León, Nicaragua

Reach Out Spring Break Trip 2010

Yale students are invited to spend a week of Spring Break 2009 in Nicaragua on a delegation trip co-sponsored by the New Haven/León Sister City Project and Reach Out. Participants will learn about the Nicaraguan Revolution and Contra War and explore questions of social and political change, economic growth, rural development, and human rights in the contemporary post-revolutionary period.

We will spend eight days in and around the city of León collaborating with residents of a rural town on a collaborative work project to improve their community, exploring issues of community rights and community organizing firsthand. Participants will stay with host families in León, work daily on our service project, and meet with a variety of community leaders, NGOs, and political figures. We will have plenty of time to explore historic León and

immerse ourselves in Nicaraguan culture. We plan to visit some noteworthy cultural sites, climb an active volcano, and take a day trip to Granada and Managua before returning to the US. Participants will take an active role in helping to plan our itinerary.

More about the host organization: The New Haven/León Sister City Project is

a non- profit organization founded in 1984 to establish a meaningful connection

between Nicaraguans and Americans at a time when our countries were at war.

Today, the project continues working to develop a transnational approach to

fostering democracy and human rights. Yale students have collaborated with the

project and participated in its delegations since its inception.

Program costs: The total costs will be approximately $1800. This fee is allinclusive

for the trip and will cover airfare, in-country transportation, lodging and

two meals a day with host families, program administration, leadership and

translation. It will also cover expenses in Nicaragua, including a $5 visa fee,

lunches, bottled water, snacks, and entertainment. The delegation plans to

organize group fund-raising activities to help defray these expenses.

Application process: All Yale students are encouraged to apply. Applications

are available online at http://www.yale.edu/reachout/ or via email from the trip

leaders. Applications are due Wednesday October 31, and interviews will be

conducted during the first week of November. A deposit will be due before Winter

Break. Spanish is helpful but not required for the trip.

For more information: Contact trip co-leaders Alexsis

( This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript ) and Stephannie ( This email address is hidden from email harvesters via JavaScript ).

Check out the New Haven/León Sister City Project at

http://www.newhavenleon.org.