We couldn’t be prouder of our participants after experiencing an exhilarating first week in community! From building relationships with their host families to meeting local youth, Team Coclé has embraced the AMIGOS maxim and truly stepped out of its element. Below are thoughts from some of our supervisors about their participants’ first week in community.

Caroline: During my first week on route, I was impressed by how eager my participants were to dive into planning and executing extracurricular activities. They went door to door inviting kids and spent hours with their partners planning games/lessons. I got the opportunity to sit in on their campamentos and see all of their hard work pay off! They were truly giving it their all during their first few days in community!

Sam: Arriving in my communities and seeing firsthand how open and willing my participants were at trying new things was a breath of fresh air; I couldn’t have expected a better way to start the summer. I’m excited to witness the growth each and every participant will experience in the coming weeks!

Rachael: Tate and Colin are busy getting to know their mountainous community by hiking around with community members! Highlights of the week include learning to make tamales, visiting the local butterfly nursery with their host dad, and participating in two community meetings!

Lena: It was great to see my participants settle into their first week in community and see the beginning of some strong partner dynamics. I was also touched by how host families so readily welcomed participants into their homes.

Just a reminder that Midterm is this upcoming Saturday, July 14! Participants will have the option to call home between 9 AM and 12 PM EST. Please note that some participants choose to stay fully immersed in their experience and may decide not to call home during this day.