Five County Teachers Taught in Guatemala

Five Prince George's County teachers, including four from Beltsville Academy, traveled to Guatemala in July to teach English and gain a cultural understanding about their Hispanic students and communities in Maryland.

This was the second trip to Ipala since Riverdale Park's partnership with the Guatemalan city in 2008.

With strong support from Riverdale Park Mayor Vernon Archer, the partnership with Ipala started through Sister Cities International, a nonprofit organization that promotes citizen diplomacy between U.S. cities and international communities.

"A large number of our residents are from Central America," Archer said. "We decided to partner with Ipala, so that our teachers could understand the cultural background of many of their students."

In exchange, he said, Maryland teachers would travel to Ipala and teach English to foster tourism in the Guatemalan city.

Archer teaches eighth-grade social studies at William Wirt Middle School.

Last summer, five public school teachers stayed in Ipala for two weeks and taught English. The exchange continued this year in July when nine teachers — five from Prince George's County, two from Washington, D.C., and two from Montgomery County — taught at five selected schools for two to three weeks. The teachers taught kindergarten through third grade.

The teachers lived with host families who had children attending the same schools as the American teachers. The host families provided the teachers with food, and the local Ipalan government paid for the teachers' city transportation. The Maryland teachers paid for their plane tickets, which were about $400 roundtrip, and brought their own school supplies.

Pamela Aguiniga, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher at Beltsville Academy, taught in Ipala twice and led this year's visit. Aguiniga said this year's visit progressed significantly from last year's – there were more teachers, an extended stay, a school field trip to a volcano and an in-depth training for Ipalan teachers.

"Last year we planted the seed," Aguiniga said. "This year, we were able to leave the schools with the ability to continue teaching English."

Aguiniga stayed an additional week training local school teachers to instruct English classes to their students. She left behind lesson plans and books on tapes, which were paid for by Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Md.

One of her favorite moments was a field trip she organized with a group of sixth-graders.

They visited a local volcano called Volcan de Ipala that had a crater with a beautiful lake in the middle. Being the school's first field trip ever, the principal was hesitant about the excursion, but Aguiniga did not give up. She knocked on the doors of the student's homes and discussed the importance of the trip to their parents. All but two students attended the excursion.

After establishing a strong connection with the students and host families, Aguiniga is already ready for next year's visit.

"It was really really fun," Aguiniga said. "The teachers and I established an incredible connection with Ipala, and it enriched my life. I am definitely going again next year."

Mayor Archer is currently attaining visas for a principal and four teachers from Ipala to visit Maryland. They will stay with host families, including Aguiniga's home, and help with Spanish classes at local Prince George's County schools.