Joining the Ayudanica Team
Ayudanica offers two ways to become involved in the project. Candidates may apply to be part of either the "Home Team" or the "Travel Team." Members of both the Home and Travel teams participate in Ayudanica's extensive pre-trip training and education program, but only the Travel Team members make the trip to Nicaragua.
Ayudanica believes strongly in the importance of sharing its mission and the opportunity for personal and communal growth through service-learning with as many people as possible. Our Home Team allows participants not ready for travel to Nicaragua to take an active role in the project and develop important leadership, teamwork, and cross-cultural skills, while widening their global perspective and learning to become agents of social change.
Application Information
Both Home and Travel Team Members are selected for participation in Ayudanica on a competitive basis. All candidates must submit an application and three letters of recommendation at their scheduled interview with the Ayudanica staff in October. A selection committee makes team selections based on application information, references and interviews. Invitations are sent out to selected candidates in mid-October.
Applications and letters of recommendation for participation in the 2003-2004 teams are due by October 20, 2003. Applications are reviewed and interviews are scheduled on a first-come-first-serve basis.
To obtain an application packet and schedule an interview, please contact us:
| By email: | info@ayudanica.org |
| By phone: | 610-649-2811 |
| By mail: |
Ayudanica
2932 Normandy Road
Ardmore PA 19003 |
Or download an application packet: 
Application Process Schedule
| August 1-October 30: | Accepting applications |
| October 2: | Informational Meeting @ Holy Ghost Preparatory School library @ 7:30 p.m.
- Provide overview of program
- Collect applications and letters of recommendations
- Conduct preliminary interviews
- Q&A
|
| October 2-30 | Continue interviews |
| October 15 | Team selection process begins |
| October 20 | Notify selected candidates |
| October 30 | First monthly team meeting with new team members |
Pre-Trip Training and Education Program
Exploring and Learning at Home
The Ayudanica staff engages team members in an extensive pre-trip training and education program that fosters leadership, teamwork skills, and understanding of important cultural, political, historical, and global issues that affect Nicaragua and other Latin American countries.
The training and education program runs from October to June and consists of monthly meetings, several weekend workshops, and a team-building and leadership retreat in Ocean City, New Jersey. Program Coordinators Rob Buscaglia and Vince Profy developed the program based on concepts drawn from their Peace Corp experience and current pedagogy related to service-learning.
Exploring Culture, History and Social Justice
Throughout the nine-month program, the Ayudanica staff leads team participants in an exploration of the history and culture of Nicaragua, as well as several social justice and international issues that affect developing countries. Topics include third world debt, human rights, sweatshops, free trade, international political and economic policy, the affects of foreign intervention and colonialism, and environmental problems, their causes and impact.
Exploring Educational Needs in Nicaragua
Under the guidance of our experienced staff of educators and development workers, Ayudanica student team members work together, as well as in cooperation with their Nicaraguan peer partners, to explore educational needs in our partnership community in Nicaragua. The U.S. and Nicaraguan teams work throughout the school year to develop and implement educational and recreational programs that are offered on an on-going basis to children, teens, and adults at the Ayudanica Community Learning Center in Monte Rosa, Nicaragua. Such programs include library story hour and literacy programs, computer training courses, arts and crafts programs, cultural workshops, on-going sports and recreational programs, and technical training workshops.
Learning Leadership and Teamwork
Throughout the nine-month training and education program and during the trip, team members develop leadership and teamwork skills while exploring themes, working together towards effective solutions, and discovering how these issues apply to Nicaragua, the project, and themselves.
Service-Learning Trip to Nicaragua
"I joined the project in an attempt to give to the less fortunate. To say the least, the excursion to Nicaragua was a life-altering experience. The people that I had the privilege of interacting with taught me more about life, values and the human spirit then I could have ever obtained from a course or a book."
 - Rob Burns
Holy Ghost Preparatory School '03
Each Ayudanica team makes a ten-day project trip to Nicaragua in the summer to experience first hand the people, the land and the culture of the country through travel and service opportunities.
During the trip, team participants work directly with their Nicaraguan peer partners in the Ayudanica Community Learning Center, exchanging ideas, implementing service projects and learning about each other's lives. While working with and living amongst the Nicaraguan people, team members are submerged in an authentic cross-cultural experience that will change their lives forever.
Trip Options
Two separate trips are offered each summer, the first in mid-June and the second in mid-July (dates to be announced). Candidates may apply to participate in either of the two trips.
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