Chispa Project - Blog

Our family is growing!

4/21/2019

This new year has already held so many exciting new milestones for Chispa Project. First, in the first few months of the new school year (which started in February), we have donated more books than any other year in the past! This means we've already inaugurated 6 of the 10 new schools planned for this year, and donated over 4,300 books. -whew!

Ton Rodriguez inaugurated a library with the famous puppet, Lucia

Second, our family is growing! We have 2 new hires this year who we are pleased to have on the Chispa team. Their spunk and willingness to jump in to our busiest season has been blessing, and they've loved traveling across the country to our new schools. Read more about Ton Rodriguez and Dunia Estrada here.

Finally, congrats to our director, Sara Burkes, who just got engaged! We are excited for this new step in her life, and we love that her fiance, Adam Brakhane, is such a big fan and supporter of Chispa Project. For several years, Sara has been working part time from the U.S. in book acquisition and donor relations. Our board of directors and Chispa Honduran employees have been preparing for Sara to transition a little more to Chicago, but recognize that this is a necessary step as Chispa Project continues to grow and we'll require more presence in the U.S. where we get most of our funding, books, and international volunteers. Adam will also be spending more time in Honduras, and we're grateful to continue to use him as an incredibly handsome, and helpful, book mule and resident computer programmer.

Adam Brakhane helping paint a reading corner

Keep up-to-date with our continual growth on Facebook, and thank you for your support!

Volunteer Mayhem

3/29/2019

What happens when you get a whole bunch of volunteers together for a week from across the U.S. who have never met before? You make a great library!

From March 10 -17, 13 U.S. volunteers worked shoulder to shoulder with the Chispa Project team in Honduras to inaugurate a new library in Dr. Jorge Roberto Maradiaga School in the Villanueva neighborhood of Tegucigalpa. By the end of the week, they had created classroom libraries for 610 students and their 18 teachers, with 990 different books!

The first days of the volunteers’ stay in Honduras were full of odd jobs, and not a minute to lose before the inauguration at the end of the week. They started by making an inventory and labeling all 990 books, and then spend two full days at the school painting decorations and creating reading corners in every classroom. They then painted and assembled bookshelves, and set up the corners with mats and posters to accompany the colorful bookshelves.

Finally, they prepared for the library inauguration, which is a full day of activities where the students rotate through stations learning a new book and craft in each station. The committed volunteers worked in everything from cutting paper crafts for the students, and folding the passports that are given to each student for the "trip" that they make during the inauguration into the world of reading.

Right in the middle of their trip, on Wednesday, the group of volunteers paused in the preparations for the big day and took advantage to visit the Chispa Project office and listen to a small, but deep talk about Honduras and its challenges as a country. The issue of migration was addressed, and it was led by two Hondurans who have embarked on the trip to cross the US border in an "illegal" manner and who were deported. They talked about their reasons for taking this difficult decision and Even the reasons that make them reconsider the option of possibly taking this risk again. It was incredibly eye opening, and helped us all consider the complexities of immigration and the difficult life for many in Honduras.

Thursday and Friday were the days selected for the inauguration of the library, an event that takes place with the “Festival of Books.” Students rotated through 7 different activity stations in which they read a book together then did an activity or craft. This event began with a cultural presentation by the students to the volunteers and then gave way to the fair. Both students and volunteers broke the language barrier and loved working together to see the delight on the children’s faces.

Finally, on Friday and Saturday, the volunteers had the opportunity to break with the routine and learn about other aspects of Honduran culture. They first visited the United Nations Park, which is located on the El Picacho hill and offers a spectacular panoramic view of Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela, the cities that make up the Honduran capital.

On Saturday, 16th, the last day in Honduras, the volunteers took advantage of the opportunity to get to know two very traditional Honduran towns with colonial architecture and very close to the city: Santa Lucía, where they tasted some tasty teas and desserts, and Valle de Ángeles, where they could walk the stone colonial streets and buy souvenirs made by local artisans.

Chispa Project and the Maradiaga School could not be more pleased with the fun we had working together with this dynamic group of volunteers. We’re grateful always to be able to share the beauty of Honduras and its people with new friends, and look forward to their return. (Read more and see a video of their trip here, if you’re interested in joining 2020's adventure!)

Partnerships are key

2/27/2019

February starts a new school year in Honduras, and we are excited for this "Next Chapter" for making 10 new libraries in 2019. We continue reaching out to partner with organizations who often know a particular community in need and can strengthen the local relationship. We've also started to work with a couple local Rotary Clubs who have reached out to us to serve particular schools.

Rotary works on an international partnership basis as well, and we've loved getting to know people from across the globe who come together to serve. Because as we all know, BOOKS CHANGE THE STORY.

Donate here to support 2019's 10 new libraries

It's time! Turning a new page...

11/27/2018

The Honduran school year runs February through November. It's great for getting a long Christmas break, enjoying the cool and dry mountain weather, and it's coffee picking time! Many of our students help pick coffee to support their families, and coffee is Honduras' second biggest export after bananas.

As they work hard this season, we at Chispa Project are also working hard to help them get the educational resources they need to be successful in the 2019 school year. Whether it's discovering a new way to develop organic coffee, or engineer a new water treatment plant, books help our students be more creative and develop critical thinking skills.

This past year has been incredibly successful, and I'm so grateful for all your continued support. We've completed 8 new libraries and reached 3,000 kids, all thanks to you. Our 2019 goals reach even further:

10 new libraries
5,000 more students
100 more teachers
An additional Honduran job opportunity
Going from 2 wheels to 4 (we've got to upgrade from the motorcyle)
And, our biggest library to date with 1,100 books!

Honduras has been in the news a lot recently between caravan immigration and unaccompanied minors at the border. For many, life in Honduras is incredibly difficult, which makes sustainable change and your help so urgent today.

We know that books help change the story for Honduran kids by making a grassroots difference within local communities. This is the first time our students have ever had access to children's books and that's all thanks to you.

This Giving Tuesday be part of the change. $25 sponsors a child to get a library. How many kids can you directly help today? Donate online at chispaproject.org/nextchapter to give the gift of reading.

P.S. Check out our new feature to donate in honor of someone who loves reading as a special holiday gift!

Transform Libraries, Transform Societies

9/24/2018

Last week, we were honored to be asked to present the Chispa Project perspective on sustainable libraries at the XIII Jornada de Bibliotecología en Honduras (the XIII Conference for Librarianship in Honduras), where we connected with librarians, teachers, administrators, lawyers, and above all, people passionate about literacy and access to resources, from all across Honduras.

What do copyright law, leadership training, and smartphone apps all have in common?

The answer? Each one is a tool that librarians can use to make information resources more accessible for the populations they serve. At its heart, a librarian's position is truly one of service, connecting readers and library users to the information they need to be successful. Whether success means translating a text to brail or to an auditory format, showing readers an app that can help them access the information that they need, or helping a reader to recognize valid sources of information, all are aspects of literacy and knowledge building.

Over the three-day conference, attendees learned about automating their library inventories, about different activities to engage the readers’ interests, about how Instagram can help connect with readers, about appropriate times to photocopy texts, how to create short user-friendly videos and so much more. But more so than anything else the conference was a reminder that until information is applied, it is data and nothing more. The job of the librarian is to facilitate readers in identifying, evaluating, and applying the information that they encounter so that it becomes knowledge and practice.

The Asociacion de Bibliotecarios y Documentalistas de Honduras (ABIDH) is a group of indvidiuals who see themselves as the gatekeepers to knowledge and learning for their country. They are confronted this year with two enormous tasks: combining traditional library norms with the technology focused demands of incoming readers, making information resources available and accessible to all students in Honduras. These leaders of schools and communities feel very much up to the challenges at hand, as they joked frequently throughout the conference "[Librarians] learned the advantages of sharing resources and working as a team far before many other professions." Adelante, equipo, to a Honduras with more libraries and more learning for all!

Joey's Five Favorite Firsts

9/13/2018

On a choco banano hunt in Florida, Opatoro

Today we said goodbye to Joey Torres, a pastor, friend, and third year PhD student studying the intersection of race and Evangelical Christianity at the University of California, Davis. Joey spent two months volunteering with us-- during which he slept in 10 different beds, visited towns and cities from coast to coast, took his first ferry ride, sat in on countless meetings, tried all of the food, and helped us bring children’s books to students in three different schools. Here Joey shares a list of his five favorite firsts that he experienced while here in Honduras:

1) Baleadas: You wouldn’t think baleadas would be as profound of an experience as they are. At their most basic, they are refried beans, a sprinkle of hard salty cheese, and crema (kind of like sour cream) folded into a thick flour tortilla. But, this simple little street food is a game changer. Maybe it’s the fold instead of the wrap. Maybe it’s the lard in the beans. Maybe it’s the fresh-off-the-grill tortilla. Who can tell. I haven’t let myself overthink it too much. I just simply enjoy. The first time I heard of these, I thought, ‘hmm. That’s a bean burrito,’ but no, my friends. It’s so much more.

2) “Cheque”: “Cheque” is go-to phrase for all Hondurans. It’s means “okay” and is the word I hear most. If I am being honest, I actually like the long version, which is “cheque leque panqueque.” It’s sort of like “okie dokie, artichokie,” but catchier. When you use it, Hondurans light up because they know that, not only are you speaking Spanish, you’re speaking Honduran.

Learning about coffee at Aroma Cafe in Marcala

3) Honduran coffee: It seems inevitable that I’ve had Honduran coffee before. However, coffee here is especially cultural. It’s like eating pasta in Italy, or eating green chile in New Mexico. The land, itself, offers the product in its best form. And Hondurans love their coffee. Each region believes its coffee is best, but it seems like none is better than Marcala, a city just northwest of Tegucigalpa. The coffee is well-roasted but not burned. It has a strong, fruity aftertaste, and it’s obviously very fresh. I can’t say that I’ve thought too much about the origin of my coffee, something of which I think many people from the US are guilty. Being here, though, and experiencing the love that Honduran farmers have for their coffee, has created in me a newfound appreciation for knowing the story.

4) Geckos: Honduras has a unique relationship with their geckos. And how could you not? They are in virtually every room of every living space with a window. I’ve seen them in kitchens, bathrooms, and in bed sheets. I can’t say I’m in love with them but I can say that I appreciate them. They remind you that the sun has set, that they’re hungry, and that there could be a lot more cockroaches and mosquitoes if I’m not careful.

5) Children’s books in Spanish: Admittedly, I hadn’t thought too much about spanish language books for kids across the world. It’s definitely something I’ve taken for granted in the educational process. However, seeing kids’ faces shine as they read you their favorite part of their favorite book is truly a gift. They’re also good for me as I have practiced my very elementary Spanish. I have loved being surrounded by their words and the great effect these books have on the kids here in Honduras.

Thank for for the laughs, the new experiences, and the memories, Joey. We miss you already!

'Twas the first day of classes...

9/5/2018

Shaking hands with la Famosa Lucia

...and all through the school, students showed off their new backpacks, trying to play it cool;
the books were placed in the library with care, in the hopes that la Famosa Lucia would soon be there;
the students then traveled from station to station, entering a new world full of books and imagination.

Located just north of Lago de Yoga, Honduras’ largest lake, lies a town called Rio Lindo, where you can find Eagles Academy, a small bilingual school with big personality.

The Honduran school year usually runs from February until November, but many bilingual and private schools run from late August until June, similar to schools in the US. This Monday, Eagles Academy celebrated the first day of the 2018-2019 school year with the inauguration of their new library, now complete with murals, posters, and new books to add to the growing collection!

Normally, when we inaugurate a library, we ask for teacher and parent volunteers to help us run our seven different literacy based stations, but Eagles Academy chose to call upon a group of their 10th graders to take on the leadership role.

We know what you might be thinking. “You put high schoolers in charge?!” And you would be correct; we put a group of capable, imaginative, and hard working high schoolers in charge of showing their young counterparts just how much you can learn from a book.

When we asked some of our helpers to tell us about their dreams, we received so many different answers. From teachers to biologists to graphic designers. Each one with special talents to share with the primary schoolers. Thanks to their support, the library inauguration was a huge success!

Congratulations to all of the students, parents, teachers, and community members in Rio Lindo who put in the hard work to make the inauguration day a success. Now, time to get reading!

Finding Balance with Cynthia Chasteen

8/13/2018

We sat down with Chispa Project board member Dr. Cynthia Chasteen to learn about her book preferences, how she finds balance, and how she lives the Chispa Project mission in her everyday life.

Teacher Training

Balancing with girls from the children's home

Spontaneous yoga with some of the girls from the children's home

Cynthia Chasteen is a teacher trainer specializing in teaching English as a second language (TESOL), and a yoga and mindfulness teacher based out of Columbus, Missouri. Last week she took a “vacation” from her packed schedule to come volunteer with us for the week! Cynthia’s whirlwind trip included teacher trainings, trainings for guardians at a children’s home, hiking, teaching yoga classes for Chispa Project employees, and putting labels on almost 300 books.

So tell us a little about yourself, what got you to where you are now?

“One of my first loves was sports. I studied journalism at Auburn for undergrad, but one of my proudest moments as a student was when my fellow women’s club soccer players and I filed and won the Title IX suit that went on the establish the intercollegiate women’s soccer program at Auburn. I minored in Spanish and spent 8 years teaching K-12 at a local elementary school, and went on to pursuit my Masters in education. During my studies I took a TESOL class and was inspired by my professor to continue my studies with a PhD in teaching & learning processes directly following my Masters.”

“Now, my job looks different every day. I work as an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri St. Louis & Columbia, and I am the Migrant English Language Learning (MELL) instructional specialist for 31 Missouri counties. On a given day, I could be teaching both online and in-person classes, presenting school wide professional developments, or working one on one with admins-- all while leaving time to teach yoga and mindfulness for both children and adults, and (finally) some gym time for me."

How do you find balance in all that?

“There’s a yoga path called Karmic Yoga that I try to follow, it’s the yoga of selfless service. My time is one of the most valuable things that I have to give, so I try to give as much as I can. Karmic Yoga challenges me to look at my motivation for what I do, and to try to give myself and my time in an altruistic way. That’s one of the reasons that I chose to come here to Honduras for the week. I choose to give my time to be here on the ground, to play a supporting role and to experience the type of work Chispa Proejct does day to day.

Going off of that, how to you try to live the Chispa Project mission in your daily life?

“Students have a legal right to equitable education. That means meeting students where they are, and providing them with the appropriate resources to get them where they need to be.”

“One of my ongoing projects is creating a bilingual lending library in one of the locations where I work. Bi-literacy is so important, I want my students to be successful in the majority English Speaking system that they are in, but I want just as much for my students to have materials to read in their first language.”

What are you reading right now?

“The book I'm currently reading is the Vedanta Treatise by Swami Parthasarathy. The message of Vedanta is: “What is that which, by being known, everything else becomes known.” Really the book is about living your life in a very conscious, intentional way.”

“I also try to read the books that I can then recommend to the teachers that I train. My hope is that those teachers will then put together libraries that are representative of the students that they teach. I just finished I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez.”

What was the last gift you gave?

“Appropriately enough, the last gift I gave was a book. The book is called the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. The funny thing about this gift was that it was my second time gifting this book to the same person! I had given him the book before, and then someone had borrowed (read: taken and never returned) the book from him before he ever got the chance to read it. I actually give this book as a gift often, it talks about four very practical agreements to make with yourself for living your life, all based on Toltec wisdom.”

Would you rather read your favorite book over again or read a new book?

“I am always on the lookout for new things to try and experience, so I would definitely say read a new book. I love looking for titles that are new to me or new in general. Lately I’ve been going back through college classics that I never got the chance to read.”

Thank you, Cynthia, for your lessons in Yoga practice and in life practice!

We are grateful that Cynthia’s path led her here to experience Honduras for the first time. If Cynthia’s story has inspired you to make your own volunteer trip to work with us, find more information here. Donate to help bring students the equitable education that they deserve here.

How do you live the Chispa Project mission in your daily life? Leave us your comments below.

Igniting the "Spark" with Escuela Tim Hines

7/10/2018

The school is quiet after a long day of book organizing, shelf building, painting, and planning. The new library at Centro Educativo Básico Tim Hines is complete and the only sounds to be heard in the library are the wind rushing through the trees outside, and the scrapes of paper across paper as one of our teenage helpers turns the pages of one of his new books. This library is thanks to the hard work of so many community volunteers, the local committee and staff, and One Earth Foundation who sponsored the school and came to volunteer in organizing the spaces.

Elephants, Hippos, and middle schoolers, oh my!

Located high in the mountains outside of Tegucigalpa, Colonia Mirador del Oriente is found on a rocky hilltop with a steep drop on both sides, a chilly wind breezing through the buildings, and stunning views of the valley below. Centro Básico Tim Hines (named after an American missionary) sits on top of the ridge, and opens its door every day to almost 500 students between 1st and 9th grade. On the day of their library inauguration, students had the opportunity to explore their new space, and their new books, for the first time. You would think that at 13 and 14, some of the 9th graders would be “too cool” to snuggle into the new reading corners with a good book, right? But at the end of this day, students, anywhere from the ages 6 to 13, were curled up on their brand-new cushions. They were completely absorbed in the stories in their hands.

"Many people who come to see our school think it is a private school because we have worked hard to make it a beautiful space” -Prof. Jackie

Prof. Jackie, one of the administrators at CEB Tim Hines, is a force to be reckoned with; she and the other educators at Tim Hines are intensely proud of their school and of their new library. The walls of the school and library are filled with color, and now each classroom has its own reading corner. Chispa Project worked alongside the educators at Tim Hines over a months-long process to provide training for parents, school staff, and the students on how to take care of their new library space, and how to integrate literacy based learning into all aspects of teaching. The students and their families now have access to over 500 different titles, each an adventure waiting to be had!

Interesting in sponsoring your own library? Contact us here. Interesting in joining us for your own short term volunteer project? Check out past projects and ideas here.

Over the river and through the woods....and up a very steep hill!

4/2/2018

Grandmother's house" may have been quite a trip in the popular children's song, but she's got nothing on this school in Santa Maria, La Paz. The beautiful but steep road leads us from one mountain top to another, crossing a river in the bottom of the valley to the Jose Cecilio del Valle School, grades 1 - 6 with over 150 students.

This school was chosen by our co-sponsor Leifheit Campus, in Germany, where one of the German teachers, Diana Klein, had previously worked as a volunteer in this Honduras school. Now, after months of planning, it's time to inaugurate this school with 650 new books of different titles!

After a school applies with Chispa, the school forms a committee of teachers and parents who then create the policies and layout of the library program. This school decided they wanted a central library, and they worked with the parents to mount a division wall in a previous storage room.

We also decided to create reading corners in each classroom. Every week students will go to the library and then borrow books to bring back to their classroom and share throughout the week. Parent and student volunteers helped paint the reading corners, and assembled bookshelves.

The inauguration is always a favorite part, where the students rotate through reading activity stations all day. The students received a "passport" and then proceeded to each station to receive a stamp. Each station presents a different kind of book and a craft or activity. Here, the students explored the virtual world of the night sky and Greek mythology, science experiments about static electricity, and even made their own snowflakes.

Congratulations to all the students, parents and teachers here in Honduras, but as well to all the teachers, students and parents in Germany who helped make this dream a reality for these students to have access to their school's first children's books!

We would love to have you visit soon! Contact us:

Telephone

Honduras: +504.9767.1061 U.S.: 303-800-8983

Email

info@chispaproject.org

Chispa Project is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Photo used under Creative Commons from RLHyde