3rd Anniversary: Recap!!!

On June 10th, LLI volunteers, students, parents, and friends came out to celebrate LLI's 3rd Anniversary. Three years have gone by so fast-- thank you to those of you who have supported us so generously over the past years. We greatly appreciate your support, it makes all of this possible!

All of our LLI students and their siblings were invited to join us during the activities time. Students enjoyed the ever favorite face painting, musical chairs, hot potato, pin the tail on the donkey, and more! After completing the activities, participants received a Hope Pack (filled with school supplies pictured to the right; special thanks to Elim Christian Services and Faith CRC in Elmhurst, IL for providing the Hope Packs)

Following the activities, our students participated in our annual Vocabulary Bee. Our kids had been studying their English vocab lists for several weeks! Congratulations to our SEVEN winners: Fiorella, Josue, Eduardo, Jefferson, Aracelli, David, and Camila! All Vocab Bee participants received t-shirts (pictured below): I ♥ Luz y Liderazgo (Light and Leadership in Spanish).

Vocabulary Bee winners are receiving their grand prize (a brand new bike!) on Sunday!

Check out the photos below from the day!

Yanela, one of our many 3-year students, shows off her new t-shirt :)

 

Jarumi, so cute.

 One of our many amazing families!!


Nayely--growing up so fast!

 A little Limbo...

 Fiorella with a Hope Pack

Face Paints: Always a Favorite. Thanks Allison and others for lending your talents...!

Zone Z 232 kids showed us what Peruvian dancing is all about...!

 Fiorella: A big winner that day :)

Volunteer Michael DeVries helps out at the Art Expo

 

About half of our volunteer team that day. Thanks to everyone who came out to help!

LLI Runs For Peru!

On Saturday, April 21st, 105 of LLI's best runners and walkers came out in support of education in Peru. Among them were LLI former volunteers, students from James Hart Middle School, and Trinity Christian College students. We've included photos via Flickr, so be sure to check them out here!

Special congrats to Amy Van Hal and Stephen Claud for placing in the race! (Running times are posted at the bottom of this blog)

Be sure to give our generous sponsors your business:

Oak Lawn Toyota

Olive Branch Counseling Associates

Monica Kendall Independent Health Insurance Agent

Trinity Christian College

Clinical Associates in Counseling

James Hart Middle School

Foam Sweet Foam

DaBecca Natural Foods

Hope Christian Reformed Church

Great Lakes Health and Wellness

Hernandez Family proudly showing off their LLI Ribbons!

Runners and Walkers times:

2	0:30:41		Newmann, Ed
3	1:03:28		Newmann, Monica
4	0:56:59		Newmann, Natalie
5	0:32:34		Solle, Karen
8	1:07:44		Klooster, Nina
9	0:34:22		Solle, Rich
10	0:28:23		DeJong, Karen
11	0:21:11		Claud, Stephen
13	0:24:36		Smith, Charlie
14	0:48:53		Bravo, Nicole
15	0:31:53		Anaya, Juan
16	0:40:29		Verdon, Lauren
18	0:27:24		Kennedy, Patti
19	0:48:15		Kazmierski, Laura
20	0:31:47		Ghilardi, Mary
21	0:48:03		Phelps, Elizabeth
22	0:31:59		Rubik, Brian
24	0:26:31		Palecek, David
25	0:40:21		Herring, Dawn
26	0:40:18		Herring, Selena
27	0:26:53		Felten, Becca
28	0:43:27		Huizenga, Terry
29	0:43:08		Adams, Jacob
31	0:39:28		Bastidas, Jessica
32	0:44:45		Rycraft, Renee
33	0:24:38		Boss, Kara
34	0:31:59		McDermott, Megan
35	0:27:07		Pluchar, Marcy
36	0:52:05		Jongetjes, Brian
37	0:52:02		Jongetjes, Nancy
38	0:52:08		Smith, Sue
39	0:24:48		Jongetjes, Daniel
40	0:24:48		Voss, Melissa
41	0:52:34		Findlay, Lynne
42	0:52:34		Findlay, Jack
43	0:26:51		Jacobi, Jessica
44	0:32:29		Moote, Holli
45	0:25:34		DeVries, Jonathan
46	0:23:15		Trotier, Michael
48	0:40:14		Herron, Jaime
50	0:24:05		Wassenaar, Liz
51	0:23:09		McGill, Craig
52	0:29:15		Parise, Jamie
53	0:56:53		Hollender, Lynn
54	0:56:51		Hollender, Russ
55	0:26:16		Hop, Jill
56	1:07:44		Klooster, Dale
57	0:27:11		Carpenter, Jeff
58	0:19:59		Van Hal, Amy
59	0:40:59		Noonan, Ellen
61	0:56:53		Lavery, Barb
63	0:48:47		Davis, Kayla
65	0:56:43		Oatis, Ianna
67	0:56:43		Yolo, Johna
68	0:55:22		Sanders, Katie
69	0:55:22		deWerff, Dani
70	0:55:22		Tatem, Kaitlyn
71	0:32:30		VanderMeiden, Lisa
72	0:31:49		Crotty, Erin
73	0:27:40		Mercer, Tony
74	0:32:26		Branson, Mari
75	0:40:31		Verduzco, Maria
77	0:56:59		Friedman, Helene
79	0:55:10		Hernandez, Paulina
80	1:05:19		Hernandez, Juan
81	1:04:58		Hernandez, Rita
83	1:05:19		Hernandez, Victoria
84	0:44:23		Noonan, Art
85	0:56:26		Bellin, Steve
86	0:56:29		Bellin, Julane
88	0:24:38		DeJong, Joshua
89	0:37:44		Kilimnik, Jessica
90	1:01:49		Cleary, Meg
92	29:32:00		Wishnew, Sarah
95	0:56:53		Magbo, Monica
96	1:01:49		Cooper, Emily
97	0:29:54		Thompson, Natalie
98	0:30:04		Thompson, Michelle
99	0:48:49		Davis, Bernard
100	0:50:51		Bethke, Brian
101	1:01:49		Phelps, Bubba

Thanks again to all who participated and we'll see you again next year!

School Supplies Galore!

Yesterday, 10 well-deserving kids received their awesome prizes for winning LLI's first ever Summer Reading Program contest!

It was a school supply (controlled) frenzy! Every winner received a back pack, two very cool graphic picture notebooks, an eraser, pencils, scissors, glue, pencil case, color pencils, markers, and two folders. And that's not all...

Then kids could choose from an assortment of items, labeled from 1 - 5 points, and were allowed to "spend" up to 10 points. Among these awesome items were packages of paints, gel pens, white out markers, books, t-shirts, stickers, stencils, "fancy" scissors, crayons, and giant erasers.

Check out some of the winners below:

LLI Kids Are Winners!

This week, we're announcing some very special kids winning some very special awards!!

On Saturday, we announced the winners of the Summer Reading Program Contest. TEN winners altogether will receive a shopping spree in "LLI's store" of school supplies, helping them (and their parents) get ready for the new school year beginning in March. Awesome. Stay tuned for photos-- prizes will be awarded on Tuesday.

Additionally on Saturday, we celebrated our Chess Tournament winners (pictured to the right)! We had 15 kids (plus one sub-volunteer, thanks Camille) come from three different zones to participate in the tournament. Congrats to our winners and we hope you're enjoying your well deserved prizes :)

And the winners are...

Summer Reading Program:
(10-13 years)
1st Place: Gabriela (Zone D)
2nd Place: Alessa (Zone D)
3rd Place: Rebecca (Zone D)

(6-9 years)
1st Place: Alexandra (Zone D)
2nd Place: Betsabe (Zone D)
3rd Place: Josue and Maycol (tie, Zone D)

(Raffle winners, those who earned at least 10 points)
Fiorella (Zone D)
Adrian (Zone D)
Eduardo (Zone Z, 232)

Chess Tournament:

1st Place: Jefferson (Zone Z, Los Alamos; pictured to the right with his "PC Trainer" - top prize)
2nd Place: Deysi (Zone D), Gabriel (Zone S), and Franki (Zone S)

Congrats to all the kids! We are so proud!

Stay tuned for prize photos for the Summer Reading Program! We'll be giving out School Supplies to the winners on Tuesday!


Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of Light and Leadership. Special thanks to volunteer Hanna-Leena for managing the summer reading program and to Mariel Feigen for being an amazing chess instructor (and house manager) :)

Who Doesn't Love a Good Compost???

This past Tuesday, Light and Leadership, with the invaluable help of Lic. Gina Marita Tito Tolentino, Professor of Environmental Enginnering at la Universidad Peruana Union, led a composting workshop for our women's group in Zone Z. We learned patience isn't only something to be used with kids...also apparently for composting, as it takes 3-6 months to get good composting going! Despite the wait, our women's group was delightfully enthused. Taking notes, asking questions... it was great to see!

Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of Light and Leadership. Special thanks to Professor Gina and Chelsea Mahan for all their work and coordination. Gracias!

Red Suckers Go Well With Books...

We were treated to yummy, bright red suckers last week after our summer reading program session. So, like responsible adults, we encouraged the kids to stick their tongues out. Made for a great photo :) Happy February!


Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of the Light and Leadership Initiative. Special thanks to Louella DeVries for the yummy, bright red suckers.

LLI's Wish List!

Since LLI's Summer reading program has been SUCH a success, we've decided to extend the program into the school year of March - December! In addition, we'll expand to another area in Huaycan.

This means we'll need new Spanish books ALL year round. Thanks to generous donations, we're good with English books, but will gladly accept with need the following books in Spanish (or other titles!):

Harry Potter Books 3, 4, 5 (in Spanish)

Hunger Games (in Spanish)

Chronicles of Narnia (all but the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in Spanish)

Diario de Greg #1, #4 and #5 by Jeff Kinney (we have #2 and #3 books and it's been very popular!)

Un Principe en la Nevera

Any Dr. Suess Books, Spanish Edition (Except for Hop on Pop)

Curious George Series, Spanish Version (Except for Curious George Plants a Seed, Spanish Version)

Crumbs on the Stairs/Migas en las escaleras

And anymore titles*!! We are in particular need for Spanish books for 6-10 year old reading levels (specifically that would interest boys) and easy chapter books with interesting topics for young readers.

*Thanks to generous donations, we have copies of popular books in Spanish like "Goodnight Moon," "The Giving Tree," "The Hungry Caterpillar," and "Charlotte's Web."

Ready to Order? Ship them to our US address. Email Lara@lightandleadership.org for the address!

About the program: LLI opens up its "biblioteca" or library 4 times a week in Zone D. Kids from all over Huaycan having been coming to read books for a few hours a day. An average of 25-30 children come every session.

Yes, We Work Weekends

One of the biggest changes LLI volunteers have to get used to is working the weekends... Saturday and Sundays are no longer days to relax, but instead are jam packed with LLI's program activities! Between Saturdays and Sundays, LLI offers the following classes:

7 English classes
4 French classes
Physical Education
Chess (2 sections)
Art (3 sections)
Math
Summer Reading/Library
Computer Skills (2 sections)
Woodburning Class

It's busy, but a good busy!

Art Class with 6-9 year olds

Collage Day!

Kids sprawl out anywhere to read a book :)

Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of the Light and Leadership Initiative. Special thanks to Clare Donovan for the photos and to our dedicated LLI Volunteers who work the "weekends."

Looking for an Internship?

Light and Leadership offers several long term internships within our organization... check out which one is right for you and apply now!

Community and Program Development Coordinator

House Manager

English Education

Thanks and we'll see you in Huaycan :)

Reading Success!!!

We're celebrating our first week of our Summer Reading Program at LLI's main classroom in Zone D, Huaycan. We've received an ASTOUNDING number of kids in the program, which offers library hours four times a week. Kids anxiously wait outside of the classroom waiting for the program to open up.

It's been SO good, we've had to cap the number of kids that can enter during the scheduled hours. Reading time is given as an hour and a half, with an additional time to write up book summaries or listen to stories read aloud in English and Spanish.

Thank you to ALL of those who generously gave books. You've made this possible!!!

Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of Light and Leadership. Special thanks to Hanna-Leena for all the hard work in coordinating the program, and the additional LLI volunteers for pitching in. :)

Be Part of the Family. Volunteer!

Make your New Year's Resolution NOW to volunteer in Peru with Light and Leadership in 2012.

Who do we need?

• English and art teachers for March, April, and May
• French teacher for March
• Chess, phys. ed, and math teachers are always welcome :)

Check out more information NOW on www.lightandleadership.org and fill out an application!

Christmas in Huaycan = Success!!

Way to Go LLI Volunteers and Supporters!!

Together, they have well surpassed their goal of $1,000 for the Christmas in Huaycan fund. In November, LLI volunteers got together and decided to take their own initiative: they wanted to give a Christmas to remember to the kids and families of LLI. The result was an out pour of support from their family and friends, donating a few bucks to several hundred dollars to support this cause.

After a chocolatada (Peruvian Christmas party for kids... paneton and hot chocolate is served!), all of LLI's students received a gift, with most getting new shoes, t-shirts, chess boards, musical instruments and MORE. Families received gift baskets filled with nutritious goodies for holiday meals. On behalf of LLI's kids and families, thank you LLI volunteers and supporters! Please enjoy the photos!






Thanks again to LLI's August - December Volunteer team. To all who have participated, whether it be for a few weeks to several months, your work and dedication is appreciated and has made an impact in Huaycan. THANK YOU.

Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of Light and Leadership. So who was this LLI team who raised this money??? Vinnette Harrington, Whitney Reynolds, Meghan Resler, Heidi Valimaki, Valentin Salgado, Jake Holder, and Mariel Feigen. Once again, way to go :)

...And We're Off! LLI's Auction Begins!

Light and Leadership's Annual Auction has begun! This year, we're featuring both Art and Services. We know you'll find something in there for you, and maybe bid on a gift or two. With items with starting bids from $10.00 and up, there's something for everyone to bid on!!

Join the fun and start bidding! The auction ends December 3rd at 7:30 PM (central time), so hop to it!

Creative Kids.

Light and Leadership hosted an art exposition and contest this past Saturday, featuring 44 pieces of art from our talented students ages 6-13. Students were invited, along with their families, to come out and vote for their favorite pieces. We welcomed some parents, friends of our participants (who are eager to sign up next year) and several of our art students. Snacks and refreshments were served... this was the real deal.

Congrats to our winners:

6-9 years old
1st Place: Enzo
2nd Place: Nahomi
3rd Place: Alvaro

10-13 years old
1st Place: Alessa
2nd Place: Yajaira
3rd Place: Sofia


Special thanks to Meghan Resler, resident art teacher at LLI for putting this Expo together! Thanks as well to all the LLI volunteers for coming out to help and vote. Awesome.

LLI's Auction Featuring Charcoal Drawing Classes!

Starting November 23, LLI will begin its annual auction and this year we are featuring artwork AND services, like a Charcoal Drawing Class for Four!!

See the details below:

Up to 4 individuals, casual attire...

January 7th from 1-3pm

33 Contemporary Gallery

Zhou B. Art Center
1029 W. 35th St., 1st Floor
Chicago, IL

About the workshop facilitator:

Sergio Gomez attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Governors State University and received a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Northern Illinois University. The art of Sergio Gomez has been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions in venues in the US and abroad. Sergio Gomez is owner and director of 33 Contemporary Gallery and director of VisualArtToday.com; a curated online exhibition space for international contemporary art. In addition, Sergio is an accomplished graphic designer, art & design professor at South Suburban College, and independent curator at the Zhou B. Art Center in Chicago.


Get ready to bid! More details will be posted on how to bid in the next few weeks. Be sure to pass this blog onto friends who would be interested!!

Questions? Contact Lara DeVries at Lara@lightandleadership.org

Puppet Crazy!!! (Part II)

Late last month, English students in Zone Z, with the help of their ever-creative volunteer teachers, put together a puppet show and performed for other LLI students and families! Featuring a pirate theme, students used their puppets (created in a previous LLI art workshop) to tell a story using Spanish and English.

As a treat, these same students will be going on a field trip this Saturday to check out a puppet show in Lima. Awesome!


Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of Light and Leadership. Special thanks to Whitney Reynolds, Meghan Resler and Vinnette Harrington for the hard work on the puppet show :). Thanks to Valentin Salgado for the photos.

What Do Incan Ruins and Chess Have in Common?

...LLI kids from Zone Z and Zone S, of course :)

Yesterday, certain Light and Leadership kids enjoyed an action packed day: a guided tour of the Huaycan Ruins in the morning and then a chess tournament in the afternoon (with Zone D kids!). Now that sounds like a pretty sweet Saturday...

We saw 18 kids compete in our chess tournament and play 5 rounds of chess against their competitors. In the end, FOUR kids tied for first place. Way to go Alessa, Aracelly, Jefferson, and Julio David (representing three zones where LLI works)! Certificates of Participation were awarded to all students and top first place winners were awarded special prizes.

Check out photos below of the field trip and the chess tournament!

Fourteen kids joined LLI's volunteers for a guided tour of the ruins.

Kids listen as the guide explains...

Valery from Zone Z, Los Alamos.

Melanie (with her little brother Brayan looking on) takes on her opponent.

Alessa, one of the first place winners, is very focused!

Published by Lara DeVries on behalf of Light and Leadership. Special thanks to LLI volunteers Valentin Salgado, Meghan Resler, Mariel Feigen and Charlie Maguire for being super helpful volunteers during the field trip and tournament. Thanks for taking the photos too, Valentin!