VISIONS Programs built quite a bit in 2011! Below is a partial list.

SUMMER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS 2011

ENGLISH - SPEAKING VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

Alaska

•   Assembled new playground equipment including swings, slide, climbing wall, and jungle gym for Tetlin community
•   At the request of Tetlin elders built a shade pavilion, including roof and decking, by the Tetlin River that run through the village
•   Expanded the outdoor wooden basketball court to a full court: laid, stained, and painted wood; installed a hoop; built two sets of spectator benches
•   Organized and supervised a one-week summer camp for Tetlin children
•   Built a roof over the outdoor porch of the community center in Tanacross Village
•   Milled lumber, used in above projects, under tutelage of long-time community partner and friend, Don Doty

British Virgin Islands, Tortola (July)

• For Michael Leonard (local historian and long-time VISIONS friend), worked on his organic farm, weeding pineapple field and harvesting mangos and coconuts
• At Khoy Smith Collective Farm on east side of the island, learned about the Collective’s agricultural practices, cleaned the chicken processing plant, prepared  soil with pickaxes and hoes for planting, picked okra and peppers, weeded, prepared potting trays for seedlings
• For BVI National Parks Trust, designed and constructed compost structures at the Botanical Gardens (six squares measuring approx. 5 ft. x 5 ft. each)
• For Youth Empowerment Program after-school activities center, built two picnic tables; built one picnic table for an East End community member
• At the Rainbow House for disabled children, scraped and repainted the exterior railing; worked with six-year-old with cerebral palsy and autism, using songs, games, and learning activities
• For the BVI Humane Society, cleaned and painted clinic, cleaned and painted central office, walked the dogs
• For a local inhabitant in Sea Cows Bay, salvaged good wood from a nearby demolition site and reused it to replace the rotted floor of his home
• For a Road Town community member, painted the border boards of his church (Church of the Islands), scraped and cleaned his lobster boat
• For the 1780 Lower Estate Sugar Works Museum in Road Town (18th century sugar), scraped, primed, and painted two 50 ft. x 20 ft. exterior walls

British Virgin Islands, Tortola (August)

• At Khoy Smith Collective Farm on east side of the island, harvested peppers and calabash; planted collard greens and cabbage; painted plant storage house; learned about native agricultural practices
• For BVI National Parks Trust, rebuilt a fence that was destroyed by last year’s hurricane
• At the Rainbow House for disabled children, redesigned the boys’ room, including building: doors, cabinets, two bunk beds, and a bed with railing and sun and moon design for a child with disabilities
• For the BVI Humane Society, cleaned and painted kitchen; built two outdoor dog shelters
• For a Road Town community member, built cement stairs spanning 76’
• Painted bathrooms for another community member’s small church
• For Social Development and the East End Community Center, restored a playground area by clearing brush and weeds and building a surrounding fence

Dominica

• In partnership with the Bataca Development Committee and the Carib Council for the community of Carib Territory constructed three sets of 32-ft. wood bleacher systems for Jolly John Park (the primary cricket field for Carib community); painted the bleachers, cleaned up and landscaped the field; collaborated with a local artist to design, construct, paint and install a sign for the park
• In partnership with the teachers and principal of Sineku Primary School designed and painted two 15 ft. x15 ft. murals (one of the solar system and one of the water cycle) for the outdoor classroom; retrofitted and painted the picnic tables; designed, constructed, painted and installed a sign for the school on the main road; painted the school’s pillars and doors with the six-character traits
• Organized and supervised a week-long summer camp for the youth of Sineku and Mahaut River communities, focused on arts, crafts, sports, and reading; ­an average of 50 local youth attended this camp each day

Ghana

• Painted a World Map (with Ghana at its center) on a 10 ft. by 12 ft. wall that will be a teaching tool at the Missahoe Children’s Home and Montessori School (the World Map project was created by a Peace Corps volunteer nearly two decades ago)
• Began constructing a 3rdand 4thgrade classroom at the Missahoe Children’s Home and Montessori School that will be used at the start of the new school term in September; cleared land with machetes, dug 3 ft.-deep trenches, broke rock with pickaxes, mixed stone, sand, and cement, laid cement for the foundation of the school
• Helped teachers at the Missahoe Montessori School with various lessons for the nursery, kindergarten, 1st, and 2ndgrade classes, including French and English language classes, Math, Science, Geography, games, and songs
• Painted a 10 ft. by 12 ft. wall with the new school logo for the Montessori School
• Helped teach health education classes with the Joy Family Association at an all-girls primary school and all-boys primary school; classes focused on HIV/AIDS education and prevention, safe sex, life skills, and tolerance for all people

Mississippi

• In partnership with North Gulfport Community Land Trust (NGCLT) expanded and constructed a community garden consisting of 14 raised garden beds (4 3x3 ft. and 10 3x6 ft.) filled with native soil; collected compost throughout the month to add nutrients to the soil
• Continued renovation of a house as part of the NGCLT’s affordable housing efforts; removed/scraped off original exterior paint, primed, and painted
• With Mr. Flowers White in North Gulfport’s historic Turkey Creek neighborhood did trail maintenance and removed non-native vegetation along the creek 
• With Pascagoula Audubon Society built a 15 ft. bird tower at Ina Thompson Moss Point Library for the endangered Chimney Swift
• For the Annual Turkey Creek Cane Pole Derby constructed trophies--Longest Fish, Heaviest Fish, Prettiest Fish, Ugliest Fish; volunteered for the Audubon BioQuest research of animal life found within the creek, collected, tallied, measured marine life found and then properly returned it to the creek; participated in fishing competition
• On 4th of July at Biloxi Beach kept watch for the endangered Least Tern bird; guarded a nesting colony of Least Terns by stopping trespassers on the one-mile protected area of the beach shoreline
• For the Dantzler Memorial First United Methodist Church constructed and stained a 4 ft. x 6 ft. picnic table; accomplished a day of landscaping and gardening at the home of an elderly low-income church member

Montana Blackfeet Indian Reservation(July)

• Built a 24’ x 12’ pole barn shade structure for Blackfeet Community College Greenhouse to shade plants and rebuilt two existing sheds, 8’ x 12’ each, primed and painted both
• Began renovations to the five-room, over 3,500 sq.-ft. Heart Butte Community Center by removing trash and debris; filling holes in dry wall and concrete; ripping up carpet; cleaning, priming, painting walls
• With The Nature Conservancy weeded (filling dozens of extra large trash bags) acres of invasive noxious knapweed at Heart Butte High School grounds and a cemetery in East Glacier
• At Flat Iron Ranch (managed by the Native American Community Development Corporation) re-wired barbed wire fence, re-hung railroad ties used to build the ranch’s corral, weeded, removed manure resulting from cattle and horse grazing
• Gathered wood for several sweats with Tom Crawford in Heart Butte; cut and carried full trailer loads of Aspen trees whose wood was chopped for the fires that heat the stones in the sweat lodge--tended the fire that heats the stones
• Gathered 25 large cottonwoods, many trailer loads of brush and willows for the 50-ft. diameter sun dance lodge that participants also helped build; assisted at the cook tent in preparing and distributing food for the many feeds during the ceremony, carried buffalo skulls, and other chores throughout the four-day sun dance

Montana Blackfeet Indian Reservation (August)

• Through the Blackfeet Housing Department and for local elders, built a 20’ long wheelchair ramp and completed most of a second ramp with similar dimensions; mowed lawns at two homes and at one group complex; painted the Heart Butte Community Center
• For Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Department, scraped and painted seven picnic tables at Sleeping Bear campground
• For Blackfeet Land Trust and the Montana Nature Conservancy, removed invasive plant specie, knapweed, at the Flat Iron Ranch and in other community locations. Also at the ranch, rebuilt a 20' x 10' deck.
• Built a picnic table for a local elder
• With Corwin Yellow Kidney, assisted with the construction of a traditional Sun Dance lodge, including site preparation, cutting and gathering wood and brush, erecting double tipi lodge, and building the main lodge

Vietnam

•  In partnership with Thuy An Center for Disabled Children and Volunteers for Peace Vietnam, constructed a 78-meter-long x 2 ½-meter-high brick wall to expand the garden that supports the Center’s self-sufficiency and its growing population
•  Developed activities in and outside the classroom for the Center’s disabled children
•  Renovated the existing playground: rehabed five bench swings, one merry-go-round, three see saws; replaced a damaged walkway approximately four meters long

FRENCH - SPEAKING VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Guadeloupe

• For the office de Tourisme, helped convert an open-air pavilion near the port into a welcome center for tourists- projects entailed building three walls, installing two windows, constructing an information center, installing door and awnings windows, creating display; also for the Office de Tourisme, participants designed, sketched, and painted large-scale murals on a cliff wall that overlooks the port and is one of the first thing seen be visitors to Terre-de-Bas
• Constructed and painted two picnic tables donated to the community
• Organized and supervised a day camp for 10 to 15 children five days a week - activities included arts and crafts, songs and dance, sports and games, teaching English
• For Monsieur Gerard’s community medicinal garden, cleared land to expand the garden and helped to maintain existing garden.  The garden yields bois d’inde used for coughs, colds, headaches; citronella as mosquito repellent, and other herbs for essential oil production - these are given freely to Petite Anse residents and sold on the mainland and to tourists
• For Terre-de-Bas’ Service Technique (island maintenance), cleaned beach areas – clearing debris; raking, loading, and hauling away wheelbarrows of seaweed

SPANISH - SPEAKING VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

Dominican Republic

• In partnership with San Luís Junta de Vecinos, San Luís La Sociedad de Padres y Amigos de la Escuela and the community of San Luís: At the community recreation and cultural center that VISIONS participants have been constructing since 2009, completed construction of all walls on the second floor (for four rooms); built two large rooms and bathrooms using concrete blocks, mortar, and wood; applied stucco; painted walls; built 10 columns to support the roof, laid floor on first level
• Organized and supervised Campamento de Juveniles (a summer day camp) for children ages 4 to 13, including classes in the areas of English, art and crafts, sports and games

Ecuador

• In the community of Sucre installed a roof on the marketplace kiosk VISIONS constructed in 2010; cleared grass and dirt, laid a cement floor, constructed one-quarter of a brick wall; assembled eight frames for the columns of new kiosks, dug eight holes, cemented the column frames into the ground
• Also in Sucre, organized and supervised a day camp for approximately 25 children
• In Casita in Putzucuz elevated the walls of the back part of the casita; installed a new roof that allows for water run-off; built remaining walls to the front rooms, painted exterior, built two small tables for dining area
• At Colegio Benjamin in Patate painted the exterior walls of three classrooms
• On the Galapagos Islands removed invasive plants and cleared land for cultivation on local farm

Nicaragua (July)

• In partnership with AVODEC in the indigenous community of Casique de Sasle, Las Lomas, helped finish building the foundation for Casa Comunal, gathered and laid rocks for the floor, laid brick for walls, bent wire, assembled rebar supports for concrete columns and beams, mixed cement, moved and laid bricks, constructed walls and frame of the house except the roof
• Hauled sand and gravel, gathered rocks for the foundation, mixed cement, laid the foundation, and constructed the first meter (height) of a four-room, 4 x 4 meter pozo office building for the water system for Casique de Sasle community. The office is next to the well/pump that brings in water, treats it, and sends it to the main holding tank on a hilltop
• In Jinotega at Simon Bolivar elementary school, planned and taught English-tutoring lessons to 25 to 60 students three days per week

Nicaragua (August)

• Dug approximately fifty yards of canal for a potable water system that will serve more than fifty families in
  the community of San Antonio de Sisle. Worked side by side with community members, dividing up sections
  of the canal
• Completed approximately 75% of the construction of a small brick and mortar home, about 8 feet by 10 feet, for a family living in the community of Homero

Peru (July)

• In a project delegated by the Urubamba Ministry of Education, began construction of a 5 ft. x 8 ft. pre-school for children ages 2 to 5 in Urquillos community; dug and laid the buildings’ foundations, built the walls, wooden frames for windows and doors, and constructed the roof with bamboo and tiles
• Assisted in construction of an extensive irrigation system in the community Urquiillos in collaboration with local farmers who benefit directly from the canals; renovated a road damaged by this year’s floods; moved large boulders and mixed cement for new canals’ walls and foundations
• In partnership with ProPeru Service Corps, a Sacred Valley-based development program: assembled and installed cocinas mejoradas (smokeless stoves) and water filters in farmers’ homes; educated local families about the health and economical benefits of both projects

Peru (August)

• In a project delegated by the Urubamba Ministry of Education, finished construction of a 5 ft. x 8 ft. preschool for children ages 2 to 5 in Urquillos community; plastered and painted schools' interior and exterior walls, including the design and painting of an indoor mural; laid floor foundation; mixed and laid cement for exterior gates and entrance way
• As an extension of the preschool, constructed two bathrooms from the ground up, digging out soil, laying cement foundation and pipes for plumbing; laying bricks for walls and roof; constructing roof with bamboo and tiles; painting bathrooms' interior and exterior; helping to install a sink
• In collaboration with local farmers in Urquillos, reconstructed approximately 100’ of irrigation canals destroyed by last year's floods; work included transporting rocks, boulders and sand for the canals' walls; mixing and laying cement; digging and clearing trenches in which the canals were built
• In partnership with ProPeru Service Corps, a Sacred Valley-based development program, assembled and installed six cocinas mejoradas (clean-burning stoves) in farmers’ homes; educated families about the health and economical benefits of the project

MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

Island Passage. British Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda

• At Little Rainbow School playground built, installed, and spray-painted monkey bars; built, installed, and painted basketball game (a box of sorts on a pole designed by VISIONS carpenter); repaired the swing set
• At St. Mary's school constructed and painted a shade structure; built and stained three mini picnic tables for preschoolers; stained 150 T111 boards for new roof on school; assisted with St. Mary’s summer camp program for island children
• Designed, built, and painted 2 doghouses for Virgin Gorda Animal Rescue and Control (ARC)
• Taught swim lessons to local kids 2-6 years old
• With Virgin Gorda Department of Agriculture, helped vaccinate goats

Northern Passage, Montana Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

• For Northern Cheyenne Head Start program constructed and stained a 5’x5’ service deck with steps and hand rail off of the back of the ABC building that was our home base; built and stained 8’ picnic table for Head Start playground
• For Cheyenne Children’s Services (CCS) built and stained two 8’ picnic tables for client family gatherings; scraped and painted library building and wheel chair ramp; replaced 100’ of wood skirting board and insulation at base of the main office building; reconfigured an interior office wall (built by past VISIONS participants); built 22’ of storage shelves in CCS garage that will increase storage space for donated clothes, toys, and supplies, and will store VISIONS gear for next season; cleared and cleaned CCS property grounds, hauled debris to the dump
• For Birney Village restored the playground that VISIONS 1992 participants built, included weeding, removal and hauling trash
• At Dull Knife Community College, in partnership with Penn State College and Professor David Riley, constructed a 20’ long 4’ high wood partition wall in the day care center.
• Participated in the “Kids College” at Dull Knife, assisting in games, instruction, and supervision of Cheyenne children in this summer program