Dear friends and family,
Throughout college, I went on volunteer service trips with the purpose of "go somewhere, do something"- giving us students the opportunity to provide assistance to areas in need, learning about a variety of social justice issues, and making meaningful connections throughout the journey. I'm excited to take my first international service trip through INGAGE Unlimited to Guatemala this upcoming July to train and support local educators in the garbage dump community of Guatemala City and in the rural community of Chiquimula. Hard-working teachers in these communities have little to no access to professional development of any kind. Our team will present workshops on a wide range of topics that will offer these educators a chance to develop their skills and confidence as they continue to serve students in these impoverished communities. I'm humbled to think that I can support and serve this group of teachers.
My hope is to provide these communities with the knowledge and skills I've gained in my five years of teaching in a variety of school environments that will help to foster positive, effective growth in these schools and their communities, and I am looking forward to learning so much more from the teachers and their experiences.
Our trips are fully self-funded and each team member has been asked to raise the necessary funds to cover the expenses for this serving opportunity. Your financial support will help to provide needed supplies for our team workshops, as well as supplies that will remain with the families of students in these communities. I am hoping you will join my support team and help me to raise these funds! This is a volunteer service trip facilitated by the non-profit organization INGAGE Unlimited, so all donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support and encouragement as I embark on this international service providing opportunity, and thank you for your support of the amazing educators we are striving to serve in Guatemala!
Sincerely,
Sarah Rodriguez