Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas, Inc.



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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
 
Karla&Cristhian
Special thanks from Cristhian and Karla to all the supporters of Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas.  They were our youth representatives who traveled from Nicaragua to Wisconsin in August as part of the 2009 Youth projects. Watch for new Global Giving Youth Project updates, and opportunities for you to host the W/NP Photo Exhibit in your community (seen behind Cristhian and Karla in the above photo).



George&Joanie
As we re-group after the loss of Sherin, two of our stellar volunteers, Joanie & George Hanson, have stepped in to help us rearrange our Wisconsin office area.  We now have a volunteers room that will provide;
* Unique Nicaraguan items for purchase such as coffee, doll dresses, pottery, pine needle baskets and more.
* Space and a computer for volunteers to come in and help us work on various projects.
* An area to enjoy Authentic Nicaraguan coffee while brainstorming on W/NP projects.  
* Easy access to W/NP brochures, videos, travel information, language learning tools, and other educational resources we have available.                  

September Quarterly Meeting:
The September Quarterly Meeting will be held Saturday, September 19. Please continue to check here for information about time and location.

Bike/Hike 2009
Plans for Bike/Hike 2009 are already in the works. October will be here sooner than we think!  For information, click here. Congratulations to Kylie Lackore (Appleton, Wisconsin) and Mayra Mendoza (Estel, Nicaragua), winners of the 2008 Bike/Hike Grand Prizes! To see the winners and learn about the results of the 2008 Bike/Hike event, click here.

Wisconsin Swings for Nicaragua Golf Outing golf clip art
Wisconsin Swings for Nicaragua was an even greater success this year than last! Thank you to all those who participated in making this year's event a hole in one. Wisconsin Swings for Nicaragua is an annual event that takes place at Winagamie Golf Course, southwest of Appleton, on the last Wednesday of every July.  Next year's event is scheduled for July 28, 2010. For information, contact Judy Miller at jmi54911@aol.com.





MapRegionalMeetingChicagoJune09
Getting to know you is a lyrical description of the premier event that took place in Chicago in June.  Partners of the Americas (POA), one of the largest volunteer organizations in the Western Hemisphere, hosted the first Midwest Regional Conference on volunteerism that featured the power of citizen diplomacy, the primary force in bringing together the two great continents of the Americas and Central America... Click here to read more.
MidwestRegMeetingGroupPhotoAttendees
Participants from the 1st Midwest Regional Meeting,  June 27, 2009

DiscussionRegionalMeetingJune09
Great discussion occurred with our Youth Ambassadors who traveled from Nicaragua to represent W/NP Youth Initiatives at the 1st Midwest Regional Partners of the Americas event in Chicago, IL June 25-27. Clockwise from left: Steve Vetter, CEO, Partners of the Americas; Matt Clausen, Vice President of Partnership Development, Partners of the Americas; Sonia Barre, Program Officer, American Fellows Program; Grace Hernandez, 2009 W/NP Youth Ambassador; Alvaro Davila, 2009 W/NP Youth Ambassador.


Global Giving Logo
VERY SPECIAL THANKS to all who helped support & spread the word about W/NP's entry into the American Open Challenge   W/NP has completed the competition and has secured a permanent spot on the Global Giving website by receiving $4,534 from 115 donors in 3 weeks for the youth initiative....   First Steps to Cultural Understanding for US Teens  09YA's teaching Evansville
Photo:
Evansville, Wisconsin.  Visiting teens from Nicaragua helping to increase passion and capacity among US teens at the Evansville High School!  Here they are sharing information about their home country and responsibilities as global youth citizens and social entrepreneurs.

W/NP Sports Action Update:
Click here for a great example of teaming up!


Remember to use GoodSearch:
W/NP earns approximately 1 cent each time you search the Internet using GoodSearch. So far we have earned $266!

The 2009 Nicaraguan Youth Ambassadors:                 
What a wonderful success this program was this year!  Eight youth (and two mentor-chaperones) visited Wisconsin April 22 - May 2. They had a very full itinerary with visits to Wisconsin businesses and schools, meetings with state and local officials, a tour of the state capitol building, and an afternoon on the National Guard Ropes Course at Volk Field. The Youth Ambassadors each take home a Keepsake Book full of photos and information about their experience in Wisconsin. It serves as a wonderful memento as well as an excellent reference as they share about W/NP with their communities back in Nicaragua. If you would like an overview of the Youth Ambassador program click here.  For a look at some of the activities in which the 2008 Youth Ambassadors participated, click on Photo Slideshow.  More information about this project is available on the Youth Ambassadors Project page or by going through the Cultural Diversity page under Programs.
2009 YA arrive DC

Sherin Bowen:
As we work to carry out the mission of W/NP we will continue to cherish the memory and vision of  Sherin Bowen who passed away on March 20. Thank you to all of you who have sent thoughts and words of comfort. Please visit www.sherinbowen.com. if you would like to learn more about Sherin's life and vision. Please also take a moment to read this letter from our Program Director and the poem that follows it.

W/NP in the News!
For a look at recent articles highlighting W/NP activities, click on the following headlines:

What is a Sacuanjoche?
To find out read our March 9 E-Newsletter. You can also click here to read our past E-Newsletters.

movie ticket & popcornMovie Night in Milwaukee:
This ongoing monthly fundraising event takes place at various establishments throughout Milwaukee.  Admission is free. For information about what's showing, location and to reserve your seat, contact Omar Barberena at profesor00@yahoo.com.

Fall 2009 Newsletter:
It's in the works. In the meantime, if you haven't seen the Winter 2008 Newsletter,  click here to check it out.

Library Project Overview:
For a brief overview, click here.  We have plans and requests for several new libraries this year and for help to support those already started.  We welcome and need your support to continue this project that promotes reading and literacy development. 

2008 Retrospective:
2008 was a year full of activity for W/NP. Click on the link below for a quick snapshot of the year. A glance at the faces and you will see why we do what we do, day in and day out.
http://www.uwsp.edu/special/wi_nicpartners/Streams/2008review.aspx


It's a new year! Now is the time to renew your membership!
We reached our goal last year of increasing memberships by 50%. We're looking forward to increasing our membership again this year. To renew your membership registration, click on this link.  http://wnp.uwsp.edu/involve/member/member.htm

Student $10   Individual $25   Family  $30   Group $100  

 Life Member  $500

 Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas
      Nelson Hall, Room 129
      1209 Fremont Street

      Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481

      715-346-4702 


Current Annual Report:
2007 was a busy year for W/NP, please take a moment to look over our 2007 Annual Report. Click here to view the report.

Youth Sports Management Exchange Program:
Nicaraguans love baseball! This exciting program is helping to improve sports opportunities for youth in Nicaragua. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and managed by Partners of the Americas. Amy Wiza, Program Director for Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners, coordinates activities for the program. We have just completed Phase III of the "Sports Project". Click here for updates of Phase I and Phase II. An update of Phase III will be available soon, so keep checking this page!

Pete teaching how to bat

VOICE Project:
The goal of the VOICE Project
(Validating Our Initiative and Creating Equality) is to develop a sustainable learning program for upcoming leaders in Nicaragua. A better future for all involved using proven empowerment tools, mentors, and networks will be explored for building team skills, overcoming barriers, and making lasting contributions to their communities. For information on the VOICE project click here.

Travel Opportunities:
Interested in traveling? Visit our Travel Opportunity page to find out more, or go directly to the page by clicking here.

Volunteer:
Interested in volunteering? The volunteer page is now available. For current volunteers, a form to log your time and expenses is available for download at the mentioned page. The page is also accessible from the Involvement menu as well.

Scholarships:
To learn about W/NP's Scholarship program,  click here.

Map updates:
Map of Nicaragua and links to current projects. Click here or go to Site Map.

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