Bintan Teachers
Okay, so, you know this whole thing started out as a volunteer teaching gig, right? It’s not just some self-indulgent, hedonistic traipse through beautiful places I’ve always wanted to see?!? Well, not completely.
Seriously. A good part of my reason for going on these amazing adventures has been to volunteer. In particular, I volunteered teaching English in Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions in August of 2010; and last summer I did un-paid teacher development for over 100 teachers in two sites in Indonesia.
CCS had a great fundraising tool, and contributors were generous. In 2011 I was totally self-funded. I can’t ride that train forever…
If you have read this far you know that my greatest passion is education, and that I’m honest about how I spend my time and money. Did I blow a lot of my own money this year on the beach? Yes. Will I do that again? I certainly don’t want to pitter away my savings this way…
However, there is a greater mission here. Anecdotally I can report that the education situation in Indonesia is fraught with
- poverty,
- facilities that would be considered sub-standard by ANY world standard (even the lowest),
- the need for books and other materials,
- low teacher pay,
- and low teacher and student morale.
These problems seem to be typical of schools in developing countries. What I’ve fallen in love with – and my reason for committing myself to teacher development here – is the Indonesian spirit and people.
Please read my blog entries about teacher development in Bintan and Tana Toraja.
I’m committed to Bintan’s and Tana Toraja’s students and teachers – and I think I’ve arranged for a third site of teacher development for summer of 2012. This ball is rolling, and the potential for affect is large.
If you feel comfortable donating to help cover the costs of my travel expenses to Bintan, Tana Toraja, and other future sites that are in the works please know that your money will go directly to that cause.
Heck, I might even be able to get a child to make you a personalized “thank you” card. How cool would that be?
I love these folks and hope to continue to work with them well into the future. I also hope you will be along with me for the ride!
Please contact me with questions, or if you think you might want to volunteer. It’s an experience that’s guaranteed to change your life!
