Welcome to the FAB International Education Spring Break trip!

Dear International Education FABers, We are so happy that you chose to accompany us on this FAB trip! During our time together we will focus on service, learning and reflection to grow into more active citizens. We encourage you to ask questions, be thoughtful and challenge your perceptions! Of course well all get to know one another very well but to help start the process, weve included a little bit about us: My name is Taylor and Im a senior Linguistics major with a minor in Communication Sciences & Disorders. I will be one of your Site Leaders on our trip. Last year, I went on my first FAB trip called Childrens Healthcare to Give Kids the World. I loved it so much that I wanted to join another trip this year! This will be my first time as a site leader so I look forward to learning as much as I can from you all. Always feel free to contact me Taylor Im Bill, your other Site Leader and Id like to welcome you to your trip and thank you for becoming involved in social changes in International Education. We will get to know each other in the weeks leading up to the trip but heres a little bio on myself. Im considered a non-traditional student, which is the kind way of saying Im older than most college students lol. Before coming to college, I spent time in the US Army and as an EMT/Firefighter. Im currently a graduate student here at UF, getting my dual Masters in Hydrogeology and Education Technology. I look forward to having a great trip with everyone, we will learn a lot about ourselves and social changes in International Education. Please let me know if I can help out in any way. Bill

Trip Vision Statement By the end of our trip, our participants will have a better understanding of the educational system in Guatemala as well as the political, historical and social factors that contribute to it. We will be inspired to continue working towards social change even when we return to Gainesville. Learning Objectives General: Be able to describe the impact of educational inequality in Guatemala and the complex causes of this inequality including civil war, income inequality and prejudice Local: Identify at least one organization or group in Gainesville that works towards improving education internationally (e.g. Children Beyond our Borders) Trip Specific: To learn how to interact with and encourage students in an international setting despite a probable language barrier, to do this we will be working together and in groups on projects that will benefit both the school and the children directly Trip Overview

Location: Quetzaltenango, Guatemala -Quetzaltenango is also known by its indigenous name Xela -The city is located in a mountain valley within the Highlands of Guatemala with an elevation of 7,655 ft (2330 meters)Bill is a geographical nerd -It is the second largest city in Guatemala Population: Urban-225,000 Metro-about 662,000

Climate: Mild to chilly throughout the year -In March, he average high is 78F (26C) with an average low of 39 F (4C) -The month of March gets about 0.5 inches of rainfall with an average humidity of 65% Demographics: 61% indigenous (American Indian), 34% Mestizo (European and Native American descent) and 5% European Education: Guatemala has compulsory education up to 9th grade; however, less than half the populations over 13 years of age have finished school. Competition rates are even lower in rural and indigenous populations. Brief History of Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango was officially founded by Spain in 1524; however, prior to this, it was inhabited by the Mam Maya people. Even today it is known by the indigenous population as the capital of the Mayas. After U.S. backed coups throughout the 1950s, Guatemala was embroiled in a civil war from approximately 1960 to 1996. The civil war started as an opposition against the wealthy landowners and within ten years progressed to genocide against the indigenous Maya population. The effects of the civil war are still felt to this day. For example, children descended from the Mam Mayans make up only 7.9% of Guatemala. They face discrimination, limited access to education and poor healthcare. Overview of Service Site Name: Miguel Angel Asturias Academy (MAAA) Mission: To provide children with: access to a quality, culturally relevant education, the skills to lead dignified lives, knowledge to engage the social, economic, and political problems confronting their communities and country History: MAA was founded in 1994 by Jorge Chojoln because he wanted to provide better opportunities for oppressed indigenous Mayans. As a descendent of the indigenous population, he himself had experienced the discrimination within Guatemala. The school began with 80 students but has now grown to 300. It serves students from varying backgrounds: indigenous, non-indigenous, poor and middle class. Skills needed: -Ability to interact with underprivileged youth in an appropriate manner -Ability to respectfully interact with people from another culture -Cultural sensitivity -Open-mindedness

Terms related to our trip Indigenous: originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native. Mam Mayans: the indigenous population in Quetzaltenango specifically

Miguel Angel Asturias: Guatemalan poet, diplomat and journalist; he stressed the importance of indigenous culture Guatemalan Civil War: a war that spanned 36 years in Guatemala; 1960-1996 ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Language): The study of English by speakers of another language, the children of MAAA will fall under this Social Change: Refers to any change in a society, in our case we are working on bringing about change through education

Information so you can learn more! (1)For many children in Guatemala, lessons have to be learned on the street by Jessica Shepherd. The Guardian. 7 Mar 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/mar/08/global-campaign-foreducation-guatemala * This article touches on some of the issues children in Guatemala face that prevent them from getting a consistent, good quality education. *Please note: this article isnt meant to worry you about safety. FAB goes to great lengths to ensure that we are in a safe area and are trained in the unlikely event that something happens. (2) Guatemala: Political, Security, and Socio-Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations by Maureen Taft-Morales. CRS Report for Congress. 16 May 2013. http://fabinternationaleducation.weebly.com/congressional-research-serviceguatmela-2013.html Please dont be intimidated by the size of this article! It is a research article put together for members of Congress so its a great resource. This article contains really interesting historical and political information about Guatemala, such as more information about their current political state and the United States relationship with Guatemala. Still want to learn more? Our service site, the Miguel Asturias Academy, made this video as a brief introduction to how the school came to be and why it is difficult for children from Guatemala to receive a good education: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTCV4i1N0Kc OR

Check out our trip website for more information: http://www.fabinternationaleducation.weebly.com

Timeline of Events Mandatory FAB Orientation: 2/13 Second Trip Meeting: 2/14 at 12pm FAB Spaghetti Lunch: 2/18 from 11-3pm Third trip meeting: TBD Leave for our trip: 3/1 Our awesome trip: 3/1-3/8 Return from our trip: 3/8 Re-Orientation March 11th from 11-1pm Location TBD Pre-trip service: In the works! Post-trip service: TBD