June 4 th -17 th 2014

Students will learn language and culture by exploring the country of Perú, living with host families, doing volunteer work with kind and humble people who live in extreme poverty, experiencing traditions that date back to the Incas, and attending classes at an International Baccalaureate high school in Arequipa.

June 4 th - Depart Milwaukee for Cusco June 5 th - Arrive in Cusco and travel to Machu Picchu. Students will have an orientation and sleep in a hotel near Machu Picchu June 6 th - Visit Machu Picchu then travel back to Cusco by train June 7 th - Walking tour of Cusco and cultural activities June 8 th - Spend morning in Cusco then fly to Arequipa for orientation and meeting host families June 9 th -14 th - Morning classes and afternoon service projects June 15 th - Traditional Peruvian Restaurant and farewell June 16 th - Depart Arequipa

Referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World. The Incas started building the estate around 1400 AD but it was abandoned as an official site of the Incan rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. The students will enjoy walking through the ruins and exploring this elaborately constructed Incan historical site which has now been added to the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Situated in the Peruvian Andes, Cuzco developed into a complex urban centre with distinct religious and administrative functions. It was originally ruled by Pachacutec of the Incas. It was surrounded by clearly delineated areas for agricultural, artisan and industrial production. When the Spaniards conquered the city in the 16th century, they preserved the basic structure but built Baroque churches and palaces over the ruins of the Inca city. UNESCO

Your new home away from home!

The Historical Centre of Arequipa is an outstanding example of a colonial settlement, influenced by natural conditions, indigenous culture, the process of conquest, and the spectacular nature of its setting. Its ornamented architecture represents a masterpiece of the creative integration of European and native characteristics, crucial for the cultural expression of the entire region. This beautiful city was founded in 1540 and is situated between three volcanoes. It has exquisite food and extremely warm and caring people. AREQUIPA

Students will be placed with host families in Arequipa from IB School Max Uhle. They will experience what life is like living in another country by interacting with their host families and enjoying traditional Peruvian food that their families prepare. They will attend classes in the mornings for about two hours each day for one school week.

Out of all of the experiences the students will have on this trip, I believe the most rewarding will be volunteering their time and working with people who live in extreme poverty. Peru’s economy has been slowly improving, but in the rural areas, more than half of the people still live in poverty. 27% of children live in extreme poverty and suffer from malnutrition in these areas and 40% of children with ages ranging from 6 to 11 work. UNICEF

There will be a variety of volunteer opportunities the students may choose. Some examples are… Food Distribution- Students will help load buckets of food into the back of a truck and scoop food into people’s bowls at each stop.

Working with kids in a daycare/school- Students may assist teachers in a school. Students could create an interactive lesson or project for the kids to do for their self- initiated CAS project.

Students could build a humble home of sillar- Students could raise funds and actually help to build a home for a family in Alto Cayma.

Visits with the elderly- Students will accompany the social worker to visit the homes of elderly people and distribute medicine to them.

The evenings will vary. Some evenings you may have something special planned with your host families and other nights you may be free. We will organize some evening activities that may include dance classes, Peruvian culinary arts, shopping, a night on the town, etc.

The total cost will be around $4000. The costs include: $2500 for class instruction, housing and meals for students, cultural activities, train and other transportation, excursion to Machu Picchu, medical insurance, on-site orientations, airport greetings and pick-ups, hotel accommodations in Cusco and in Machu Picchu. The remainder of the cost is the estimated value of the flights at this time.

Selecting students will be a very difficult decision. I would love for every student interested to come, but I am limiting the number of students to 15 to ensure a quality experience for each student involved. We are limited on time because there are several steps that must be taken for this trip to occur like paperwork, legalities, and passports, and students need time to raise money and create CAS projects related to this program so we must decide soon.

Students will write a one page paper explaining why they want to go on this trip, how they will take full advantage of this experience abroad, what level of Spanish they have reached, and what they plan to do in order to fund this trip. This paper is due to me by Tuesday, September 10 th. The students will be chosen by Friday, September 20 th. We will have another meeting for students attending this trip and parents/guardians in my classroom #332 at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2 nd. A $100 deposit is due on that date.

The Awesome Foundation - The Awesome Foundation distributes a series of monthly $1,000 grants to projects and their creators. The money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given upfront in cash, check, or gold doubloons. The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. The Foundation provides these grants with no strings attached and claims no ownership over the projects it supports. It is, in the words of one of our trustees, a micro-genius grant for flashes of micro-brilliance. Projects have included efforts in a wide range of areas including technology, arts, social good, and beyond. The Awesome Foundation