What is the Nicaragua Alternative Spring Break Program?

I have been lucky enough to be selected for the 2010-2011 Master of Arts in Teaching Alternative Spring Break Program to Nicaragua. This group is made up of 5 Teacher Candidates: Tamara Bender (student team leader), Therese Irving, Monica Miramontes, Lauren Ziminski, and myself under the direction of Dr. Cheryl Kerison (director) and Professor Lin Napolitano. This team works very hard from October to March developing a 3 day Teacher Conference for about over 70 Nicaraguan teachers. The team meets weekly (sometimes more) to develop the conference.

(Top L-R: Monica Miramontes, Therese Irving, and Samantha Sardella )

(Bottom L-R: Lin Napolitano, Tamara Bender, Lauren Ziminski and Cheryl Kerison)

 The Teacher Candidates are broken up into pairs to create units for the areas of Language Arts, Science and Mathematics. I am working in the area of Language Arts with Therese Irving.

Language Arts team

While the MAT Service Learning Program focuses on improving the quality of teaching in Nicaragua by working directly with the Nicaraguan teachers, another program called the Agriculture Team focuses on improving the infrastructure and physical environment of the classroom in La Ceiba, Nicaragua. Together both groups go down to Nicaragua for Alternative Spring Break. We are one big family of dedicated, hardworking and enthusiastic QU students and professors devoted to serving others, catalyzing change and working with the local community. 

All the students who participated in the delegation in 2011

David Ives with some Nicaraguan teachers

Nica Family before climbing a volcano

The Alternative Spring Break Trip is affiliated with the Albert Schweitzer Institute under the direction of David Ives.

Samantha Sardella, David Ives & Therese Irving