Here We GO!

Hello everyone!

Well welcome to my blog! My name is Jessica DeBrouwer, but most often people call me Jess DB. I am in my second year at St. Jerome's, majoring in English and taking the International Studies option. While at St. Jerome's I have become involved in their program Beyond Borders which is an international service learning program. Each student involved is able to travel to a developing country and work for three months while learning about the culture and living with a host family. It allows students to put their education to use in the pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.

For my placement I will be heading off to Esteli, Nicaragua! Once I get there I will be working with Los Pipitos and my time there will be spent working with children in the area, which is very exciting! As for now, the details are a little scarce but I will continually update my blog as information becomes available. While preparing for our trips, our group took one class in the fall called "Current Ethical Issues" where we learned more about the reasons behind inequality, and in our second semester we are currently taking "Justice, Peace and Development." This class is a little less formal because most of our time is spent volunteering at The Working Center in Kitchener where we are able to put our skills to practical use before leaving the country.

This week will be spent learning more about The Working Center and we will be making plans for our immunizations! This program has been talked about and though about for so long now it is hard to believe in just a few short months I will be headed off to work in Nicaragua!

Peace