Dear Family and Friends,
Last summer I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with Ingage Unlimited and I'm so excited to return to the communities in which we served to see our impact and provide additional support. I will continue to work in urban San Jose, where families struggle with daily hardships attributed to living in poverty, such as the lack of access to a quality education. Children growing up in this area face unique challenges and the teachers often do not have the training to address their academic or social/emotional needs.
As a team, we will study Eric Jensen’s book, Teaching with Poverty in Mind to help us prepare appropriate materials to adequately address the needs described by the teachers. As we spend time with educators and community leaders, we will also gain an understanding of the challenges they face and learn from their experiences. The educators and staff we met last summer made a tremendous impact on me, personally and professionally, and I look forward to continuing to learn from them.
Since we will be learning about the history and culture of the community in which we will work, I will also be looking for ways that I can bring this experience back into my own classroom and develop connections within my curriculum where possible.
Each team member has been asked to raise funds by April to cover the expenses and resources for this service opportunity. I am wondering if you would like to be a part of my support team and help me raise these funds? This is a volunteer service trip facilitated by the non-profit organization INGAGE UNLIMITED. All contributions are 501(c)3 tax deductible donations, and they can be made online at http://ingageunlimited.org/donate. Just select the project, Costa Rica, and then you can put your donation amount in the field next to my name. Your donation will assist with our travel and provide support for the teachers, families, and students with whom we engage along the way. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you so much for your consideration.
With gratitude,
Sarah Dowdy