The road to Guatemala is a long one, and in more than just geographic terms, for a group of Chatham-Kent students.
Twenty Grade 10 kids are in a YMCA program that will ultimately send them to the Central American country for three weeks of hard work.
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It’s quite a commitment – three hours every Tuesday, between now and when they leave next March for their reward of manual labour in a foreign country. The students couldn’t be happier.
“We’re still pretty excited,” said Cooper Faussett of the opportunity, despite the fact that students have had to make concessions. Some have had to give up or cut back on sports and other activities to make room on their schedules, said Mike Walters of the YMCA.
“I gave up travel baseball,” said Zach Kelly.
“I’m giving up a lot of my basketball practices,” Danielle Lucier said.
The concessions don’t temper the energy, Walters said.
“Everybody’s excited because of the trip,” he said. “It’s a community project in a small town.”
While nothing is finalized at this point, it appears the students will help add space onto a one-room schoolhouse, space the local YMCA and the school can utilize.
Walters said there are three pillar elements of Project Guatemala – leadership development, philanthropy and community service.
The students will build self-esteem and improve communication skills, he said, and have to raise $100,000 over the next year. During that time, they will also learn what drives Chatham-Kent.
“Through community service, they will find out what makes Chatham-Kent tick from a volunteer’s perspective,” Walters said. “Maybe they’ll help at a food bank or a big community event. We want them to get to know the community.”
A great deal of that education will come from them just having their collective hand out.
“I think people learn a lot trying to raise money,” Walters said. “They will learn what it’s like to be a good community leader.”
Project Guatemala wasn’t offered on a first-come, first served basis. Walters said students had to apply. About 40 did so.
The application process included submitting a two-minute YouTube video, a group interview and individual interviews.
The students said it was an eye-opening experience.
“With the YouTube video, they wanted to see what you think they mean,” Faussett said.
“The group interview was more about how to see how we act together,” Alok Chopra said. “And the individual interview was more of a conversation than an interview.”
Those conversations, in group form, will continue for the better part of a year.
