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By Josh Perry
Hometown Weekly Staff
Thirteen Needham High students will be spending February vacation in Xeq’ol, Guatemala as part of a service trip for local nonprofit organization, School the World. The students will be building a playground in the same community that last year Needham students helped construct a new school.
In addition, the group of 13 students will deliver school supplies collected by Broadmeadow Elementary School during School the World’s nationwide drive.
School the World was created five years ago by Kate Curran and for the second year in a row her niece Olivia is among the students that will be assisting Xeq’ol in building educational components for its community. Last year, the students built a school for classroom learning and this year they will add a place for the Guatemalan children to learn through play.
“It is such an amazing opportunity to be able to return to a community where we have worked in the past,” said Olivia in an email, “because while we were there we made such close connections with the children, and saying goodbye was impossible.”
“We will be able to return and see how much they have grown as students and individuals, as well as how they have been able to use their new school.”
Olivia has been helping School the World for several years always with the intention of joining the organization on a service trip. She recognized how important it was to provide educational opportunities to communities that have limited resources.
“I realized how important education was to my growth and development as an individual,” she explained, “and so I wanted to be able to give that opportunity to students that do not have such a seamless education.”
In addition to helping others, Olivia and her fellow Needham students also continue their own education by learning about the Guatemalan culture and exploring a community that is very different than Needham.
“I was so welcomed there by everyone in the community,” she added. “They will always have a special connection in my heart and a day doesn’t go by where I don’t think about the children and what they may be doing.”
“I am very excited to see them again and to spend another week getting to know them even more.”
The project is also an example of young people wanting to give back to the community and get involved in a project that benefits others.
“To make a difference in the life of one person is to be successful, and to see the smiling faces of so many young children who now have the opportunity to learn in unbelievable,” Olivia said.
“Community service at this age has such a strong impact on the rest of your life and the way you approach every situation, and I think it is very important that all students have that opportunity.”
The 13 students from Needham who will be making the trip to Guatemala are Jacqueline Fanning, Meg Gilman, Haley Pender, Gabby Walsh, Sara Miller, Ally Marinelli, Lily Frascotti, Olivia Curran, Sarah Sarnak, Antonio Trabucco, Stephanie Vallace, Alexa Tierney, and Nicholas Mantilla.
Also, two students, Nia Johnson and Carlenni Estepan, will be traveling during April vacation.
For more information about School the World or to support these students as they fundraise for the trip, visit www.schooltheworld.org or call 617-867-9500.
Josh Perry is an Editor at Hometown Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.
