miércoles, 31 de enero de 2024

Read all about Amizade's January programs and projects

Amizade inspires empathy, catalyzes social action, and links diverse communities through

Read all about Amizade's January programs and projects

January is always a busy travel month for Amizade, and 2024 was no exception. Our partners welcomed visitors in six different sites around the world, and together they worked on many different types of community-driven projects. Keep reading for some of the highlights!

> Understanding what 'sustainability' means in rural Ecuador

The University of Illinois School of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) collaborated with our partner Nido de Vida in Ecuador. Visiting one of Amizade's most rural community partners, students explored the pillars of sustainability—society, economics, and the environment—as they play out at the grassroots level. Students heard from local small-scale dairy farmers about milk production, market access, and their economic realities. They engaged in cultural activities by participating in the process of making cane sugar and cheese, as well as by spending time with a group of senior citizens.

Exploring culture must include engaging with the land, and a lot of time was spent enjoying the natural world through hikes and river swims as well as through a physical service project. During their almost two week program, they helped design, prepare, and plant an edible forest.

> Back-to-back programs and supporting neighbors in the Navajo Nation

We had a busy month with programming in the Navajo Nation. Vanessa, Chaunupa, and Keller started the 2024 season with a group of nursing students from Plymouth State University (PSU). While they did run into some inclement weather, that didn't stop them from enjoying the landscape, engaging in tough physical work on Rose's farm, and exploring Navajo traditional medicine.

Illinois Math and Science Academy arrived on the same day that PSU departed. The academy students worked hard on Brian's land and were able to compare and contrast Illinois farming and land management to what they experienced with Brian.

The programmatic closer for the month was with Colgate University. Like the previous two groups, they were curious, fun, and hard working. They had a busy week of exploration and service work. After a safety lesson, students spent an entire day processing loads of much-needed firewood to help families stay warm through the winter.

> Enjoying both new and long-standing community connections in Bolivia

The University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering traveled to Cochabamba, Bolivia after working virtually with local NGOs as part of a semester-long course. Students had the chance to connect in person with the people they met virtually and participate actively in the work they do, including baking cuñapes and working in a community garden. This was a fun, adventurous group who took advantage of every opportunity to connect with the people they met, try new and delicious foods, and learn about Bolivian culture.

The program included another notable moment: the beginning of a new community partnership. Illinois students were the first to work on a project with the 3 de Abril and Gualberto Villarroel Schools in Mallco Chapi, where Amizade's site director Ariel and driver Rolando have been working with the schools' parent association to launch a collaboration. Our first project, laying tile on the second floor of the school, was a success, and we look forward to future projects together!

> Learn more about the ways you can travel with Amizade in 2024

Now that you've read some inspiring stories from our January programs, are you ready to finalize your summer 2024 travel plans? Travel with Amizade: we're going to Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, Ecuador, and Bolivia—and you can come too! Don't miss out on our upcoming info sessions, which are online, open to everyone, and free to attend. We'll talk about what to expect on from each experience and answer any questions you may have. Save these dates:

February 15 @ 6pm ET: Family Program in Ecuador Info Session
February 21 @ 6pm ET: Helping Hands in Bolivia Info Session

Sign up for one or both sessions by clicking the button below. You can also click the 'apply' button on our website to see all of our open summer 2024 programs.

ATTEND AN INFO SESSION

> Professional development: join our Reflective Practice Retreat in Ecuador

Want to experience the highlights of an Amizade Ecuador program for yourself while also gaining the skills to manage students, conduct reflective practice activities, and build ethical community partnerships? We're waiting for you!

Join our Reflective Practice Retreat at Nido de Vida in Ecuador, May 14-18, 2024.

Former participants highly recommend this experience: "I gained more from these 5 days in Ecuador than any conference I have attended to date! The opportunity to engage as both a participant and a practitioner was highly beneficial and really solidified for me the transformative capacity of experiential learning opportunities."

LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP

amizade.org

Amizade

2211 Lesnett Rd. #12539, Pittsburgh, PA 15241

lunes, 29 de enero de 2024

Nicole Fadellin (Job Talk for Environmental Humanities Teaching Track Search) Wednesday, Feb 7, 4:30pm

Environmental Humanities Teaching Track candidate Dr. Nicole Fadellin will be giving a job talk on Wednesday, February 7th 4:30pm in Posner Hall 277. Please RSVP -- it's not strictly necessary for you to RSVP in order to attend, but it will help us for sending event reminders; getting a head count for coffee/tea; and following up with you to ask for feedback.

Blackout in Three Acts: Energy Colonialism in Puerto Rican Culture

Wednesday, February 7

4:30pm Posner Hall 277

(If unable to attend in person: Join Zoom Meeting)

Please RSVP Coffee, tea, and cookies will be provided

In this talk, Dr. Fadellin will discuss the causes and consequences of the energy crisis in Puerto Rico through works of art. They will demonstrate how to read a work of art through infrastructure, applying the concept of scale to show how Puerto Rican authors and artists connect politics to the everyday embodied experience of infrastructure. The creative works selected highlight the persistence of energy colonialism in the contexts of development, natural disaster, and ongoing reconstruction.

Nicole Fadellin (FADE-uhl-lin) is a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor in the Honors College at Purdue University. Their work examines the relationship between infrastructure and neocolonialism in contemporary Latin America and explores the unique contributions that literary analysis can offer to interdisciplinary conversations. Their first book project focuses on the symbolic and material uses of energy infrastructures by revolutionary movements in Latin America. They received their PhD in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and their recent publications have been featured in The Social and Political Life of Latin American Infrastructures by the University of London Press and the Routledge Companion to Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Literary and Cultural Forms.

Questions about the event? Please contact kathyz@cmu.edu

Best,

Kathy

Kathy Zhang (she/they)

Program Assistant | Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research

Carnegie Mellon University

"What's Happening in Ecuador" - February 7 at 2:30 EST

The Centre for Research in Latin America and the Caribbean presents:

What's Happening in Ecuador

The Origins and Dimensions of Violence

with Carlos Larrea – Universidad Andina, Quito – Ecuador

What are the underlying structural causes of the drug-trafficking violence that engulfed parts of Ecuador in early January? In which regions of Ecuador was/is the violence and the drug trade concentrated and why?

What are the global/external factors that promote the continued growth of narco-trafficking? Does the government's militarized strategy to combat gangs involved in narco-trafficking make sense?

Have such repressive policies worked elsewhere in Latin America or anywhere else? What are the alternative policies that might be pursued?

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 | 2:30pm

Zoom Event - Register in advance: https://yorku.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DTvyRLyTTXmZiK2hdsq9oA

Chaired by Patrick Clark and Liisa North, CERLAC Fellows – York University

Carlos Larrea is a graduate in Philosophy, Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito; Master in Social Sciences, Bariloche Foundation; PhD in Political Though, York University, Toronto; Postdoctoral in Health and Development, Harvard University and Pan American Health Organization, Boston. Author of numerous books and articles on political-economic and environmental issues.

This event is being co-sponsored by CALACS (Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies) and by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese of the University of Toronto.

lunes, 22 de enero de 2024

Program Update: Tuition-Free Nursing Scholarships for Latinos!

Great news for our Latino community! We have expanded our Nursing Scholarship program with AHN to all Latinos! If you have a dream of working in healthcare, APPLY TODAY!

Proudly in partnership with AHN, this is a tuition-free opportunity to launch your healthcare career without the burden of education costs.

We understand the significance of providing education and QUALITY employment opportunities while ensuring Hispanic representation in the healthcare industry. Bridging this gap not only enhances community representation but also fosters better care and communication for our vibrant Hispanic community.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to shape the future of healthcare. Apply by April 30th to be considered for this unique scholarship opportunity!

Program Benefits:

Free Tuition Coverage: AHN covers ALL tuition expenses!

Flexible Work Options: Dive into part-time or casual healthcare roles while getting trained.

Secured Employment: Graduate into a healthcare position at an AHN hospital for a guaranteed two-year commitment.

Guidance and Mentorship: Get set up with a mentor working in Healthcare will support your career journey.

Transportation Assistance: Financial gas/travel assistance.

Essential Gear: Two sets of nursing scrubs, a pair of nursing shoes, and tailored support to overcome more specific barriers.

Apply Today!

Who's a perfect fit?

Graduating High School Students

Adult Learners

Adults interested in a career in Health Care

How to Apply:

Review our
Fill out the interest form.
Interview with a PMAHCC Representative.
Complete the AHN-TAP interest form.
Shadow a healthcare professional to validate your interest.
Apply to college (if not already enrolled).
Meet with your mentor.
Begin your classes.

What to expect:

Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

1555 Broadway Avenue Second Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

412-553-9300 - Email us!

Please Like, Follow and Subscribe us at:

miércoles, 17 de enero de 2024

Start Your Professional Development

Enhance Your Proficiency while Exploring the Splendor of Alicante

SSA in collaboration with the Universidad de Alicante, presents a distinctive professional development seminar for US Spanish teachers. The program takes place in the scenic city of Alicante, offering four hours of daily classroom instruction complemented by engaging cultural activities in the afternoons. Expert educators from the university's Centro Superior de Idiomas will lead the in-class sessions.

LEARN MORE

Expert teachers offer practical classroom strategies

The instructional content within the class will be delivered by a team of skilled and experienced educators from the university's Centro Superior de Idiomas.

Develop practical skills to elevate the quality of your classes

Engaging Grammar and Reading Workshop.
Boosting Oral Skills
Technology in the Classroom
Culture in the Classroom

Discover the charm of Alicante

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Alicante, where historic architecture, stunning Mediterranean beaches and vibrant Spanish culture converge. Discover this charming city, where every corner tells a story waiting to be explored.