Q: What are the
dates for the next trip?
A:
Typically,
the winter brigade travels during the last week of February and the summer
brigade goes during the last week of July. Please contact
Peggy Esselman
for the next brigade's departure date.
Q: How much does the trip
cost?
A:
The trip
costs approximately $1500. This includes airfare, room and
board, transportation in Honduras, translator fees, tips, etc. You may
want to budget $50-$100 (depending on personal spending habits) for
incidentals in the airports, the convenience store close to the dorms, and
shopping at the end of the week. Also plan on spending approximately
$75 for a passport (if you don’t have one already), $50 for teacher
t-shirts, and $200 for shots and medication prior to the trip. There
are many ways to fundraise for the trip and the HETO director will work with
you if you need help getting started.
Q:
Do I have to be able to speak Spanish to go on the trip?
A:
No. We
will be accompanied by translators who are fluent in Spanish and English at
all times. These translators will help us with our daily activities
and will assist us in teaching our lessons to the Spanish-speaking students
and in our communications with Honduran teachers.
However, if you do have experience in speaking Spanish, the trip will be a
great way to practice!
Q: What
if I need to leave or come home a day early?
A:
While we want you to enjoy the entire week with us, we also understand that
things sometimes cannot be changed or missed here at home. Please let
Peggy Esselman know as soon as possible if you have a conflict with the
travel dates.
Q:
How long is the plane ride from Indianapolis to Tegucigalpa?
A:
Approximately 5 hours in the air, plus a short layover in the Houston or
Miami airport.
Q: Is Honduras
on the same time as Indiana?
A:
Honduras is only one hour behind Indiana time. This makes
communicating with loved ones back home easy!
Q: Where
will we stay and how will we get around?
A.
We will stay in the Nuevo Paraíso dorm complex. We will be housed in
camp-style dorms that are complete with sheets/blankets/pillows, dressers,
and traditional style bathrooms with toilets, sinks, and showers. We
will travel to and from the airport and to and from all HETO partner schools
via pickup trucks driven by Honduran drivers. The trucks will be
air-conditioned and are usually the same models we are used to seeing on the
roads in the US.
Q: What is
the food like and is it safe to eat?
A:
We will eat three traditional Honduran meals per day while in Honduras.
The cooks at Nuevo Paraíso are accustomed to preparing food for foreign
mission groups and take all necessary precautions when washing, preparing,
and storing food. If you have food allergies or have certain
restrictions (i.e. vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant…) let Peggy
Esselman know. The cooks will prepare a variety of dishes and no one
will go hungry, no matter what his/her food restrictions are. Nuevo
Paraíso will provide water coolers full of safe drinking water for HETO
teachers to use when filling up water bottles, brushing their teeth, etc.
When we arrive at Nuevo, we will discuss and review safe hygiene practices
while living in Honduras.
Q: What is a typical day
like?
A:
On a typical day, we will:
-
wake up and prepare for the day
-
eat
a hot breakfast at Nuevo Paraíso
-
visit one HETO partner school to present lessons, visit with teachers, watch
Honduran teachers at work,
speak with administrators, and participate in and lead professional
development sessions
-
return to Nuevo for a hot lunch
-
visit a second HETO partner school and complete the activities listed above
-
return to Nuevo for a hot dinner
-
relax and share thoughts on the day in the gazebo at Nuevo
-
go
to bed, ready for another exciting day at HETO partner schools
**You will be
provided with an official daily schedule for the week**
Q: What is the
dress code for HETO teachers?
A:
When we are
at work in the schools, teachers will be expected to dress casually, yet
professionally. HETO teachers traditionally wear skirts, capri pants,
or khaki pants with a HETO t-shirt that will be purchased prior to travel.
Shorts and tank-tops can be worn around the dorm area once the group is done
teaching for the day. You will be provided with a packing list as soon
as you commit to the trip.
Q: Should I be
concerned about crime?
A:
Honduras is a third-world country and is the poorest Spanish-speaking
country in the world. Just as in other countries, criminals take
advantage of travelers and those who are not accustomed to their
environment. However, the HETO groups have never encountered a problem
with any person or animal while traveling. We are never without a
Honduran guide and we are always well- protected. Common sense and
knowledge of customs and the culture are important to know and is something
that we will take VERY seriously.
Q: What kind of shots and medicines will I need to take to keep myself
safe?
A:
Please consult your own physician, or plan to see the travel doctor with the
HETO group. Generally, traveling teachers receive the following
shots/medicine to prevent; malaria, typhoid, tetanus, Hepatitis A. You
can obtain more information prior to you’re appointment by consulting the
CDC website website. Some insurance companies cover the
cost of necessary shots/medications, while others do not. Please
contact your insurance representative to discuss your personal plan’s
benefits. Additionally, you may choose to purchase travel insurance
which will assist you in your return to the U.S. should you become ill while
traveling. The HETO director can refer you to some insurance carriers
should you wish to purchase this type of coverage.
Q: Should I obtain separate health or travel insurance before
traveling?
A:
Participants should check with his/her insurance provider to determine
whether international travel is covered under the policy. If not, it
is highly recommended that teachers obtain outside medical coverage for the
trip in case of (an unlikely) need for medical evacuation or treatment.
Treatment and/or evacuations can cost many thousands of dollars out of
pocket if insurance is not obtained.
Q: Do I need to change money from US dollars to Honduran lempira
before traveling? Do Honduran merchants accept travelers' checks?
A:
It is not
necessary to change money before leaving the United States. We will
change some money at the airport in Tegucigalpa before heading to the
Project. Most merchants accept both lempira and US dollars, but many
are not equipped to handle travelers' checks. There is an easily
accessible ATM machine close to the Project should a traveler need more cash
on the trip.
Q: What should I pack for the trip? How many suitcases am I
allowed to bring?
A:
A suggested packing list
can be found on this website. Since travelers are limited to one carry-on suitcase for
all clothing and personal items, it is suggested that participants pack
light. There is an inexpensive laundry facility at the Project if
travelers need to wash clothing mid-week. The two suitcases that are
allowed by the airline for international travel will be used to transport
needed school supplies for the Honduran schools. It is very expensive
to ship materials ahead of the brigade, so the suitcases allow us to bring
the items our schools have requested.
Q: Do I need a valid US passport to travel to Honduras? How do I
get or renew my passport?
A:
All Americans
traveling to Honduras need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months
after the brigade travel dates. The US Passport cards are not
valid for air travel, nor are they valid for travel to and from Honduras.
If you need to get, update, or renew your passport, please visit the
US State
Department website.
Q:
Can my husband or other family member travel with me?
A:
Because of
our purposefully small brigades, HETO only permits licensed teachers within
the state of Indiana and special guests to join us on brigade trips.
Please speak to the HETO director with any unique scenarios.
Q:
What are Honduran students and their classrooms like?
A:
Because of their lack of supplies and adequate teacher training, Honduran
students are usually a few grade levels behind where US teachers expect
their own students to succeed. For example, a sixth grade student in
Honduras may only perform to a third or fourth grade level in the US.
Honduran teachers typically lecture to their students and like many US
teachers, feel the pressures of grade-level testing and therefore often
“teach to the test”. However, it is important to remember that despite
the cultural differences in education, Honduran children act and behave like
our own precious students!
Q:
How do I get my school and American students involved?
A:
HETO encourages all HETO teachers to work closely with their home schools
and their own students while planning their trip. What better way to
encourage multi-culturalism in the classroom than to include your students
in planning the activities you will complete with the Honduran students.
Feel free to use your own creativity and ideas from HETO alumni when working
with your own students. Also, with the recent addition of the Internet
at Nuevo Paraíso, you can plan to keep in contact with your students while
you are gone.
Q:
What are some lesson plan ideas to get me started?
A:
HETO Alumni teachers have taught lessons in a variety of subjects including:
reading/literacy, math, music, physical education, as well as English and
even Spanish grammar. These teachers have employed a variety of
hands-on methods to get the Honduran students up and moving around.
Consider the best-practice methods that are popular in the US when making
your decisions regarding lesson plans. Keep in mind that most
schools do not have access to electricity or basic materials. Plan to
bring EVERYTHING you need to teach your lesson.
Q: What things have HETO alumni teachers done to fund-raise for the
trip?
A:
HETO teachers have done some of the following things to help offset the cost
of their trip.
-
applied for and received grants within their school corporation
-
held a garage sale (alone or with other HETO teachers)
-
sold artwork or other personal crafts/items
-
took on a second job over the summer or school breaks and devoted all money
earned to the trip
-
sold candy/cookies in their classrooms
-
held workshops or classes for elementary aged students over the summer or
during school breaks
-
auctioned their services off to their colleagues (traded a lunch/recess duty
or offered to sub in another teacher’s classroom in exchange for a donation)
Please contact
Peggy Esselman for a sample fund-raising letter and HETO’s tax ID number, if
needed.
Q: How do I work with my students and home school once I return?
A:
HETO requires that returning teachers complete one service project for one
of our 11 HETO Partner Schools. This project can be anything that meets the needs of
the home school/classroom, as long as it is approved by the HETO Executive
Board in advance. HETO encourages teachers to use their creativity in
developing projects with their students and suggests tying the service
project in with existing curriculum.
Q: What types of post-trip activities have HETO alumni teachers
completed?
A:
Please visit our HETO Alumni page for
descriptions of many of the activities that have been completed recently.
Q: I know of a school that would like to help, but they cannot afford
to send a teacher at this time. Can that school still participate in
some way?
A: HETO
accepts schools as both partner schools and what are called “sponsor
schools”. These sponsor schools help HETO by holding school supply
drives, collecting money, and getting the word out about our mission.
Please contact Peggy Esselman if you know of a school that would be
interested in acting as a sponsor school.
