Dear Family and Friends,
I hope you are doing well! I want to let you know about an amazing opportunity I have to travel with a team of teachers to Costa Rica this summer. For the past two summers, I have ran the Chicago Marathon and raised money for St. Jude Children’s Memorial Hospital. This year I will be raising money for the nonprofit organization, Ingage Unlimited, who assists under-resourced communities in The Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and South Africa and provides professional development to educators and staff.
This summer, I will have the opportunity 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. I am sure the learning will be mutual and many relationships will be established.
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. Poverty affects each of our schools in various ways. Upon return, I will share be our experiences in Costa Rica with the Lines and Grove Elementary staff. I will also be providing strategies that Barrington 220 teachers can implement to engage low income students effectively. I am so excited for this opportunity to be of service, sharing my passion for teaching and helping children.
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 https://give.ingageunlimited.org/costarica2018 . 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. I will also be sending out Tweets, pictures, and video updates following the trip to share about our experience. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you so much for your consideration.
With gratitude,
Marisela Guzman