August 29th, 2011
submitted by Stephen Goettsche, Spanish teacher at Summit Middle School
After a very positive experience in the 2010-11 school year, I am excited to continue supporting, along with my 8th-grade Spanish 2 students, the education of Jeremías, a student from Chajul, Guatemala. Our collaboration with Limitless Horizons Ixil (Philanthropiece’s partner in Chajul) is a great example of kids rallying to help other kids. With a little guidance, 8th graders can make a positive impact on the life and future of others.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Chajul, Limitless Horizons Ixil, pen pals, Summit Middle School
Posted in Boulder, Chajul, LHI | No Comments »
August 22nd, 2011
Jordan Bailey, Philanthropiece Field Coordinator, comments on the Dream Town Documentary, the HOOP DREAMS of Soccer in Ecuador
I lived in the Valle del Chota town of Ambuqui as a Peace Corps Volunteer between the years of 2005-2007. This is when “La Selección de Ecuador” was electrifying soccer pride to an unprecedented level for their country. This was when foreigners were asking what African nation Ecuador belonged to. This was also when I was teaching English in six different schools in the Valle del Chota and I was able to witness what soccer truly meant to this area. Soccer is a sport that brings the community together. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2006 World Cup, Dream Town Documentary, Ecuador, Jordan Bailey, Peace Corps, soccer, Valle del Chota
Posted in Ecuador, Field Coordinator | No Comments »
August 15th, 2011
submitted by Stephen Goettsche, Spanish teacher at Summit Middle School
As another school year is right around the corner, I’m looking forward to renewing the pen-pal exchange between 8th-grade Spanish students at Summit Middle School and students in Laguna San Ignacio. Thanks to Philanthropiece, I am able to provide my students with opportunities for authentic exchange and connection with Spanish-speakers from outside our immediate community.
The experience of sending and receiving letters to and from a remote town in Baja is one that brings the Spanish language, it´s speakers and their culture to life in the classroom. The bustling excitement that characterizes my students as they are reading and writing pen-pal letters is a clear indication of their enthusiasm for making real-world connections with their friends in Laguna San Ignacio. I´m looking forward to hearing my students inquire, with nagging frequency, “¿Cuándo vamos a recibir las cartas?”, knowing that the pen-pal exchange will manage to engage all of my students, as they put their newly acquired language skills to use.
LSI students showing off their penpal letters
Tags: Laguna San Ignacio, pen pals, Summit Middle School
Posted in Baja | No Comments »
August 10th, 2011
The photo of the week is back, after a little summer hiatus, with what might be my new favorite photo! (Actually, the whole Philanthropiece blog slowed down a bit this summer. Isn’t that how things should be? I seem to recall something about the lazy days of summer but I think the last time I experienced that was when I was a kid).
Executive Directors, Libby and Joanie, along with Director of Programs, Katie, recently traveled to Chajul, Guatemala to check in with our on the ground partner, Limitless Horizons Ixil. They packed a lot of extras in their suitcases, including Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Chajul, Limitless Horizons Ixil, Nokero, Saber Sin Limites, solar light bulb
Posted in Chajul | 3 Comments »
August 3rd, 2011
A Call to Action, by Libby Cook
I vividly remember growing up reading about and admiring the work of Mother Teresa. Her unselfish dedication to helping the poor in India, a place I had never been, in conditions so bleak and with no obvious concern for her own health was amazing to me. In most of the photos of her she looked so wizened and frail but so thoroughly humble and dedicated to helping the poor. Forty plus years ago Calcutta was a remote outpost in India on the Asian continent. From everything I could tell Mother Teresa appeared to have landed in Calcutta by accident as a nun on assignment by the Catholic Church. When I learned that the Catholic Church had made Mother Teresa a saint their actions only confirmed that which I already knew. While I didn’t expect to achieve sainthood I did aspire to be like Mother Teresa when I grew up. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Call to Action, Greg Mortenson, knowledge sharing, Mother Teresa, SSIR Summer 2011, The Challenge of Organizational Learning, Three Cups of Deceit, Three Cups of Tea
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
August 2nd, 2011
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The Boulder International Film Festival was voted by MovieMaker Magazine as “One of the 25 Festival’s Worth the Entry Fee” in the Spring 2011 Issue. Specifically, they highlighted the Call 2 Action program, which Philanthropiece is instrumental in providing each year at BIFF. See below for the excerpt from MovieMaker, and be sure to join us next year at BIFF, Feb 16-19, 2012!
“Documentary moviemakers, take note: When your film gets screened at BIFF, audience involvement doesn’t end when the lights come up. Through its unique Call 2 Action program, BIFF does its part to mobilize Boulders socially-conscious citizens to take action. “We have dedicated a major portion of our yearly efforts to build a system that takes the social consciousness that these film raise and carry it out of the theater and into the world,” says the fest’s Executive Director (and documentarian in her own right) Robin Beeck. “Talkback sessions and stations of groups associated with the topics covered are located in our tent at the crossroads of the festival, enabling people to come together and offer ideas and assistance to overcome problems addressed in our films”. – MovieMaker Magazine Spring 2011 |
Tags: BIFF, Boulder International Film Festival, Call 2 Action, Documentary, MovieMaker
Posted in Boulder | No Comments »
June 7th, 2011
This post comes to us from Marisa Mellizo, a Spanish teacher at Fairview High School in Boulder.
Pen Pal Exchange
In January of this year, my level 2 Spanish class began a letter exchange with students in San Ignacio, Baja, Mexico. This project all started because of one student who had participated in the pen pal exchange the previous year in her middle school Spanish class. Because she had such a positive experience with the pen pal exchange, she wanted to continue with it this year, and took it upon herself to take the necessary steps to make it happen. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Boulder CO, Fairview High School, pen pals, San Ignacio
Posted in Baja, Boulder | 1 Comment »
May 25th, 2011
This is an oldie but goodie! (I actually was dreaming about this day the other night!).
Back in February of 2009 the Advisory Board and Staff of Philanthropiece took a 10 day, educational trip to rural Nicaragua with the intention of learning about the efforts of different NGO’s working there. (You can read more about it here.) We spent a large chunk of our time working in El Sauce, building a lavandero (community wash station) alongside the community members of Los Rochas with El Porvenir. El Porvenir supports self–help, community–initiated water, sanitation and reforestation projects and is based in Nicaragua with a U.S. office in Denver, CO.
One of our motto’s here at Philanthropiece is “Be Passionate. Do Good Work. Have Fun.” For me, this photo embodies all that and more.
Tags: El Porvenir, Nicaragua
Posted in Nicaragua | No Comments »
May 13th, 2011
from Julie Moyle, Advisory Board Member at Philanthropiece since 2006
The good fortune of being involved with Philanthropiece has been a wonderful journey in finding and fulfilling collective and personal interests and passions. My healthcare experience and interest in environmental sustainability have broadened into volunteer work and perspectives in international community development and empowerment, which began with Philanthropiece giving me the opportunity and exposure to such projects.
Currently, I am working with Practice Greenhealth on efforts to implement environmentally sustainable practices in healthcare facilities, and organizer of Cleanmed 2012, which will be held in Denver next spring. I am also working with Project Cure, a wonderful medical foundation which receives donated medical supplies and equipment for worldwide dispersal and use, and enjoys a partnership with Walmart, who backhauls the items to regional collection centers. I am pursuing a post-master’s certificate at the University of Maryland Global Health Office, which focuses on social justice and anticipated health impacts due to climate change. Onward!
Tags: Cleanmed, climate change, environmental sustainability, healthcare, Julie Moyle, medical donations, Practice Greenhealth, Project Cure, University of Maryland Global Health Office
Posted in Advisory Board | No Comments »
