Photo: Hollow Rock-Bruceton Spanish teacher Jenna Patton is dedicating a portion of her summer to co-leading a group of students bound for service learning in Costa Rica. Joining her on the trip and in the fundraising efforts such as collecting gently used shoes as seen here is soon-to-be senior McKenzie Baylor.
Dresden, Tenn.–Ten students from West Tennessee are bound for Costa Rica June 26. The program organizer, Global Citizen Adventure Corps, is an award-winning nonprofit offering international service-learning opportunities and college credit. The students – the majority from Hollow Rock Bruceton High School — have spent the last several months fundraising to cover the costs of the $2999 program that includes all travel, lodging, food, ground transportation, and in-country tour and program fees for the seven-day experience.
Seven of the eleven Costa Rica-bound volunteers received scholarships from GCAC. Co-Leader of the group Jenna Patton, the school’s Spanish teacher, estimates that with the combined efforts of local events such as soap and coffee sales and a “service for tips” day at Bruceton’s Lyon’s Den, most participants will need to personally contribute only about half of the total fee.
“GCAC approaches our programs with a both/and mentality,” noted GCAC Co-Founder and the executive lead on the Costa Rica experience with Patton. “We plan service-oriented and fun activities. We keep our costs as low as possible and support local businesses and nonprofit partners in-country and at home through our encouraged fundraising. We require community service at home and where we are going. Our students learn not only about another country but also gain life skills that will show up on their resumes as indicators of responsible and motivated learners. GCAC is all about the win/win!”
To qualify for a GCAC scholarship, applicants must show financial need, complete 60 hours of community service (an additional 40 are completed during the program) and enroll in the online course Global Service Learning and Citizenship at Bethel University, earning three hours of transferable college credit.
Patton, a newly elected GCAC board member, is grateful to take her students’ learning outside the classroom.
“International travel is the ultimate experiential learning,” she said. “I’m looking forward to using my Spanish and encouraging the students to go beyond scripted in-class dialogues and actually ask how much something costs or where the restroom is! I’ve already seen them grow as they had to meet deadlines and make payments in these months prior to going. I’m very excited for not only Costa Rica but traveling to more countries in the future.”
McKenzie Baylor, an upcoming senior at Hollow Rock-Bruceton, is equally excited about her first international experience. She said that with the fundraising, a GCAC scholarship and working, her trip has been paid for in full, and she is looking forward to “helping people in any way we can.”
Through the online course work, she notes, “I have learned that things are different in different parts of the world. I believe that things would be so much better if we could all help each other.”
Currently, Patton is also promoting a Guatemala experience with GCAC in October and helping to raise funds for more GCAC scholarships. A jewelry maker outside the classroom, she created a Globetrotter Chain priced at $25 with 50% of all sales of this chain donated to GCAC. She and her students have also collected 32 bags of gently used shoes (25 pairs per bag) as part of a fundraising enterprise that will see them rewarded financially and the shoes shared where needed internationally. The goal is 100 bags of 25 by July 19 which will net another $1500 toward scholarships. To support either of these efforts, email pattonj@hrbk12.org for details.
Joining Patton, Hill, and Baylor on a flight to Costa Rica on June 26 are Mykenzie Burton, Amaya Caery, Carlee Hicks, Drake Northup, Adysen Olds, Kennedy Patton, Abby Quinn, Kaidyn Williams, and Paige Woolf. Family and friends can follow the travelers via @globalcitizenadventurecorps on Facebook and @gcacorg on Instagram.
Global Citizen Adventure Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating global citizens through education, service, and travel. By offering transferable college credit and donor-funded scholarships, GCAC actively builds pathways between rural high schools, universities, and a robust network of global nonprofit partners to provide travel program opportunities to underserved students. For more information visit www.globalcitizenadventurecorps.org.