After my first few days at OYE as part of an Alternative Spring Break program back in March 2011, I knew that I wanted to return for a longer period of time. This summer I spent one month as a volunteer for OYE. What is great about being a volunteer here is that you are really free to organize whatever project interests you. For me, it was education, primarily English classes. While many students told me that they receive English instruction in their schools, the quality is not great, and most times they do not learn the concepts behind the language. Hearing this made me realize that these youth needed a new program, and I knew that OYE was the best way to introduce the language. As coordinator of the program, I planned the curriculum, evaluated the students, made the lesson plans, and taught the classes. While it was a lot of researching and trial and error on my part, at the end of my stay I really felt like I had accomplished something. Students started to remember the phrases I had taught them and could formulate simple sentences. Hearing them speak in English, even if it was just a few sentences, made me realize that teaching is my calling, something I may have never realized if it were not for OYE and the special becados there. While I am not able to stay to continue the program, knowing that the becados will be able to continue to practice and learn a new language so necessary for their future is an accomplishment that I can always be proud of.
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