Where a single marble is a wonder, Gig Harbor students will lend Mayan kids a hand
When Henderson Bay High School student Ashley Phillips spent a week in Guatemala last year, she quickly learned how the smallest gesture could bring the greatest joy. Phillips gave each Mayan student at the Montessori school, simply, a marble.
“To them, they reacted how I would react to getting a new phone,” Phillips said. “Such a small thing was such a huge part of their life.”
Seeing the impact a one-week trip can make inspired Phillips to sign up for the trip again this year. The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor North will be sending ten high school students and four chaperones back to Guatemala near Easter to assist Mayan people.
For the first time, students from Gig Harbor High School and Peninsula High School will join the Henderson students.
The students will be staying at Opal House near Lake Atitlan. Opal House was created by Dr. Will Boegel, a Snohomish County orthopedic surgeon, and his wife Diane as a non-profit nearly twelve years ago. Besides the Montessori school, the 59-acre site includes an avocado farm and transitional housing for displaced families.
There, the students and chaperones will assist in construction projects, including putting in sidewalks and gates. They will interact with 60 to 80 Mayan elementary students.
“One of the things we try to do through Rotary is help students gain an international experience,” said Rotary North president Bob Anderson. “Everything we can do to help young people get out of our cultural background and into a new cultural situation is a very valuable learning experience, often life-changing.”
Sidewalks, solar and bathrooms
The construction will consist of building sidewalks so students can traverse the site more easily in the rain, and installing lights to improve school security. Additional improvements are installation of rooftop solar hot water heat for the kitchen, washing area, and bathrooms, and addition of an additional bathroom and intern housing.
The program will take place during Spring break, sometime between April 10 to 18. Exact dates will depend on the best prices for air tickets.
The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor North obtained a $7,000 Rotary District grant, and most of this money will be used to purchase curriculum materials for the Montessori school.
“Opal House is increasing their grade level from fourth to sixth grade, and our project is providing funds for Montessori materials to make that jump,” Anderson said.
This will be the third year that Gig Harbor Rotary North has arranged a trip to Opal House in Guatemala. In 2016, volunteers helped built a “refuge,” a four-apartment structure to temporarily house families who have become totally destitute. In 2019, four Rotarians and six students traveled to Opal House. They spent time in classes and helped in several projects.
An eye-opener
Paul Miller, a Rotarian who is organizing the trip, said it should be a real eye-opener for the high school students.
“First off, it’s exposing them to a completely different country. A lot of these students, probably half of them, have probably never been out of Washington. They realize they have it pretty good, even if they don’t have everything they need.”
“And,” he added,”They need to learn how to cook and wash dishes.”
Phillips, who is the head of the Rotary-sponsored Henderson Bay High School Interact Club, said she has encouraged some of her friends to go with her on this life-changing trip.
“I decided to go again because last time I got so much out of it, but there was so much more we could do to help,” Phillips said.
It costs around $1,200 to send each student on the trip, so Rotary will hold a fund-raising pancake breakfast next week to raise the needed funds. The breakfast will be from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Henderson Bay High School, 8402 Skansie Avenue.
This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 12:00 AM.