Volunteering at Earth Equilibrium - Obandito
The primary goals for this day are: ● To learn, first hand, about the lives of the people and about this extraordinary school, Obandito, and the nonprofit organization, Earth Equilibrium, that is working to help the school. ● Form relationships with the school and the people they serve so you can become an ambassador for their community and their organization. ● Have fun! This should be an extremely positive and rewarding experience for both you and for the locals! Overview: 10am – 11:30am Meet your Earth Equilibrium representative at 10am, greet the local community and give a presentation as part of the “Our Beautiful World” program. (see below) 11:30am ­ 12:30pm Lunch break (Please bring your own) After eating participate in recess by playing soccer or other sports with the kids. 12:30pm – 1:30 pm Spend an hour reading with kids as part of the “Reading for Life” program. (see below) Please note: Because the school’s projects and programs may differ from week­to­week, your experience may differ depending on scheduling and availability. There are two different volunteer programs that you may participate in: 1. Our Beautiful World Click here to see a sample presentation that the Give A Day Global staff gave to Obandito School. Here is a handout with guidelines and ideas about what to include in your presentation. In order for your presentation to be projected in the classroom, please make your presentation in PowerPoint format, and place it on a Windows­compatible USB drive (jump drive). The school has a Windows computer and a projector that they can set up for you. If you do not speak Spanish, the teacher will be able to translate. 2. Reading for Life You can contribute to the Build a Library project by bringing two or more books on the Obandito Book list. Most books should be available through Amazon. You may read one or two stories to the children in Spanish. If you do not speak Spanish, you can facilitate passing around the book and having the kids read it out loud. You can even teach the children the English translation (it helps to translate in advance. You can use a tool like Google Translate, and bring it with you!) The English teacher at the school will also be available to translate. In addition to just reading the book, you can discuss the book with the kids, and encourage them to think about what they read, and to reflect on it. Click here to see our handout for book based ideas about how to engage students in a conversation or activity about a book! Obandito School has very few books. Earth Equilibrium’s aim is to set­up a basic 300 book shelving system consisting of suggested books by the Ministry of Education plus additional classic children’s stories. The goal of the project is to instill in children a love of inquiry and knowledge through reading. See list of books at the end of this document. Before You Go: We recommend that in advance of your trip that you take a bit of time to research Guanacaste and the local area. Knowing a bit about the place is the key to understanding. Here is a website to start with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanacaste_Province Here is a great link for more info about the language: http://wikitravel.org/en/Spanish The locals will appreciate it if you can say a few phrases in Spanish: Hello: Hola Please: Por Favor Thank you: Gracias What is your name?: Como se llama usted? Nice to meet you: Mucho gusto The Day of Your GADG Experience What to wear: ○ Casual and comfortable clothing ○ Comfortable shoes *Note: please leave jewelry, watches and other valuables at your hotel – we don’t want them to get lost/damaged, or to cause any unnecessary distractions. What to bring: ○ Enough water for a for your time there ○ Lunch: Bring your own as there are no local options available. ○ Sunscreen ­ if you intend to do outdoor recreation. ○ Camera ­ Please confirm with your primary contact at the school about whether it’s appropriate to take photos, and if so when. What to do onsite: ● Flexibility is key. Please remember that Obandito is a school and their primary objective is to educate children – we are visitors in their community, and respecting that is the priority. ● Be culturally aware and sensitive to the locals. Remember we’re guests in their home! ● It is Give A Day Global's policy that our volunteers are always supervised when playing or working with children. Please ensure there are always local staff members present at all times during any activities involving children. What to avoid onsite: ● Giving individuals money or any other type of gift. Gifts can create expectations from locals that all volunteers will bring gifts, and can be distracting from other activities. (Note: an exception is books that are being donated to the school, or any other gifts to the institution!) ● Using profanity or any type of offensive language, even if they don’t understand your native language. ● Wearing headphones or talking on the phone. ● Smoking/alcohol/drugs of any kind. How To Get There: Obandito is about 15­20 minutes from Playas Del Coco. If you have a rental car you can drive, or you may hire a taxi. You can click here to get directions from Google Maps. (If you are bringing a mobile device with you, we recommend that you download directions while connected to wifi ­ you may lose data service in rural areas!) Directions: Take Route 151 to Sardinal. The road intoto Sardinal is well marked with signs (labeled on the map as 191). If you’re coming from the South it will be on your right, from the North it will be on your left. Stay straight for many blocks until the road ends at a “T” Turn LEFT and go one block. Turn RIGHT at the next intersection (in front of you will be a building housing The Red Cross). Continue on this road for 1.5 miles. You will cross a bridge and the road will turn into a dirt road. After 1.5 km, you will encounter a fork in the road. Stay on the main road (do not turn) ­ in about 100 yards you will see the school on your right hand side. Note: You can always ask people for directions by asking: Donde esta escuela Obandito? Contact Details: If you have questions in advance of your volunteering day, please contact Give A Day Global. However, if you need to make last­minute contact with Earth Equilibrium on the day before or day of your volunteering appointment, then please contact: Maria Alejandra (506) 8994 7109 Michelle Libby (506) 8713 8525 Book Wish List for Obandito School ● Adivina Cuanto Te Quiero by Sam McBratney, Esther Roehrich­Rubio, Teresa Mlawer (Paperback) ● Un Dia de Nieve (Spanish Edition) by Ezra Jack Keats (Paperback) ● Harold y el Lapiz Color Morado (Harold and the Purple Crayon) by Crockett Johnson, Teresa Mlawer (Paperback) ● Cars, Trucks and Planes / Carros, camiones y aviones by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza (Board book) ● El Pez Arco Iris (Spanish Edition) by Marcus Pfister (Paperback) ● El artista que pinto un caballo azul (Spanish Edition) by Eric Carle (Board book) ● La Mariquita Malhumorada (Spanish Edition) by Eric Carle, Teresa Mlawer (Paperback) ● La Arana Muy Ocupada (Spanish Edition) by Eric Carle (Board book) ● Feliz navidad, Jorge el curioso/Merry Christmas, Curious George (bilingual edition) (Spanish and English Edition) by H. A. Rey, Mary O'Keefe Young (Hardcover) ● El expreso polar by Chris Van Allsburg (Hardcover) ● El burrito de Belen (Spanish Edition) by Emily King, Ed Olson (Hardcover) ● Ya llegan los Reyes Magos! (Spanish Edition) by Georgina Lazaro, Morella Fuenmayor (Paperback) ● La Historia de Navidad (Spanish Edition) by Patricia A. Pingry, Lorraine Wells (Board book) ● OLIVIA y el regalo de Navidad (Olivia and the Christmas Present) (Olivia TV ●
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Tie­in) (Spanish Edition) by Farrah McDoogle, Shane L. Johnson, Alexis Romay (Paperback) Clifford: La primera Navidad (Spanish Edition) by Norman Bridwell (Board book) Estrella de Navidad (Spanish Edition) by Marcus Pfister (Board book) La Mariposa by Simon Silva (Paperback) La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol / The Woman Who Outshone the Sun by Martinez (Paperback) El Cucuy: A Bogeyman Cuento in English and Spanish (English and Spanish Edition) by Joe Hayes, Honorio Robledo (Paperback) The Day It Snowed Tortillas / El Dia Que Nevaron Tortillas, Folktales told in Spanish and English by Joe Hayes, Antonio Castro Lopez (Paperback)
Buenas noches, Gorila (Spanish Edition) by Peggy Rathmann (Board book) La viejecita que no le tenia miedo a nada (The Little Old Lady Who Was not Afraid of Anything, Spanish Edition) by Linda Williams, Megan Lloyd (Paperback) Un beso en mi mano (Spanish Edition) by Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper, Nancy M. Leak (Hardcover) ¡No Dejes Que la Paloma Conduzca el Autobus! (Pigeon Series) (Spanish Edition) by Mo Willems (Paperback) El Loro Tico Tango (Spanish Edition) by Anna Witte (Paperback) Harry, el perrito sucio (Harry the Dirty Dog, Spanish edition) by Gene Zion, Margaret Bloy Graham (Paperback) Alexander Y El Día Terrible, Horrible, Espantoso, Horroroso by Judith Viorst, Ray Cruz (Paperback) Numbers 1 2 3 / Los números 1 2 3 by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Michele Noiset (Board book) Jobs Around My Neighborhood / Oficios en mi vecindario) (Dual Language) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Ann Iosa (Board book) My House / Mi casa (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Book #18) (Bilingual) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Hector Borlasca (Board book) My Senses / Mis sentidos (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Book #21) (Bilingual) (Board Book) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Laura Merer (Board book) Colors and Shapes / Los colores y las figuras (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Bilingual) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Carolina Cifuentes, Michele Noiset (Board book) My Clothes / Mi ropa (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Book #15) (Bilingual) (Board Book) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Mary Collier (Board book) My Body / Mi cuerpo (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Bilingual) (Dual Language) (Pre­K and Kindergarten) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Chris Butler (Board book) ● Fruits and Vegetables / Frutas y vegetales (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Bilingual) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Linda Holt Ayriss (Board book) ● The Weather / El tiempo (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Bilingual) (Dual Language) by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Carolina Cifuentes, C.D. Hullinger (Board book) ● What time is it? / ¿Qué hora es? (English and Spanish Foundations Series) (Bilingual) (Dual Language)by Gladys Rosa­Mendoza, Carolina Cifuentes, Susan Chapman Calitri (Board book) ● EL SECRETO DE LA FELICIDAD (HUGO LA ESTRELLA DE MAR FELIZ) (Spanish Edition) by Suzy Liebermann (Kindle Edition) Offered by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ● Children's books in spanish : El grillo y la oruga ­ Libros para niños by Beata Noemi Balint (Kindle Edition) Offered by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. ● De Colores and Other Latin American Folksongs for Children (Anthology) (Spanish Edition) by Jose­Luis Orozco, Elisa Kleven (Paperback) ● Si le das una galletita a un ratón (Spanish Edition) by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Felicia Bond (Hardcover) ● ¡Oh, cúan lejos llegarás! by Dr. Seuss, Aida Marcuse (Library Binding) ● Coleccion de oro Jorge el curioso/A Treasury of Curious George (bilingual edition) (English and Spanish Edition) by H. A. Rey (Hardcover) ● El Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Aida E. Marcuse (Library Binding) ● El Gato Con Sombrero Viene De Nuevo / The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (Spanish Edition) by Dr. Seuss, Yanitzia Canetti (Hardcover) ● Horton Escucha a Quien (Horton Hears a Who)(Spanish Edition) by Dr. Seuss, Yanitzia Canetti (Hardcover) ● The Cat in the Hat: In English and Spanish (Beginner Books(R)) (Spanish Edition) by Dr. Seuss, Carlos Rivera (Hardcover) ● El principito (Spanish) by Antoine de Saint­Exupéry, Bonifacio del Carril (Paperback) ● Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal by J. K. Rowling, Alicia Dellepiane (Paperback) ● Las Cronicas de Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia (HarperCollins Spanish)) (Spanish Edition) by C. S. Lewis (Paperback) ● Devolver al Remitente (Return to Sender Spanish Edition) by Julia Alvarez (Paperback) ● Medianoche En La Luna / Midnight on the Moon (La Casa Del Arbol / Magic Tree House) (Spanish Edition) by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca, Marcela Brovelli (Paperback) ● James y el melocotón gigante / James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (Paperback) ● Ramona empieza el curso by Beverly Cleary, Jacqueline Rogers (Paperback) ● Dinosaurios al atardecer (Casa del arbol) (Spanish Edition) by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca, Marcela Brovelli (Paperback) ● Yo, Naomi Leon (Spanish Edition) by Pam Munoz Ryan (Paperback) ● Delfines Al Amanecer / Dolphins at Daybreak (La Casa Del Arbol / Magic Tree House) (Spanish Edition) by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca, Marcela Brovelli (Paperback) ● El árbol generoso by Shel Silverstein, Carla Pardo Valle (Hardcover) ● Matilda (Alfaguara Juvenil) (Spanish Edition) by Roald Dahl (Paperback) ● El Leon Bruja y el Ropero (Narnia) (Spanish Edition) by C. S. Lewis (Paperback) ● El Sonador: (Spanish language edition of The Dreamer) (Spanish Edition) by Pam Munoz Ryan, Peter Sis (Paperback) ● Ramona la chinche by Beverly Cleary, Jacqueline Rogers (Paperback) ● Esperanza renace: (Spanish language edition of Esperanza Rising) (Spanish Edition) by Pam Munoz Ryan, Nuria Molinero (Mass Market Paperback) ● Charlie y la fabrica de chocolate (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) (Alfaguara) (Spanish Edition) by Roald Dahl, Veronica Head, Quentin Blake (Paperback) ● Charlotte's Web (Spanish edition): La telarana de Carlota by E. B. White, Garth Williams (Paperback) ● Huevos verdes con jamón by Dr. Seuss, Aida E. Marcuse, Theodore Geisel (Library Binding) ● Quiero a mi papa Porque (I Love My Daddy Because English / Spanishedition​
) (Spanish Edition) by Laurel Porter Gaylord, Ashley Wolff (Board book) ● Jorge el curioso visita el acuario /Curious George at the Aquarium (bilingual edition) (Spanish and English Edition) by H. A. Rey (Paperback) ● Quiero a mi Mama Porque (I Love my Mommy Because Eng/Span ed) (Spanish Edition) by Laurel Porter Gaylord, Ashley Wolff (Board book) ● Bilingual Bright Baby Colors (Spanish Edition) by Roger Priddy (Board book) ● Bilingual Bright Baby Animals (Bright Baby / Bebe Listo) (Spanish Edition) by Roger Priddy (Board book) ● La oruga muy hambrienta: Board Book (Spanish Edition) by Eric Carle (Board book) ● What Color Is It? / Que color es este? (Good Beginnings) (Spanish Edition) by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, Pamela Zagarenski (Board book) ● A is for Airplane/A es para avion (Alphabet Books) (Multilingual Edition) by Theresa Howell (Board book) ● First Words (Bilingual Bright Baby) / Primeras Palabras (Bebe Listo) (Spanish Edition) by Roger Priddy (Board book) ● Un Pez, Dos Peces, Pez Rojo, Pez Azul (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner ●
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Books) (Spanish Edition) by Dr. Seuss, Yanitzia Canetti (Hardcover) Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes/Cabeza, Hombros, Piernas, Pies ​
(English and Spanish Edition) by Annie Kubler (Board book) Goodnight Moon / Buenas Noches, Luna (Spanish Edition) by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Paperback) How Do I Feel? / Como me siento? (Good Beginnings) (Spanish Edition) by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, Pamela Zagarenski (Board book) Opuestos (Opposites) (Spanish Edition) by Sandra Boynton, Argentina Palacios Ziegler (Board book) Perro grande... Perro pequeño / Big Dog... Little Dog (Spanish and English Edition) by P.D. Eastman (Paperback) ¿Eres Mi Mama? (Bright & Earl​
y Board Books(TM)) (Spanish Edition) by P.D. Eastman, Desiree Marquez (Board book)