Lopez School teacher and trip leader Lisa Geddes, along with teacher Brian Goff, and Mental Health specialist, Paul Lewis plan to take ten high-school Spanish students to Peru in spring 2019, in partnership with the organization Language and Friendship. The trip will include a service-learning component as well as individual home-stays with local families and a chance to visit Machu Picchu.

Spanish Club students had been traveling to Nicaragua to do a service-learning project with the Center for Development in Central America, every other year since 2001. However, recent social unrest necessitated a change of plans. (In order to support the CDCA, please visit their website at http://jhc-cdca.org).

Students traveling to Nicaragua had a chance to improve their Spanish language skills while learning about third-world poverty, meeting peers and connecting with their lives. They helped with construction of a health clinic, a water system, and other projects, and also visited a rural coffee finca.

This year’s trip to Peru will include various service projects such as helping out on a farm, working with children in a local school, a building project, working with sheep, and preparing natural dyes.

All participants must be comitted students, demonstrate competency in Spanish, and help to raise funds for trip expenses. This trip is more costly than going to Nicaragua, and community support is greatly appreciated. Students hope to raise funds by making crafts to sell at the Holiday Bazaar, cooking for community events, busking at the Saturday Market, and performing singing telegrams next Valentine’s Day.

In addition to that, they are hoping to raise $5,000 from the community through direct donations to the new GoFundMe page: This page has additional information about the Peru Trip.

You can also donate through InSTEP, the community non-profit dedicated to supporting Lopez students’ international teacher-led trips. 100% of donations to InSTEP go directly to program services, and are fully tax-deductible. You can donate through the website at http://www.lopezinstep.org.

Thank you for supporting educational student travel and service! The Lopez community will have a chance to hear directly from the students about their experiences, and see photographs of their trip, when they return. You will be gratified to see how much they get out of these life-changing experiences.