One Who Walks the Path

Caminante, meaning "One Who Walks the Path" is located in Boca Chica, a beach-resort town near the capital city of Santo Domingo. Children in this area are highly stigmatized and harassed because of their involvement in the sex industry as well as drugs. According to Unicef, nearly 24,000 children are part of the sex trade in the Dominican Republic. People of Caminante know the first hand struggles that these children are faced with each and every day. The goal of the people is to give children not yet affected by the prostitution business and those already involved the opportunity for educational and recreational activities. Little education is brought to these communities, especially in areas such as science. Caminante aims to provide various support to these individuals in order to help them find a more suitable path!

Come journey with Hiram College.....

Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world". Although change takes time, it begins with a single effort. Reaching out to a child in need is a great way to instill change by empowering them to believe that THEY can grow up to be productive and prosperous human beings. Most of us take nature and the physical principles of science for granted. Can you imagine, trying to understand the world as a child without an understanding of why plants are green, how a germ causes an infection, how a soap bubble forms, or how a lever lifts an object? I look forward to seeing the "wow" in the eyes of the Dominican children as they experience the richness of understanding the natural world. Journey with me, Cristina, and the students of Hiram College as we bring science to the beautiful, innocent, and young children of the Dominican Republic.... Jody

students helping students

I clearly remember the day Dr. Modarelli (aka Jody) told me about Caminante and about Sister Denise's request to bring science to the children she served.  The story behind Caminante is one of humbling generosity, love, and compassion.  It makes you want to roll up your sleeves, hop on a plane, and help in any way you can... and that's exactly what Hiram College students are doing.  We are a team of students and faculty that will be spending 2 weeks this summer working along side the dedicated staff at Caminante (in the Dominican Republic) and hoping to help better the lives of the children and families they serve.  Our team is 3-groups-strong, each focusing on a different area of need. Our group has been given the mission to design science lessons for children that rely on Caminante for their education. This blog is meant to chronicle this journey... from brain-storming sessions, to mock lessons at Hiram, and then finally to the teaching rooms at Caminante.  I am incredibly fortunate to be a part of this effort. We have a fantastic group of dedicated science students working on this project and thinking about these children every day.  Please stay tuned... great things are on the horizon.
While we are preparing to help these children learn about science, I have a feeling that they will be teaching us a lot about life.  I can't wait.

"Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world...Indeed, they are the only ones who ever have."  Margaret Mead