Day 7–Coordinator View from Anjelica Hernandez

Day 7 – Coordinator Blog–Anjelica Hernandez

One of the most important aspects of the GYLI Year 3 program is the Homestay.  EARTH university has great relationships with about 25 farming families in the community called La Argentina.  The families regularly host university students, high school students, and visitors from EARTH’s partners such as whole foods.  These small family farms also serve as a laboratory for the EARTH students to apply their class room learning when it comes to plant and animal production, waste management, and alternative energy.  The families have been hosting GYLI students since 2005, and we view them all as our GYLI aunts and uncles.   It is wonderful to pull up to these houses and see their smiling faces and their open arms ready to welcome GYLI students and teachers.

Today the students began the third day of their homestay in La Argentina. Faculty members — who don’t want to miss out on the homestay fun — joined them this morning.  As we dropped the faculty members off, we had a chance to catch up with the eight homestay groups, and here’s a glimpse of some of their adventures:

·      Sophie W., Gianna, Damie, Jasmin and Mariciel were prepping to horse ride with their host family to check out some local terrains.

·      Sophia, Katie, Sarah and Andrea spent the morning milking cows and checking out their family’s tilapia farm.

·      Veronica, Nia, Madeline O. and Laura were prepping to plant a three-foot tree in their family’s garden.

·      Rose, Molly and Claire M. have been exploring their host mom’s cocoa farm, and making chocolate from scratch – yes, they are tasting the fruits of their labor in the form of hot chocolate.

·      Clare T., Sidney, Madeline C. and Hillary have also been prepping to get some hands-on field experience by planting some trees.

·      Zander, Peter, Luis, Jordan and Michael H. were hard at work filling up some sand bags with their host dad.

·      Will, Nick, Evan, Neil, Devon and Ariel were enjoying a break after spending a couple of hours weeding and clearing the farm with their host dad.

·      Marry, Anne Marie and Margaret L. were hard at work in their family’s local farm.

Students and the faculty members will be gathering tomorrow for a celebration — pictures to come!

Anjelica Hernandez, GYLI Coordinator