IBHS students inform visitors at a recent Nicaragua festival of their humanitarian mission to help 1,350 children later this year.

Inspired by last year’s Thailand Global Leadership Project, students in the College of Business Administration are now planning and fundraising for the NICA Global Leadership Project, slated for two locations in Nicaragua from December 26, 2005 through early January, 2006. Grupo TACA already has signed on as a major sponsor of the project.

The group’s goal is to have twelve students each in Granada and Managua, where they will work with children, teaching English. One site is a school and three are orphanages. Participants plan to give the children shoes, toys, school supplies, and ideally, scholarships, depending on the success of their fundraising efforts.

Two veterans of the Thailand Global Leadership Project, Christian Jarquin and Norman Uriarte, are serving as site leaders.

“When we returned from our March trip to Thailand, we wanted to continue to do global projects to help others,” said Jarquin. “Someone suggested we go to Nicaragua, and we began to make plans.”

“The students have benefited from lessons learned from the experience in Thailand,” said Malcolm Vivian, graduate assistant/civic engagement coordinator, who went on the spring 2005 Thailand Global Leadership Project and plans to go on the Nicaragua trip. “In addition, the proximity of Nicaragua and the fact that many of the students speak Spanish will make this project easier in some ways.”

“We hope the event will become an annual one,” said Jarquin. “We have set up a Yahoo group where people interested in the project can find out more information.”

Anyone who would like to get involved, make a donation, or obtain the link to the Yahoo group should contact Jarquin at christianjarquin@yahoo.com.

Robert Hogner (known as “Dr. Bob”), associate professor of management and international business and coordinator of the College’s Civic Engagement Initiative, will accompany the students on the trip