Community Service-Learning

Hi....and welcome to the Pulsera Project, a non-profit organization that supports young artists of the Los Quinchos Orphanage in Nicaragua through sales of their handmade bracelets, or "pulseras", in Spanish. Through pulsera sales, we engage American students in grassroots international service, giving them an outlet ...for supporting youth and adults of another culture and a means to effect positive change in the world. Since its impromptu creation in January 2009 during an adventure to Nicaragua by a group of 13 gringos, the Pulsera Project, with help from many activist students, has raised over $10,000 for the children of Los Quinchos. In addition to providing financial help to Los Quinchos, The Pulsera Project has supported local economies of towns close to Los Quinchos, has influenced the way young Americans see the world, and has shown the precious children of Nicaragua that we care. With the money raised we have purchased pillow cases, mattresses, shirts, shoes, toiletries, food, tools, livestock, tents, school uniforms, soccer balls, baseball equipment, cameras, and lumber to turn an abandoned farm building into a library. During the last trip our gringo crew built tables, benches, and bookshelves that will be used for soon to be purchased books. Elementary, middle and high school sales have taken place throughout the Chester County, PA region in addition to Temple University, West Chester University, American University in Wasington D.C. and the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Upcomin sales are planned at Syracuse University and Ithaca College. If you or someone you know is interested in supporting the kids of Los Quinchos (usually by selling pulseras on campus), let us know and we'll set you up with everything you need!!...including displays with huge pics of the kids making pulseras at their farm. This is an ideal opportunity for any student who would like to lead their own, locally based, international community service project. The Pulsera Project has shown that there can be many winners in community service. A three day lunchroom sale at West Chester Rustin High School promoted autism awareness by running the sale through the autism support class, whose students were also front-and-center in the school lobby selling every last bracelet in just a few days. Autism Support students became community leaders and thousands of miles away the lives of Nicaraguan children were soon to be enriched with the generosity of so many young Americans. Although the Pulsera Project has been operating for less than a year, it continues to grow in interesting and unexpected ways. A new group of Americans will return to Nicaragua in December, 2009 to continue work on the library project and to begin filming a documentary about Los Quinchos and The Pulsera Project that will show the amazing juxtaposition of poverty and happiness in this forgotten land. Thanks for taking time to read about the Pulsera Project. Below, in the discussion board, you can read the full story of our experience--it will take you to another world, down rutted backwoods roads in Nicaragua, on an amazing adventure of discovery into the lives of the kids of Los Quinchos. Also, make sure to check out the many pictures - and two pretty cool videos of the kids - at the bottom of the page!....and....www.pulseraproject.org