Parent letter's

Parents believe in our mission- language through community, culture and leadership!

Dear Ilba,
We were so pleased and impressed with your program. We
read all of your literature and were very concerned about sending Annie but your information and contact was so reassuring we were able to make the decision to send her. We believe you did everything you said you were going to and more. The supervision was excellent, the support was excellent, and Annie's family was fabulous. You followed through on all the excursions you said you would do and Annie had a great time. You may definitely use us for inquiries for future participants because I have nothing but wonderful things to say about your organization. Annie had the experience of a lifetime and we thank you very much for that. You should be very proud of the organization you run. We'll look forward to receiving the pictures!
Very Sincerely Yours, Marge and Don

Dear Ilba,
Thank you so much for the wonderful experience that you have provided for Elizabeth. It was such a joy to see her after her fantastic month in Granada. We heard nothing but wonderful stories. She particularly loved all of the people that she met. Her family was SO loving and kind to her. Her "mom" said that Elizabeth will always be her "hija." She loved the children and the dance students and her dance teacher. She had so many exciting experiences that she will never forget, the volcano, lagoon, beach, canopy, etc. And she brought us some beautiful gifts. Elizabeth will miss Nicaragua very much and she will always have a place in her heart for her family and for all of the kind and caring people that she met there. Thank you again. I hope you are continuing to coordinate trips two years from now. I would love to have my son Tom get a chance to visit there.
Thank you to all of you!

Dear Ilba,

Barry and I both want to thank you very much for providing such a great program and for your individual care of the students (and specifcally Anna!). From your written, video, and email material we thought this program was the best of all we looked at and that it would be a great fit for Anna. We were very happy that our expectations were confirmed. You are right to celebrate the healthy and happy return of all your students. It's a tremendous responsibility and your program met the challenge. Anna certainly has grown from her summer experience and our whole family has learned a lot about Nicaragua. Also, although Anna and Laurel Gray knew each other slightly before this trip, they now have a special bond which is a joy to see. From Anna's description, her host family was very gracious, especialy Mrs. Gonzalez. Anna and she spent many happy hours sharing meals and learning about Nicaraguan cooking and poets! I wrote them a thank you letter which I hope they received. Barry and I would be happy to be added to the email reference list. Hearing from parents was very helpful to me in our decison-making and I'd be happy to return that favor. We can't think of any suggestions. for the program.

To the Nicaragua Summer Exchange Staff:

It was a hugely successful experience for Ethan; he has grown in many ways and his advanced Spanish 3 class is going really well for him. I am even taking a conversational Spanish class now, level 2 through our local rec. and ed. program. He is still in contact with some of the other students from the program--He really connected with Bennett and Angela. I thank you for all you have done for our family and for the Nicaraguans.

It's been almost a year since we sent Erin to Nicaragua with you, and I realize that I never thanked you for your wonderful program. The trip to Nicaragua was certainly one of Erin's "lifetime highlights" It has changed her in so many ways, some obvious, some not so obvious. On the obvious level, her month in Nicaragua left her more in love with the Spanish language than ever before. She returned more determined than ever to learn and maintain her Spanish, even mentioning it as a possible major in college. On the obvious level, Erin's time spent at the orphanage has prompted her to become more involved in community outreach programs here at home. She loved spending time at the girls orphanage and continues to send them birthday cards. The service learning component of you program was very important for Erin, and we are delighted to learn that you are expanding that part of the program. Thank you again for this great experience you provided our daughter.

Dear Ms. Prego- Thank you for sending the letter and Pictures. Alice had a great experience in Nicaragua. I don't think there was was a negative at any time. Her family was wonderful, the country, people, city welcoming, and the month long activities were well planned and balanced.We have had both Alice and her sister on a varity of "immersion" programs over the years in both French and Spanish and this was the best all around experience. Thanks Andrea and Bill Baumgartner

We wanted to take a moment to thank you, Ilba and Tom--and everyone else connected to the program--for Greg's wonderful experience in Nicaragua. He got off the plane at 11PM and he never stopped talking until 2AM--and then only because we said we had to go to sleep! It was clearly a wonderful and growthful experience for him--from the Spanish classes (he loved the way
they learned vocabulary about something and then went and visited a place associated with that vocabulary) to the community involvement to the experience with his host family to his thoughtful observations about the country, culture, and people. He even liked the dance classes--which he wasn't too sure about in advance! I know it must take a lot of effort and thought to pull this off and it really made a difference in our son's life--what more could we ask for?
Kate Lenox & Steve Storch

Our son Jesse attended the Nicaragua community program this past summer. Jesse said the trip made a lasting impression on him and we feel the same. He told us the entire experience changed him forever. he stated that he feels fortunate to be living in the United States because of the hardships that many of the Nicaraguan people must face daily. The entire program was well-chaperoned and well thought out. In the weeks that he was there he learned and experienced more than could be provided in a classroom setting in high school. We were amazed at the great variety of classes, cultural events, youth service, and excursions! He enjoyed the Nicaragua culture, living with a Spanish speaking host family and experiencing the country's food, drink, music and arts. We highly recommend this trip. It was a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience for Jesse and we are grateful to Ilba for the hard work to make it all possible.

Our son is using his experience in Nicaragua to write his college essay. It was truly a life changing experience for him. Nicaragua is so beautiful and the people welcoming. I hope to get the opportunity to visit someday. Once again, many thanks - I hope you continue offering this wonderful cultural experience to our youth.

Doug and I would like to thank you for providing Tory with and incredible experience! She loved her host family and feels it was a perfect match. She enjoyed the culture, the environment and the people. We met up with Keepman's last night and had fun sharing pictures and hearing all about the excitement of the past month in Nicaragua. Thank you for providing memories and experiences that will last a lifetime!

It was a life-altering and enriching experience for Michael. He has a renewed sense of purpose as he fills out his college applications and thinks about what he wants to do beyond college. We appreciate how extremely thoughtful you are about the experience that you make possible for these students. It is a unique opportunity for the West High students and we feel very very lucky that the program was available to Michael. Many parents have heard from us about how valuable we think the program is. Our friends agree that understanding the world and how wonderful people are everywhere is so vitally important to making much better political/corporate decisions which is in turn vital to our children's' future! It was also a great experience for improving his competence in Spanish, immersing him in another culture, and increasing his love of speaking another language.

My daughter participated two Summers in the Nicaragua Summer Exchange Program, it was the opportunity to live with a host family and use Spanish daily by teaching soccer to local kids that most interested her in the program. It was a great eye-opening experience for her that provided the kind of environment she needed to practice Spanish naturally. She also made many friendships that have inspired her to look at soccer in a whole new light. This is a great program for high school kids who really want to use Spanish with local people. The program is well connected to the town and schools so there are a wide variety of activities offered. We plan to send our son in a couple of years.