Bilingual Education for Central America (BECA)

Spending part of my summer as a camp counselor in Honduras was truly life changing! As a full time teacher during the year, this break was exactly what I needed! Our leadership team was so organized and prepared and their communication prior to the trip ensured our safety, readiness, and team building before we even got there. The community was so welcoming and it was really neat to be able to go on home visits and get totally immersed in the culture! The weekend excursions were great for relaxing, team building, and seeing more parts of Honduras. I am so grateful for the team that I got to work with, the students that I got to teach, and the love that I felt from the community. I can't wait to go back this summer and hopefully many summers after that!!!!

I first volunteered with BECA as a one-month summer camp counselor. I promised myself that as soon as my contractual obligations in the States were up, I would return. In July 2017, I did just that and began my full-year time as the San Jeronimo Bilingual School Middle School English Language Arts teacher. During my time with BECA, I hands-down got more out than I was able to put in. To be clear: this was one of (if not THE) most challenging experience in my life, but it was even more so rewarding. My living arrangements were comfortable. I had as consistent WiFi (barring the occasional power outage on a rainy day) as possible, a seemingly endless supply of clean drinking water, and easy access to affordable, fresh food. I had incredible views of the sunrise over the mountains right from my bedroom and kitchen windows. Yes, there were some adjustments to make: showers without hot water or air conditioning, for example. That said, BECA has made significant changes over the years to improve the volunteers' standards of living. There was a washer/dryer, personal bedroom fans, large toaster oven and microwave (split between two apartments), and years of donated kitchen equipment from former volunteers. My school had many basic supplies: a copier, paper, glue, markers, color printer, etc. I did provide many of my own supplies, but the BECA stipend helped cover some of those. I purchased much less for my classroom than I've had to as a full-time teacher in the U.S. The Honduran school faculty and staff were wonderful to work with, and my students (though certainly teenagers) were incredible young people with so much love and potential. Because most of the teachers from abroad do not have as much experience in the classroom, it is important to build relationships and learn from the local employees. There was flexibility in the curriculum, which I really liked. I had four previous years of teaching experience, which allowed me to modify the curriculum fairly smoothly to meet the needs of my students. That said, there was enough material left from previous teachers and built into the curriculum that I didn't feel totally left to my own devices. When traveling, I was cautious but I never encountered any trouble or precarious situations. I always traveled with a partner, kept all valuables out of sight, did not travel by foot often after dark, and arranged taxi rides ahead of time. Be prepared for last-minute changes and anticipate the unknown. Also, having a full winter and spring break was also exciting, as I had time to travel home or visit new cities/towns. All this said, I would never take back this year of my life with BECA and my school, SJBS. I still talk with my former students, and I can't wait to visit them again this summer. Relationships matter, and when you volunteer with BECA you are guaranteed to build powerful ones that you can choose to maintain for life.

Volunteering as a summer camp counselor with BECA changed my life. I came back to the U.S. and immediately pursued my M.A. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and decided to return for a full year of teaching two summers later on. The volunteer day was filled with a morning of hard work at our school site with plenty of time to unwind, relax, and/or pursue community relationships/engagement in the afternoons. It was obvious that I was able to contribute something, but on that same token, I learned and received in more in return through hands-on experience and in the relationships with everyone I met. I felt welcomed in the community and every challenge felt like it helped me grow as a person, teacher, and human being. There was also plenty opportunity for travel on the weekends. We went with groups to the mountains (with a waterfall hike), Copan, and a crystal-clear beach by the Bay Islands.