Scouting the Art of Service

Our team from Alamo Colleges International Program has spent the week with 32 students and mentors from six Central American countries and another 10 from two San Antonio high schools. We started with workshops and tours at Bamberger Ranch and the LBJ National Historic Park, moved on to a day of investigations and invention at The Pearl (at The Center for Architecture), then the CAYA youth spent time with host families and at the schools. Today we are touring the state's Historical Museum, the Capitol and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

The theme for our week of exchange is service in action in public and private sectors, what it takes to be a changemaker, and sharing stories that have made a difference-- the stories of both public figures and private entrepreneurs, civic activists and citizens, old and young. We've explored the danger of a single story, and what kids can imagine doing today to start solving problems they see in their communities. This youth ambassador program is funded through the State Department and gives young leaders three weeks of powerful experiences in the U.S. These kids started in Washington,then spent record-low temp days in Michigan, followed by our days here in the 70s and 80s! If nothing else, they've seen diversity in weather.

Some of the art projects we did: designing logos, dream posters and towers, designing t- shirts and screen- printing them, writing poems and sharing stories, discussing issues, problems and writing remedies, cures and recipes for solutions.