will be accompanying NI students on the project in order to have on-site assistance with the academic work. We hope that in this way our students will learn as much as possible about the reality of poverty in Guatemala and will understand enough about this reality to make meaningful connections to the community.

In order to keep our personal impact on the community to a minimum, NI-CH has decided to send no more than 8 people this summer to Guatemala. We have asked our community partner to inform us about the type of activity the volunteering will take and also with a list of qualifications volunteers need in order to be effective in La Pista. This is what CES wrote:

In order to keep our personal impact on the community to a minimum, NI-CH has decided to send no more than 8 people this summer to Guatemala. We have asked our community partner to inform us about the type of activity the volunteering will take and also with a list of qualifications volunteers need in order to be effective in La Pista. This is what CES wrote:

     * Assist in construction

     * Assist in construction

     * Training in home gardening techniques

     * Training in home gardening techniques

     * Design of webpage for Exploration Center Educational Annex in La Pista

     * Design of webpage for Exploration Center Educational Annex in La Pista