In June 2014, seven teachers from Minnesota traveled to Bolivia as part of a teacher training & education project in Arani, Bolivia. This was the second year of this trip; in June 2013 nine teachers from Minnesota participated in the pilot project. Debbie, one of the teachers that participated in the trip, made this quick powerpoint showing some pictures and highlighting some activities during her time in Bolivia. A huge thanks to the community of Arani, Mano a Mano staff and volunteers, and the Minnesota teachers that worked very hard to make this training & education trip possible! We are looking forward to continuing with this project in the years to come! Read more about this project here: http://manoamano.org/blog/teacher-training-trip-bolivia/

1. Bolivia
June 2014
Debbie Hadas

2. Our trip was organized by Mano a Mano
This St. Paul-
based non-profit
works with Bolivian
communities to
provide improved
access to health care,
water, and education.

3. From the airplane window
We flew to La Paz
(13,325t ft.) and
then to
Cochabamba.
(8,300 ft.)

4. We visited some Mano a Mano offices in
Cochabamba

5. At the Arani School
Arani is a town
of 11,000 people,
not far from
Cochabamba.
We visited, and
worked with
teachers from five elementary schools.

6. Our plan was to give workshops on graphic
organizers, or “mapas mentales.”

7. There was a welcoming ceremony.

8. Jackie Smith helped raise the Bolivian flag.

9. We visited classrooms in several schools.

10. Classroom walls

11. Some classrooms featured
student drawings.

12. We showed teachers how to make and use
flow maps.
Here, they are
working
together to
summarize
a story.

13. They worked carefully.

14. More collaboration
Dave Smith
admires the
teachers’
work.

15. The teachers were happy for this chance to
collaborate.

16. Some teachers brought their children.
The kids
also made
flow charts.

17. These teachers are presenting their flow
chart.
They have
summarized
The Rainbow Fish.
(A Spanish
translation, of
course.)

18. One group
made a map of
the Animal
Kingdom.
We also demonstrated tree maps - then they
made their own.

19. The music teachers made a tree map about
Bolivian folk music.

20. The technical education teachers made a map of kinds of tools.

21. The
religion
teachers
made
a map
about
prayers.

22. We showed the teachers how to compare
and contrast with double bubble maps.
This group
compared the three
regions of Bolivia.

23. This group compared animals
And they
illustrated it!

24. After the workshops, the teachers met.
They evaluated the
experience, and
when we left the
room they planned
their next steps -
and selected a
committee to represent
them!

25. The first night in Arani was party night.
Bob and Jackie sang
“This is our Land” at the
talent show.
Children recited poems
and told jokes.
Some teens put on a
short play they wrote.

26. Some of the teachers sang a song for us.
Then they
pulled us
onto the dance
floor!

27. The second night in Arani was the banquet.
Speeches, gifts,
food, a live band,
and more dancing!

28. Two days later we visited more classrooms.
The students were making
tree diagrams!

29. The parts of the head.
This girl also wrote
sentences with the
vocabulary words. Cool!

30. Here’s a tree map a teacher made in his
notebook!

31. This is the school library - books Mano a
Mano donated last year.
Teachers can check out
the books, or classes
can come and visit.

32. The school director and one of the teachers
We were all moved at
the dedication of all
the adults towards the
education of the children
of the community.
Time and again, we saw how the community of
Arani cherishes its children.

33. We also got to visit some other Mano a
Mano projects.
This is at CEA
(Center for Ecological
Agriculture).
It’s a simple
demonstration of the
advantages of
terracing.

34. The traditional slash and burn agriculture
leads to erosion.

35. The farm has animals.
Guinea pigs are prolific
breeders, and so a good
source of income. (They
are sold for meat,
not as pets.)

36. Animals also produce waste - that is
collected.

37. Human waste is collected too.

38. Everything goes into a
biodigester - which these
farmers have come
to learn how to make.

39. The final product:
Methane!

40. We also saw the dedication of part of a water project
that Mano a Mano is sponsoring.
First there
were
speeches.

41. Then the symbolic opening of the sluices.

42. Finally, an amazing
lunch was
spread out
on the road.

43. We were high up!
Way down there
is the reservoir
where the water
will flow.

44. We then had time to be tourists.
We visited the
beautiful city
of Sucre.

45. And then flew to Santa Cruz, ready to fly
back to Miami.
Here’s the
rainbow
macaw at the
zoo.