NICARAGUA
Education Program

Background

Nicaragua is a greatly misunderstood country. Americans know Nicaragua best for the tumultuous Sandinsta years of the 1980s. But Nicaragua has been peaceful for nearly two decades and has transformed into an international retirement and vacation destination. Nicaragua is also commonly lumped in with the rest of Central America. But it stands out for its eclectic music traditions, giant lakes and volcanoes, and its blend of Spanish, English, African and indigenous cultures.

Nicaragua offers an authentic and untrammeled Central American experience. Horse-drawn carriages rumble past Spanish convents and cathedrals built nearly five centuries ago in Granada, the oldest city in Central America. Volcanoes, shrouded in mist, rise out of the rainforest. Howler monkeys and scarlet macaws screech in the rain forest. Black volcanic beaches extend down the coast as far as the eye can see.

Issues

Nicaragua’s economy is growing at 4 percent per year, but poverty remains widespread. Daily wages offered by country’s coffee plantations can be less than $1 per day, and much of the rural population lives by planting red beans, yellow corn and other subsistence crops.

Nicaragua’s population is growing at 3 percent per year, faster than any other Central American nation. At this rate, Nicaragua will jump from today’s population of around 3 million people to between 9 and 12 million people by 2030. This population growth will further deplete Nicaragua’s rainforests as farmers clear more land for farming. It will also overtax the country’s already strained resources, including water, electricity and critical government services.

Solutions

World Leadership School’s base of operations in Nicaragua is Ometepe Island, a double-coned volcanic island in the middle of giant Lake Nicaragua. Because of its steep slopes and isolation, Ometepe has large areas of pristine rain forest, mangrove swamps and undeveloped beaches. Life on Ometepe is unhurried, peaceful and in harmony with nature.

But Ometepe is changing. The island’s population is growing and has little or no access to quality education and health care. Farmers gradually clear land on the slopes of the island’s two volcanoes. Conservationists meanwhile are trying to save Ometepe’s rainforests and convert it into a showcase for Nicaraguan eco-tourism. There are efforts underway to train local nature guides and formerly protect Ometepe’s rainforests. But much needs to be done.

On the Nicaragua program we work in schools to teach English and sustainability principles to the youth of Ometepe. These skills will allow the children to find work and participate in the island’s nascent tourism industry. We commit to one school-related infrastructure project such as building a school classroom or playground.

We also work with children on environmental initiatives to help preserve rainforest and build long-lasting conservation values. This includes trash clean-up and the creation of nature trails. Special volunteer opportunities exist for intermediate and advanced Spanish speakers such as working in a rehabilitation program for kids brought to the island from the streets of Managua, Nicaragua’s capital.

Through our work we understand global sustainability and the challenges of education in the developing world. We work and learn from local island leaders, tourism entrepreneurs and environmentalists. Along the way, we participate in the World Leadership School training program. Our goal is to better understand ourselves and begin the process of articulating our own leadership style and vision.

We also have plenty of time to explore Nicaragua’s natural surroundings. We sea kayak around Ometepe’s coastline, explore its mangrove swamps and mountain bike its beaches. Off the island, we witness a night-time lava flow at Masaya National Park, hang out on the beat at San Juan del Sur and explore Granada’s colonial convents and cathedrals.

Schools willing to raise a minimum amount of money beforehand can also participate in an initiative to improve health care and create environmental awareness on Ometepe Island. The money is used to buy inexpensive antibiotics and other medicines, which are then imported into Nicaragua. Students work alongside Nicaragua doctors to staff a series of health clinics around the island. We offer the clinics for free but ask that each patient bring a bag of plastic garbage in an effort to help clean up the island.

Requirements

Participants must have at least a beginner level of Spanish for the Nicaragua program.
We require that students have a satisfactory level of physical fitness in order to participate in manual labor and other physical activities of the program.
Students are also required to fill out a detailed application and medical questionnaire prior to being accepted.
Students should remain flexible to changing circumstances, delays and other hurdles that are common in Nicaragua.
The specifics of volunteer work will be decided according to the needs of the community or organization shortly before the group’s in-country arrival.

Note: The Nicaragua program can easily be combined with a visit to our project in Costa Rica. Travel time between the two locations is approximately 6 hours on well maintained highway.