GES students preparing for Panama trip in March

As spring break approaches, a handful of Great Expectations School seventh and eighth-grade students are busy preparing for an upcoming trip to Panama.

The international trip is offered through the organization Global Brigades and is a community service & cultural immersion program where students participate in service learning opportunities and cultural activities.

“We’ll be working in small rural communities and helping out on some projects,” Anne Mundell, one of the chaperons on the Panama trip and a teacher at GES, said. In total, 12 students and two adult chaperons are traveling to Panama from March 16 through 23.

For many students, it will be their first time traveling to an international country, their first time on an airplane, and their first time seeing the ocean.

In preparation, the students are learning Spanish and fundraising to cover trip costs.

“The students have been fundraising throughout the year to get money for the trip,” said Dane Kufa, a teacher and Panama chaperon.

Previously, the students hosted a garage sale, and earlier this summer, the students volunteered at the Fisherman’s Picnic bingo tent to raise money for the trip. With the fundraising efforts, Kufa said, “We have gotten to where the students will have to be paying a lot less than what they were initially paying.”

While the students have made significant progress in trimming costs, Kufa said more fundraising efforts are needed. In the past few weeks, the GES chaperons and students launched a $2000 match goal thanks to a donation from a community member. As of Jan. 28, the Panama Match Challenge is $300 away from reaching the $2000 match. The match challenge goes until Friday, Jan. 31.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins stopped by GES to learn more about the upcoming trip and what the students are doing to prepare. Audio from the feature is below.

Kalli Hawkins January 29, 2025