Volunteer in the Community

Beyond providing a rich educational and cultural experience for our clients, one of the major goals of Escuela Bigfoot is to give something back to the community of Gigante and surrounding villages.   We are particularly committed to local education and environmental conservation.  
To this end we are in the process of setting up a program wherein our students—or anyone who decides to - can donate expertise, labor, and/or financial resources to a local cause of their choosing.
Some possible projects:

English Instruction

We welcome any of our students to spend some time working with local residents to improve their English skills.  Such language skills are invaluable for service sector jobs, many of which are now going to Nicaraguans from Managua or other big cities.  Our goal by the end of 2008 is to be able to offer ongoing free English language and computer basics classes to local people in our community.




Reforestation / Conservation

The Zacatan Ecological Reserve is located on the main entrance road to Gigante. This reserve encompasses some 30 acres of protected forest and is a recreational resource for both local people and foreign visitors.   Students from Escuela Bigfoot may volunteer at the reserve helping with conservation and reforestation efforts—tree planting, trail maintenance, etc.

Other Community Service Projects

There are many other ways to volunteer in the community.  Essential services such as water wells and electricity can be brought to people in need, and can be done in a way that is environmentally sustainable.  Spanish language books and other educational materials are always needed by local schools and libraries.  There are truly endless opportunities for those who would like to volunteer.