L-Way North Spanish students put skills to test
March 21, 2013 11:40AM
Lincoln-Way North High School students in Frankfort are practicing their Spanish skills by exchanging letters with children in Honduras. | Supplied photo
Updated: April 25, 2013 6:03AM
Spanish students at Lincoln-Way North High School are putting their language skills to the test by exchanging letters with children in Honduras.
“Students are much more motivated to write a real letter to a real person,” said Linda Egnatz, a Spanish teacher at the Frankfort Township school.
Egnatz initiated the letter exchange with the help of Sarah Slavick, a 2011 Lincoln-Way North graduate who enjoys traveling to Honduras to work with underprivileged children.
Slavick is on her third trip to Honduras to work with ProNino USA, a program that seeks to rescue boys who live on the streets.
During her trips to Honduras, Sarah volunteers at ProNino’s rehabilitation center, which provides physical, emotional, educational and spiritual services to children who have been left to live on the streets and fend for themselves.
On an October trip to Honduras, Slavick delivered nearly 100 letters to the boys at ProNino from Lincoln-Way North Spanish students.
“Each child got one to two letters,” Egnatz said. “Some of the (Lincoln-Way North) kids included a photo, gum or candy — which was the highlight.”
In addition to writing letters, Lincoln-Way North students donated a collection of school supplies to ProNino.
Slavick brought photographs of the children enjoying their letters and school supplies when she returned to the United States. She also gave a PowerPoint presentation about ProNino and delivered letters that the Honduran children wrote back to their new pen pals at Lincoln-Way North.
“They were so excited to share their letters with their class,” Egnatz said. “Making these broader global community connections is what 21st century learning is all about.”
Staff reports
