Create Environmental Education Program in Ecuador

There are only a few weeks left until school starts and we are so excited! Our Environmental Education program planning is complete and our project proposal has been submitted and approved! An English translation has been attached for all of those interested. 

Why is this so important? 

Canoa's natural beauty is what attracts so many tourists each year, providing the majority of local families' income. If we can't teach our children to protect this natural treasure, their economic futures are also at risk. 

A short anectdote from a volunteer: 

"I brought the sixth graders into our multi-purpose classroom to show them some videos about climate change. The classroom is big, recently constructed new and exciting. The students had trouble focusing on the discussion I was trying to start. All of a sudden I yelled, 

"Raise your hand if you hope to have children someday!"
Every single one of them raised their hand. 

We began to discuss the physical changes they've seen in the natural environment just since they were babies. Plastic garbage is rampant on the beach. They had noticed the growing number of turtles and dolphins laying dead on the sand. In rural communities, the rivers are drying up. The rainy season doesn't seem to be rainy anymore. Many members of their families who depended on agriculture in the past are moving into town looking for work in tourism.

"If we don't start changing some bad habits, what will Canoa be like for your children?

They all became quiet and pensive. I had their attention. As we started to brainstorm environmental solutions, all of their answers were vague. 

"Help the environment!"
"Don't cut trees!"

I realized that they had no idea what they, as empowered young people, can actually do in their community to be part of the global effort to fight climate change."

Danniella Otte, Volunteer  

Don't forget that April 8-12 all donations up to $50 will be matched 60% by GlobalGiving! That means that your $10 donation becomes $16, a $20 becomes $32 and a $50 donation becomes $80. Our work never ends which means we are always in need of more funding! Please consider a donation next week to get us ready for a new school year full of Environmental Education! 

• Environmental_Project_Translated_.docx (DOCX)

Project Report: Create Environmental Education Program in Ecuador

 First off, we want to thank you so much for contributing to the first-ever project to bring hands-on environmental education and experiences to Canoa’s schoolchildren. We are excited to get started in the upcoming school year, which starts in April. 

At the time of our Environmental Education fundraiser, we were finishing up classes for the 2018-2019 school year.  At the moment, the students are on vacation, but our teachers and administrative staff are still hard at work preparing for next year. 

The Environmental Education Program

In order to provide the best possible programming for our students, we decided to go to the experts: The San Francisco-based Planet Drum Foundation. Directed by Clay Plager-Unger, and operating out of the nearby city of Bahia de Caraquez, the foundation is dedicated to environmental education and tree-planting projects throughout the region. Through this alliance we will learn from Planet Drum’s 40 years of experience how to plan a well-developed and thought-provoking environmental education program. 

Transportation

As Ecuadorian education laws are constantly changing, we may be obligated to rent a local bus instead of using public transportation for our excursions. This will require some changes to our budget. We will probably reduce the number of outings and combine experiences that happen near each other. For example, visiting the Rio Muchacho waterfall and planting trees at Finca Caracol are just within a few kilometers of each other. We will also adjust some of our original plans to accommodate recommendations from Planet Drum. For example, in addition to visiting the Cerro Seco nature reserve in Bahia, we will also visit the Planet Drum Tree Nursery and learn about their foundation and operations. The 2019-2020 school year begins April 22^ndso it is likely that our first excursion will be in June or July. Stay posted! 

Back to School Fundraiser! 

 As the first day of classes approaches we will need many supplies including chairs, tables, books, floor fans, glass windows in the library, and much more. Please consider learning more about this important fundraiser here on GlobalGiving at https://globalgiving.org/projects/help-120-rural-students-go-back-to-school

As always, thank you so much for your continued support! Because of big hearts like yours, we are able to provide a more personalized and modernized education to over 120 rural students in Ecuador!!! Thank you!!!!