Organization Helps Students Gain Volunteer Experience

More than ever colleges are encouraging students to study abroad to help enhance their education. One local organization is helping students set themselves apart from others when looking for a job.

The Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas provide exchange programs and outreach assistance for American and Nicaraguan students.

"It provides an opportunity for people to have international volunteer experience in relation to areas that they're interested in," says director, Amy Wiza.

UWSP students like Hannah Werner, senior, are able to expand their educations by learning how other people live.

"I did not have a clue how it was going to help my education until I went there and experienced it," Werner says, "Just seeing other cultures, how people live, seeing how much we have here."

Hannah is studying to become a family and consumer science teacher. So working with kids and helping the community grow in Nicaragua has been an eye opening experience for her. She says the language barrier was the most difficult thing to get past.

"To have that barrier, to have that wall in between, to try and teach them something so simple but it takes so much work," Werner says.

But Wiza says the hard work is really worth it, because the trips help students set themselves apart from others with their new cultural knowledge.

"Everyone who has traveled with us has said that is one of the best things I've ever done in my life," Wiza says.

Hannah says the experience will help her become a better teacher, and she has helped the kids she worked with see that there are opportunities beyond their communities.

The program isn't just for students, they've had travelers ages 8 to 80 helping out with a wide variety of community service projects.

jennifer.kliese@wsaw.com
For more information about the exchange, visit their website: http://wisnic.org/