| K thru 12 Bilingual Curriculum For Volunteer Professors | | | | school is of a manageable size. |
| Concept: | | | | Funding: |
| As a thesis project a student designs or adapts an | | | | Our current idea is to set tuition at $150 per month per |
| existing K through 12, dual language (Spanish and | | | | student. This is a manageable amount for most |
| English) curriculum to be taught on San Cristobal, | | | | families living here. Very poor day care costs $120 a |
| Galapagos by international volunteer professors who | | | | month including meals and the facility is over crowded. |
| will spend a year or a semester here. The curriculum | | | | We would also like to have a |
| will be used by the professors to insure the students | | | | “scholarship” or two available in each |
| receive sequential courses of study. | | | | grade for the less affluent families on the island. Our |
| The goal of the school: | | | | thinking is that when fully functioning the school will |
| -To give at least some of the children living here on | | | | need one care taker and several administers. If class |
| San Cristobal a primary through secondary education | | | | size were 15 (just as an example, the student writing |
| commensurate with the responsibility of their birth right, | | | | the curriculum will have to come up with the optimum |
| the care of these islands. It is hoped that at least some | | | | number) that would be 195 students and the |
| of the students will be able to garner scholarships to | | | | school’s revenue would be somewhere around |
| study in International Universities when they graduate. | | | | $29,250 minus say twenty-six scholarships (2 times |
| Definitions and Clarifications: | | | | the thirteen grades) $3,900 = $25,350 a month which |
| -“Curriculum”, signifies an entire education, | | | | would be enough to salary the administrators, pay for |
| Kindergarten through High School. | | | | maintenance and some percentage of materials. |
| -Duel Language signifies that the students who | | | | Obviously we will be pursuing grants and sponsorships |
| graduate will be fluent in both languages, Spanish and | | | | to help with purchasing computers, books, etc. |
| English. How this is accomplished will be up to the | | | | Personal Note To Students Considering Taking This |
| curriculum. Spanish is the national language of Ecuador | | | | On (back story): |
| and spoken almost exclusively here on San Cristobal. | | | | We meet many “students” here from |
| -The curriculum is intended to be followed by the | | | | many countries who come to work on their various |
| students from Kindergarten to the end of High School. | | | | theses. Most of these theses are related to biology, |
| Its relationship, if any to existing curriculums in other | | | | geology, environment, social/psychological, cultural, |
| schools here will only be circumstantial, however it is | | | | political, etc. The students tend to seek us out for |
| expected that: not all students who begin in | | | | various reasons, our experience, position in the |
| Kindergarten will finish, that their places will be filled by | | | | community, the fact that I’m a gringo (with |
| students who will not have had the same advantages | | | | perspectives shaped by different exposures), our |
| as those that began in Kindergarten and that the | | | | accomplishments, our business, Come To Galapagos |
| existence of this school will have an impact on the | | | | our “connections”, etc. Most of their |
| education levels and focus in other schools on the | | | | theses have very little direct impact on the Galapagos |
| island. This needs to be considered in how the | | | | or the people living here. In this case, this thesis would |
| curriculum is designed, providing a means for students | | | | be an exception. |
| outside the school to study the same materials, though | | | | Without a doubt the best way to preserve the |
| obviously without the help of professors. Perhaps an | | | | Galapagos would be to remove the entire population |
| outreach program might be part of the curriculum. | | | | and prohibit tourism. Since neither of those are likely to |
| Some of the students, as part of their study would | | | | happen, the next most logical steps would be: A, to limit |
| tutor kids outside the school in an effort to give them a | | | | the population, which the government of Ecuador has |
| “leg up” on entrance should a space | | | | taken steps to do and is accomplishing to a certain |
| become available and give the students within the | | | | extent and B, to limit tourism, which the government of |
| school an opportunity to grow from sharing what they | | | | Ecuador at this point does not appear willing to do. |
| have been privileged to learn. | | | | Given the above and our years of experience here |
| -The subjects that are emphasized, from what | | | | we have come to the conclusion that there are two |
| perspective they are taught and teaching methods will | | | | areas of effort that will have the greatest positive |
| be up to the curriculum. Naturally, environmental issues | | | | impact on the future of the Galapagos. |
| and how the Galapagos relates to the rest of the | | | | The first is an education of travelers before they |
| world should be addressed in the curriculum. Also, | | | | make their choices of how to visit the Galapagos, in |
| please read below under the heading | | | | other words tackling the problems from the supply |
| “Campus”, the availability of “hands | | | | side. The pertinent information that people seeking to |
| on” agricultural (biology) and alternative | | | | visit the Galapagos should be aware of is the last thing |
| construction education (engineering). | | | | the travel industry as it relates to the Galapagos |
| -It is assumed the courses of study will be internet | | | | wants to disseminate. Companies go to great lengths |
| integrated and that class room materials will be | | | | to “green wash” themselves in order to |
| selected with the location of the school in mind. | | | | continue making money off the Galapagos. A vacation |
| -Class size will be the choice of the curriculum | | | | here probably has the greatest carbon footprint of any |
| (expected in the ten to twenty maximum range, | | | | vacation on earth. The vast majority of visitors that |
| assuming considerations will be made for not only the | | | | come to Galapagos expand this footprint still farther |
| ability to teach/learn subject materials, but also | | | | by choosing cruise tours. These are ships that drive |
| developing social/interpersonal skills). At this time we | | | | around the Galapagos islands, dumping raw sewage |
| are considering only one class for each grade. | | | | into the ocean, ripping up reefs with their anchors, |
| -A mechanism for resourcing and qualifying volunteer | | | | leaving their trash in our dumps, burning fossil fuels 24 |
| professors would be part of the thesis along with | | | | 7 which need to be imported to the Galapagos and |
| careful consideration of how they would be | | | | the majority of these ships are owned by people |
| “plugged” into the curriculum. Each | | | | whose only connection to the Galapagos is as a place |
| professor will be teaching all of the subject matter for | | | | to make money. Less than five percent of all the |
| each class/grade (history, biology, etc. etc). | | | | tourism revenue generated by the Galapagos touches |
| Note: | | | | the hands of the people that live here. If people were |
| As several PhD’s have pointed out to me, this is | | | | better educated about the realities of the Galapagos |
| a “tall order” for a thesis. The student | | | | today before they made their choices on how and |
| who designs this curriculum will have more than the | | | | with whom to visit these islands that by itself would |
| myriads of choices already inherent in designing a K | | | | solve many of the problems we face without involving |
| through 12 curriculum. This would be a curriculum that is | | | | governmental restrictions.the second area of effort is |
| duel language, internet integrated, staffed by volunteer | | | | the education of the people that actually live here, the |
| professors that come and go every six months or | | | | people that have the day to day greatest impact on |
| year, taught on an island six hundred miles off the | | | | these islands. Truth is that the majority of the people |
| coast of a third world nation most famous for | | | | living here have far greater concerns about their |
| bananas. Yes, “tall order”. The student | | | | livelihood than the environment. It is strange that here in |
| would absolutely need to spend some time here on | | | | the Galapagos of all places on earth that people have |
| San Cristobal. | | | | a hard time seeing the relationship between their |
| Volunteer Professors: | | | | environment and their livelihood. What we lack for the |
| We understand the logistics of bringing professors | | | | integration of concerns for livelihood and environment |
| here on a volunteer basis. My wife founded and | | | | is simply education and it needs to start at a young |
| headed up the B&B association here for several | | | | age. Imagine the impact a generation of well educated |
| years, most of her guests were volunteer teachers | | | | Galapagos citizens could have here in the Galapagos |
| and workers etc. Also our company Come To | | | | and on the world’s perception of the |
| Galapagos, LLC and in Ecuador, Come To Galapagos | | | | Galapagos. |
| CIA. LTDA. ( often handles volunteers. We set up an | | | | We are not entirely altruistic in this endeavor: |
| Endemic (plant) Species Recovery Park on our farm in | | | | We have a two year old son and have thought about |
| the highlands with volunteer help and coordination by | | | | his education since his inception. We have decided to |
| the Charles Darwin Foundation. We even had a doctor | | | | do something positive and attainable rather than run |
| here once giving wilderness first aid lessons to the | | | | from the problem or bang our heads against the wall |
| people working in the Galapagos National Park. | | | | of an ensconced bureaucracy. We have many friends |
| The professors would teach five days a week, reside | | | | starting families who are excited about this idea. It is |
| in a “home stay” for a semester or a | | | | difficult to watch many of the best of the kids living |
| year. They would have to pay for their arrival, food, | | | | here forced to be shipped off the island to receive an |
| housing and there is an administrative fee for all the | | | | adequate education, forced to leave the place of their |
| governmental paper work (also saves the volunteers | | | | birth and one of the most cherished World Heritage |
| from paying the full Galapagos entry fee) which is | | | | Sites on the planet. |
| typical of volunteers and only a fraction of what it | | | | How will this help the level of education in other |
| costs for the same in the US. | | | | schools? |
| Campus: | | | | With regard to improving all the schools in the |
| Two acres have been donated for the campus by | | | | Galapagos, believe me when I say if we succeed in |
| Come To Galapagos. These acres are held in a | | | | this undertaking and I think we will every parent on the |
| “trust escrow” until the campus is built, the | | | | island will want their kid to be in this school. The |
| school is functioning with all thirteen classes, the | | | | competition to get in will be fierce. I’ve lived here |
| administration is set, tuition revenue from the families of | | | | six years and one thing I can say for my friends and |
| the students has been established and a board of | | | | neighbors is that while they’re not very |
| directors is in place at which time the title to the | | | | receptive to new ideas, show them something that |
| property will be turned over to the board of directors. | | | | works and they are wonderful imitators. |
| The class rooms, instructional buildings, etc. will be built | | | | The kids here are thirsty for a good education. My |
| with a volunteer program using alternative construction | | | | wife helped run a project in 2004 at the High School. |
| (earth bag). This is to bring a greater public awareness | | | | The kids learned about electricity, how it works, where |
| here in the Galapagos of bioclimatic building designs | | | | it comes from, the real world costs and then went out |
| and to create an energy responsible campus, both in | | | | and monitored the electric use of appliances in houses |
| its construction and use. A part of the curriculum might | | | | throughout the community. People started turning off |
| involve agriculture and alternative construction methods | | | | the radio and lights when they left the house, many |
| /bioclimatic design, which could be done right on | | | | replaced ancient refrigerators and equally remarkable |
| campus, or directly off campus. | | | | that year was the only year in the history of the |
| Why Not Work Within The Existing Education System | | | | school that every student in the senor class graduated. |
| on San Cristobal? | | | | Student Thesis Review Notes: |
| As mentioned in the cover letter the existing level of | | | | - This curriculum is for an entire education, dual |
| education here leaves quite a bit to be desired. This is | | | | language (Spanish, English) Kindergarten through High |
| due to a number of factors, class size, availability of | | | | School |
| educational materials, quality of teachers and | | | | - Most students will follow the entire curriculum |
| administrators and it is exasperated by the fact that | | | | - A mechanism will need to be in place for preparing |
| the families that tend to be involved in the education of | | | | students to enter the school who have not had the |
| their children become so frustrated attempting to work | | | | advantage of beginning at Kindergarten, perhaps |
| within the existing schools, that they will often go so far | | | | students within the school as part of the curriculum |
| as to split up the family, sending their kids to the | | | | tutor kids outside the school |
| continent or out right move the entire family to the | | | | - The classes will be taught by visiting professors who |
| continent for the sake of their children’s | | | | will teach all the subjects of a given grade |
| education. The local schools here then lack this entire | | | | - The curriculum should be: internet integrated, designed |
| segment of the population resulting in a somewhat | | | | for children growing up in the Galapagos, may include |
| stymied cultural environment at the schools. | | | | “hands on” agriculture (biology) and |
| Implementation of School and Curriculum: | | | | alternative construction (engineering) and as mentioned |
| Once we have the curriculum, we want to begin the | | | | above out reach tutoring |
| school with the Kindergarten class only the first year. | | | | - A mechanism should be incorporated within the |
| The second year have the kindergarten class and first | | | | thesis for resourcing and qualifying professors |
| grade, the second year, Kindergarten, first and second | | | | - The student will need to spend some time here, at |
| grades, etc. until we have all thirteen years of study | | | | least one week. While we can not afford to pay for |
| functioning. This will allow us time to build the school, | | | | the student’s travel, we can certainly pay for |
| raise funds and public awareness. The costs of the | | | | their room and board once they are here and of |
| school will rise at a predictable rate and the first batch | | | | course will show them around. |
| of unforeseen problems will arise at a time when the | | | | |