Queridos participantes de Bridge Perú 2010,
As the days get longer and the promise of a summer filled with adventure, new sights, new sounds, and new friends draws nearer, we hope you are getting excited about Bridge Perú! You all have taken a definitive step by choosing to travel to Peru this summer. There is no doubt that you are in for an experience that will have a lasting impact on your life and will open doors you never even knew existed. We’re guessing that you’re probably tired of papers, tests, and teachers by now and we are here to assure you that our upcoming journey will be a completely different experience from what you’ve been doing in school for the past nine months.
On Bridge Perú, you will learn by doing. Whether you are practicing your Spanish with a group of young children, exploring a local market, kayaking on Lake Titicaca, or hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you will be met with a wide variety of learning opportunities each day. As a group we will help support one another and make sense of all our new experiences. Each of you will have the chance to lead the group and contribute to our collective experience in meaningful ways. We ask that you come prepared to participate, engage your minds, and ask questions. Active participation is key on a trip of this nature and we guarantee that the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
Now a little bit about us…
I am Nayeli, but I go by Nayu. I was born in México. Even though I grew up in Argentina, my family has always kept traditions from the years we lived in México. I co-led El Tesoro del Perú in 2006 , Bridge Mexico 2007 and Bridge Peru 2009. I am an Elementary school teacher. At the moment, I teach Science and Language to fourth graders at an English immersion school in Córdoba, Argentina.
Ever since I was in high school, I have been involved in activities based on outdoor recreation and social development. I was the Coordinator of the youth group for my high school and I also participated on trips to disadvantaged areas in northern Argentina and literacy campaigns.
In the USA, I worked for Concordia Language Villages (a language immersion camp) and for YMCA Camp Ihduahapi for a year and a half in Minnesota. At Ihduahapi I was a ropes course facilitator, a Project Common Ground Family Leader (a diversity appreciation program), a climbing trip guide on the shore of Lake Superior, and a Trail Guide for canoe trips down the Saint Croix River. During the time I lived in the USA, I also took the opportunity to go on canoe trips in The Florida Everglades and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota.
Visiting new places renews my spirit and fills me with energy. I like heights and challenges. I love music; I collect it everywhere I go. I’ve taken tango, Argentinean folk music, salsa and hip hop lessons. I like playing and laughing until tears.
Hello, my name is Jim Whitmore. I will be your other leader with Nayu. I am originally from Indiana, but have lived in a few other places. After I graduated from Ball State University I moved to Durango, CO where I taught middle school for two years. While there I took full advantage of the amazing variety of adventures to be had in the Rockies. I have always been a traveler, and have made it a fairly regular part of my life.
After Colorado, I moved to Honduras where I taught 6th grade in the town of San Pedro Sula. While living in this tropical paradise, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the cloud forests and the tranquility of the Bay Islands. These three years involved exploring the mountains and getting out to the islands to scuba dive. I was ready to move back to Indiana to continue my studies when I met the woman who is now my wife of three years.
I ended up living in Honduras for four more years while my wife finished her university requirements. The last four years in Honduras were spent teaching 5th and 6th grade at a bilingual school located within the University of Zamorano. Though in the same country the environment was different from San Pedro. I spent much of my free time riding my bike through small mountain villages or selling/eating ice cream in the villages around Danli with my father-in-law. This last year, my wife and I have moved to Bloomington, Indiana where I am continuing my education focusing on International and Comparative Education and my wife is learning English. It has been an interesting and challenging adjustment for both of us. During many of my summers off from teaching, I have been lucky to have lead trips through Windsor Mountain.
My first experience with WMI was leading Random Acts of Kindness way back in 2003! Since then I have lead the Bridge Caribbean twice (‘04 & ‘05) and Bridge Peru twice (‘07 & ‘08). Being a part of a Windsor Mountain trip, and being lucky enough to work with Nayu, is just what I need to get energized after a hard year of school. I am very excited to get back to Peru, see some old friends, make new ones, and share this wonderful adventure with you.
We are your leaders, Jim and Nayu, and we are here to make sure that you have the best experience possible on Bridge Perú 2010. Windsor Mountain has brought us together because it represents a perfect combination of our interests and values. On the one hand, it gives us the opportunity to work with motivated young people and on the other, it allows us to foster meaningful connections with the communities in which we live and work.
Now we know that you’re probably bogged down with papers and finals right about now, but we do have two small assignments for you. First, we would like you to bring one or two short quotes or poems that you like with you on the trip. If they are in Spanish, that would be great, but they don’t have to be, just bring something that you like.
Secondly, we would like you to choose one of the following topics, investigate it, and be prepared to share what you’ve learned with the group in a presentation of no longer than 5 minutes (this will take place during our orientation in Peru). This is meant to be fun and to give you an introduction to the culture you will soon be a part of. This is also an opportunity for you to let your creativity and personality shine. Feel free to interpret this assignment broadly…music, dances, raps, drawings, jokes, puppet shows, etc. are all welcome. Have fun with it! Here are the topics, all of which should be addressed with respect to Perú, and not China or your hometown:
Literature, Visual Arts, Music, Geography, Food, Politics, Flora/Fauna, Sports, History, Indigenous Cultures, Religion (if you see something that’s not in this list you’d like to check out, go for it, these are just suggestions).
Let us know if you have any questions about the trip. We are here to help. Also, we would like to encourage you to practice your Spanish as much as possible as you get ready for the trip, you will thank yourself later, trust us! We’re looking forward to meeting you and we hope you have a great end of the school year.
Nos Vemos Pronto,
Nayu & Jim
As the days get longer and the promise of a summer filled with adventure, new sights, new sounds, and new friends draws nearer, we hope you are getting excited about Bridge Perú! You all have taken a definitive step by choosing to travel to Peru this summer. There is no doubt that you are in for an experience that will have a lasting impact on your life and will open doors you never even knew existed. We’re guessing that you’re probably tired of papers, tests, and teachers by now and we are here to assure you that our upcoming journey will be a completely different experience from what you’ve been doing in school for the past nine months.
On Bridge Perú, you will learn by doing. Whether you are practicing your Spanish with a group of young children, exploring a local market, kayaking on Lake Titicaca, or hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you will be met with a wide variety of learning opportunities each day. As a group we will help support one another and make sense of all our new experiences. Each of you will have the chance to lead the group and contribute to our collective experience in meaningful ways. We ask that you come prepared to participate, engage your minds, and ask questions. Active participation is key on a trip of this nature and we guarantee that the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
Now a little bit about us…
I am Nayeli, but I go by Nayu. I was born in México. Even though I grew up in Argentina, my family has always kept traditions from the years we lived in México. I co-led El Tesoro del Perú in 2006 , Bridge Mexico 2007 and Bridge Peru 2009. I am an Elementary school teacher. At the moment, I teach Science and Language to fourth graders at an English immersion school in Córdoba, Argentina.
Ever since I was in high school, I have been involved in activities based on outdoor recreation and social development. I was the Coordinator of the youth group for my high school and I also participated on trips to disadvantaged areas in northern Argentina and literacy campaigns.
In the USA, I worked for Concordia Language Villages (a language immersion camp) and for YMCA Camp Ihduahapi for a year and a half in Minnesota. At Ihduahapi I was a ropes course facilitator, a Project Common Ground Family Leader (a diversity appreciation program), a climbing trip guide on the shore of Lake Superior, and a Trail Guide for canoe trips down the Saint Croix River. During the time I lived in the USA, I also took the opportunity to go on canoe trips in The Florida Everglades and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota.
Visiting new places renews my spirit and fills me with energy. I like heights and challenges. I love music; I collect it everywhere I go. I’ve taken tango, Argentinean folk music, salsa and hip hop lessons. I like playing and laughing until tears.
Hello, my name is Jim Whitmore. I will be your other leader with Nayu. I am originally from Indiana, but have lived in a few other places. After I graduated from Ball State University I moved to Durango, CO where I taught middle school for two years. While there I took full advantage of the amazing variety of adventures to be had in the Rockies. I have always been a traveler, and have made it a fairly regular part of my life.
After Colorado, I moved to Honduras where I taught 6th grade in the town of San Pedro Sula. While living in this tropical paradise, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the cloud forests and the tranquility of the Bay Islands. These three years involved exploring the mountains and getting out to the islands to scuba dive. I was ready to move back to Indiana to continue my studies when I met the woman who is now my wife of three years.
I ended up living in Honduras for four more years while my wife finished her university requirements. The last four years in Honduras were spent teaching 5th and 6th grade at a bilingual school located within the University of Zamorano. Though in the same country the environment was different from San Pedro. I spent much of my free time riding my bike through small mountain villages or selling/eating ice cream in the villages around Danli with my father-in-law. This last year, my wife and I have moved to Bloomington, Indiana where I am continuing my education focusing on International and Comparative Education and my wife is learning English. It has been an interesting and challenging adjustment for both of us. During many of my summers off from teaching, I have been lucky to have lead trips through Windsor Mountain.
My first experience with WMI was leading Random Acts of Kindness way back in 2003! Since then I have lead the Bridge Caribbean twice (‘04 & ‘05) and Bridge Peru twice (‘07 & ‘08). Being a part of a Windsor Mountain trip, and being lucky enough to work with Nayu, is just what I need to get energized after a hard year of school. I am very excited to get back to Peru, see some old friends, make new ones, and share this wonderful adventure with you.
We are your leaders, Jim and Nayu, and we are here to make sure that you have the best experience possible on Bridge Perú 2010. Windsor Mountain has brought us together because it represents a perfect combination of our interests and values. On the one hand, it gives us the opportunity to work with motivated young people and on the other, it allows us to foster meaningful connections with the communities in which we live and work.
Now we know that you’re probably bogged down with papers and finals right about now, but we do have two small assignments for you. First, we would like you to bring one or two short quotes or poems that you like with you on the trip. If they are in Spanish, that would be great, but they don’t have to be, just bring something that you like.
Secondly, we would like you to choose one of the following topics, investigate it, and be prepared to share what you’ve learned with the group in a presentation of no longer than 5 minutes (this will take place during our orientation in Peru). This is meant to be fun and to give you an introduction to the culture you will soon be a part of. This is also an opportunity for you to let your creativity and personality shine. Feel free to interpret this assignment broadly…music, dances, raps, drawings, jokes, puppet shows, etc. are all welcome. Have fun with it! Here are the topics, all of which should be addressed with respect to Perú, and not China or your hometown:
Literature, Visual Arts, Music, Geography, Food, Politics, Flora/Fauna, Sports, History, Indigenous Cultures, Religion (if you see something that’s not in this list you’d like to check out, go for it, these are just suggestions).
Let us know if you have any questions about the trip. We are here to help. Also, we would like to encourage you to practice your Spanish as much as possible as you get ready for the trip, you will thank yourself later, trust us! We’re looking forward to meeting you and we hope you have a great end of the school year.
Nos Vemos Pronto,
Nayu & Jim
