Tappmeyer hopes the two-week English/leadership workshop for eight motivated youth from the high schools in Villa Sandino will allow the students to step outside of their environment and gain perspective and confidence. It is also her intention for the students to return home with a new skill set, motivation to create change and to become role-models for their peers. One of the most important parts about the program, are the ways that those few selected students will be able to affect their own culture and community when they return, she said. "This experience would be a much-needed recognition and reward for these few students that are truly outstanding and motivated," Tappmeyer said. "The school systems here are lacking support, resources and trained teachers; therefore there is little in terms of positive reinforcement and development for the students. "On average, the students are encouraged to be no more than mediocre and to fulfill the minimal requirements to move on to the next grade. This is why it is evident that the students that put forth extra effort and strive to be at the top of their class are truly self-motivated, exceptional individuals with a ton of potential if given the right resources and encouragement." On a daily basis, students ask Tappmeyer about the American culture. They are very curious, she said. Because she said she feels very lucky to have been raised in such a great community and then to be sent to a similar community, she would love to see an exchange happen between these two "amazing towns."
Peace Corps Volunteer Andrea Tappmeyer is hoping to inspire her Nicaraguan students to achieve their dreams by completing a fundraising effort to have eight students travel to Maryville in 2010
Working for an international visit
By Megan Crawford
Maryville Daily Forum
Fri Jul 03, 2009, 08:34 AM CDT
Caption: Students at a high school in Villa Sandino, Nicaragua participate in their daily studies. Maryville native Andrea Tappmeyer, who is currently serving there for the U.S. Peace Corps, is raising funds to host an international visit next year.
Maryville, Mo. - A former Maryville resident is hoping to inspire her Nicaraguan students to achieve their dreams by completing a fundraising effort to have eight students travel to Maryville in 2010.
It's an effort that will give Maryville community members the opportunity to learn more about the foreign culture, and it's also a way for these students to take something back to their own country that will hopefully be passed on to many others, Andrea Tappmeyer said.
Tappmeyer is a Maryville graduate, currently living in Nicaragua as part of a two-year service with the United States Peace Corps. After spending time with these students, Tappmeyer thought up a project, now being called the Villa 2 'Ville Initiative. This project, which can only happen if enough people in the Maryville community help out and provide support, will allow eight high-school aged students from a small school in Villa Sandino, Nicaragua to visit Maryville and stay with a host family for two weeks.
The only catch is, Tappmeyer, with the help of her hometown community, will have to try and raise thousands of dollars to support the funding for the 2010 project.
During her time there, Tappmeyer has seen the differences students in underdeveloped countries have compared to those in the United States.
"This is truly a once in a lifetime experience for these students. They will most likely never have the chance to come to America again in their lifetime," Tappmeyer said. "They are so interested in the American culture, this would be a dream come true for them."
Tappmeyer hopes the two-week English/leadership workshop for eight motivated youth from the high schools in Villa Sandino will allow the students to step outside of their environment and gain perspective and confidence. It is also her intention for the students to return home with a new skill set, motivation to create change and to become role-models for their peers.
One of the most important parts about the program, are the ways that those few selected students will be able to affect their own culture and community when they return, she said.
"This experience would be a much-needed recognition and reward for these few students that are truly outstanding and motivated," Tappmeyer said. "The school systems here are lacking support, resources and trained teachers; therefore there is little in terms of positive reinforcement and development for the students.
"On average, the students are encouraged to be no more than mediocre and to fulfill the minimal requirements to move on to the next grade. This is why it is evident that the students that put forth extra effort and strive to be at the top of their class are truly self-motivated, exceptional individuals with a ton of potential if given the right resources and encouragement."
On a daily basis, students ask Tappmeyer about the American culture. They are very curious, she said. Because she said she feels very lucky to have been raised in such a great community and then to be sent to a similar community, she would love to see an exchange happen between these two "amazing towns."
"I also think it would be a great experience for the high school students from Maryville to meet these Nicaraguan students and have a chance to see how their peers live in different parts of the world, the similarities and differences, and to create friendships outside of the U.S.," she said. "I think it will spark their interest in other cultures and will be fun for them to share their ideas and experiences with each other."
Villa Sandino is in a very poor area of Nicaragua. Tappmeyer said they only receive water every seven to 10 days, and during their wait they have to fill up buckets of water to store for future use. They use buckets of water to wash clothes on rock surfaces, to bathe, wash dishes and clean their houses. And most of the students have latrines - which are holes in their backyard with a small seat built on top and a shack built around it that serves as their toilet - Tappmeyer said.
"I know the Maryville community will enjoy meeting these students and learning about Nicaragua, and who knows, hopefully it will inspire some community members to come down to Nicaragua and visit their new friends - be welcomed into the Villa Sandino community, and experience Nicaragua for themselves," she said.
"Being so far away, with limited communication and Internet access, it is hard to keep momentum. But a few outstanding individuals have stepped forward and have been helping me work out the details from Maryville. Without people like these, and hopefully more as the planning process progresses, it would be almost impossible for me to pull all the strings together. I am so thankful for these individuals and know that this is a sign of how great of a community Maryville is - so I am very confident that together we can make this happen."
If individuals or organizations are interested in making a donation to help raise funds for this project they can contact Andrea's parents, Steve or Lynette Tappmeyer at (816) 294-2859. Or donations can be made to NWMSU/Villa to 'Ville, through Dr. Max Ruhl's office in the Administration Building at Northwest Missouri State University - AD 264, 800 University Drive, Maryville, MO 64468. Andrea can be contacted at atapsy@gmail.com.
