June 12-25, 2001

   Twenty-nine educators and students from eleven North Carolina counties and Charleston, SC visited Guatemala and Belize on World View's third annual study abroad trip, June 12-25, 2001.  From Antigua in Guatemala to Belize City, the group visited historic sites, contemporary Mayan villages, and schools and colleges.  They came away with a better understanding of the two countries’ histories and cultures, the contemporary Mayan life, and the background of our Guatemalan students. 
                                                          
    The trip began in the colonial city of Antigua, one of the oldest cities in Latin America.  The group took a walking tour of the city, visited an organic coffee plantation, and stayed overnight with local families.  The group then traveled to the western highlands, home of Mayans who make up 44% of the population of Guatemala today.  There, they visited Mayan villages, markets, and churches.

    One of the most unforgettable experiences of the trip was the visit to Tikal, Mayan ruins that date to 700 BC.  Tikal is set in a pristine rainforest and contains hundreds of ceremonial platforms, temples, and plazas.  Members of the group climbed to the top of several of the magnificent temples and also visited more recently excavated ruins in Yaxha and Topoxte, and also the Cahal Pech ruins in Belize.
  
    The group visited many schools throughout Guatemala to understand the educational system, and especially the background of our Guatemalan students, including a small rural public elementary school and a public boys’ school near Antigua, and a vocational middle school in Quetzaltenango.  The group met with the schools’ principals’ and faculty, toured classrooms and labs, and watched students perform instrumental music.

   Guatemala has low literacy rate.  The quality of public education is poor, and parents who can afford tuition send their children to private schools.  The group visited two such schools in Guatemala City, the American School and the Swiss-American School.  The group also visited University Del Valle, one of Guatemala’s private universities.   The group was struck by the great disparities between the poor rural public schools and the exclusive urban private schools, but was also impressed by efforts to provide educational opportunities for rural indigenous children.  The La Pedrera Project in Quetzaltenango is one such effort, in which volunteers collect donations and provide after-school education for the rural children of the region.

   The Latin American study visit was an extraordinary opportunity to experience other cultures, examine one’s own cultural assumptions, and gain an understanding of the backgrounds of our Guatemalan students.  As one of the participants commented, “we now have a greater appreciation for the many blessings that we enjoy and that we, unfortunately, too often take for granted.”  The group will cherish the memories of the trip and reflect on their experience for years to come.