Uncomfortable. I know some would like me to sugar coat it and market this trip in a way so that more people will come, but this trip was uncomfortable. While uncomfortable might seem like a weird way to describe this trip, I’d like to bring up something Neil Christansen (founder of Give + Surf) mentioned…

Today our group got to meet with Alex from Mother of Corals and learn about how they are trying to restore coral reefs in this area. After his presentation, he took us snorkeling to see the coral regrowth process up close. At the Basti school center today, we got to play soccer and kickball with…

Today we were asked to write about a life lesson we have learned on this trip and how we will use it to influence our daily life back home. Although I acknowledge the prompt, I am going to stray from it a little in writing about a lesson that has followed me throughout my life…

oday’s morning started off by going to Bocas del Toro’s recycling center where we learned about the different types of plastics, how they recycle each type, and how “Wasteless World” was started. Following that tour, the group went to lunch at “Red Snapper”. The group then split off to either Bastimentos or to Cristobal. At…

Hi my name is Ellen Cabin and I am a rising senior from North Carolina. Today we had a leisurely morning before meeting with Niel Christiansen, the founder of Give and Surf. Then, in the afternoon we split into our groups and each went to work with our groups of kids. Three highlights today would…

oday we spent much of the day in San Cristobal. The morning was dedicated to learning about the cultivation of cacao in Panama. I was most fascinated by the approach that the people in San Cristobal have to the cultivation and what they use the cacao for. The farm on Cristobal is completely natural and…

Tonight, during our group discussion, we talked about some of the characteristics of ethical leadership. While all eight qualities we discussed tonight are important to being an ethical leader, the two that stand out to me are applying global perspectives and showing a strong sense of empathy. Both of these characteristics allow a foreigner down…

We just wrapped up our first week at the after-school centers. At the beginning of the week we went into the center on Basti Island with a game plan. We soon learned that the game plan we created was just not going to work for many reasons. One of those reasons being the language barrier….

One student from each center was able to journal today: Andrew M The relationship established between students of shoulder to shoulder and young students of Panama is built on the ability to communicate physically as well as emotionally through empathy and constructive teaching. Our group on Cristolbal has been working on creating a relationship of…

One of the 10 essential principles of a shoulder-to-shoulder experience is “whenever possible, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with locals…because the relationships we develop and the learning that occurs through them are as important as the project itself.” This is the principle that resonates the most with me. Relationships are truly an important aspect of both our…

Today the group and I went to “Cristobal” and I would describe the first day with the kids as beautiful chaos! The boat ride was about 30 min long and we were all pretty tired prior to our arrival. Nevertheless, the kids’ energy and curiosity was extremely contagious- there was not one dull moment with…

The Panama II crew arrived safely in Panama last night. Today they will explore Panama City to learn more about the context for their Field Study. This afternoon they will be flying from Panama City to Bocas Del Toro where they will meet with the Give and Surf team for the program introduction.