06/29/2025
Our 2025 Interns are returning from a month of serving children in Las Gradas under missionaries Frank and Brittany Hynson. This is in the neediest section of La Carpio. La Carpio is on the edge of San Jose and is largely composed of Nicaraguan immigrants.
Jackie and Karol were education interns. Both are undergraduates at Washington College. Jackie, a Biology major, and Karol, a Biology and Hispanic Studies double major, were trained in the Estrella Curriculum and were assisted by Teaching Assistant Jessika Sams, an elementary teacher in Texas. The smiles on the students reflects the bonds built as well as the joy of learning and teaching.
Jenna, a Social Work major with a Spanish minor at Messiah University, spent time in a preschool connected with Las Gradas Betel as well as with the larger group. Jenna did work on naming emotions using concepts from a book along with matching cards and coloring activities as well as joining in some of the educational efforts toward the end of the time there.
On their off days, they went to the beach (and saw monkeys and macaws, among other things) as well as Monteverde (the cloud forest and part of the "Children's Eternal Fores" along the continental divide) and spent some time in downtown San Jose. These internships are intended to be both an opportunity to explore and experience another part of the world while also utilizing the strengths and skills of each student in their area of interest to tangibly make a difference in the lives of the children involved.
