March 5th: Just another regular Wednesday morning. I was pacing my living room anxious about the phone call I was about to make to my Peace Corps recruiter. Not having heard from them in more than two months I was more worried than excited.
First try went to voice mail and I thought I would just try tomorrow...I called again and she picked up on the first ring. She started some small talk, and asked what I was up to in my life. The whole time I was hoping she would just get to the point and tell me what ever bad news she had. She asked about the research I was doing in school and I gave her a 30 second description of my Fulbright proposal for an environmental education study in Nicaragua. She laughed...why was she laughing!? After what seemed like for ever she says, "Well we have a slight problem"...here it was!
She says, "I know we had originally told you you'd leave in September but that has changed. Could you leave earlier"?
Confused I said yes, although a little worried about how much earlier that meant. And she says, "We think you would be perfect for our Environmental Science Education program in Nicaragua that leaves in Aug...YES!!!! YES and YES. I may have yelled yes about five times into her poor ear! After waiting ten months since I first sent in my application I was being extended an invitation to my top choice.
March 12: It is now exactly one week since I was extended that invitation. I have since excepted my invitation and am now drowning in medical and legal paper work I have to complete but I DON'T CARE BECAUSE I'M GOING TO NICARAGUA!!!! Here is a description of my job duties:
GOAL 1: Rural school teachers will improve their technical skills to teach environmental education and primary school students will increase their environmental knowledge and skills.
GOAL 2: Communities will identify and address local environmental issues.
First try went to voice mail and I thought I would just try tomorrow...I called again and she picked up on the first ring. She started some small talk, and asked what I was up to in my life. The whole time I was hoping she would just get to the point and tell me what ever bad news she had. She asked about the research I was doing in school and I gave her a 30 second description of my Fulbright proposal for an environmental education study in Nicaragua. She laughed...why was she laughing!? After what seemed like for ever she says, "Well we have a slight problem"...here it was!
She says, "I know we had originally told you you'd leave in September but that has changed. Could you leave earlier"?
Confused I said yes, although a little worried about how much earlier that meant. And she says, "We think you would be perfect for our Environmental Science Education program in Nicaragua that leaves in Aug...YES!!!! YES and YES. I may have yelled yes about five times into her poor ear! After waiting ten months since I first sent in my application I was being extended an invitation to my top choice.
March 12: It is now exactly one week since I was extended that invitation. I have since excepted my invitation and am now drowning in medical and legal paper work I have to complete but I DON'T CARE BECAUSE I'M GOING TO NICARAGUA!!!! Here is a description of my job duties:
GOAL 1: Rural school teachers will improve their technical skills to teach environmental education and primary school students will increase their environmental knowledge and skills.
- Co-plan and co-teach with four primary school teachers.
- Teach primary school students
- Train primary school students to establish nurseries, gardens, and compost.
GOAL 2: Communities will identify and address local environmental issues.
- Support community groups in your site to improve their capacity to implement environmental activities.
- High-school youth ecological training. Activity examples include reforestation of public areas, trash campaigns in the school and in the community to reduce organic solid waste
- Environmental conservation activities: environmental talks, establishment of small community fruit/wood trees nurseries or vegetable gardens with composting, reforestation campaigns, ecological/educational murals, and proper trash disposal.