24 Horas en un Paraíso Escondido

Posted by Trent on Apr 25, 2012 in Gigante Blog, Slider | 0 comments As a college friend of Project WOO’s co-founder, Nick Mucha and Program Director, Bo Fox, I have been an avid follower of WOO through Social Media since it was founded in 2005.  Now I was about to see in person the awesome Gigante that I had been reading about and to see Project WOO in action! Making our way down a long, winding dirt road and navigating HUGE puddles in our rental car, we found...
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Beyond the Bus: Selecting the next Project!

Posted by Bo on Dec 19, 2011 in Gigante Blog, Slider | 1 comment Most people who talk with me about Project WOO automatically jump to the WOO Bus in conversation. It seems like the visibility of this successful program has overshadowed all of our other good work. So to set the record straight I want to focus your attention to our ‘under the radar’ work we have been carrying out for the past 3 months. Stemming from our 2011 community wide census report the...
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It’s All In My Head – Gavin Comstock: WOO field based intern

Posted by Trent on Nov 24, 2011 in Gigante Blog, Slider | 1 comment Gavin Comstock is a field based Intern for Project Wave of Optimism. He arrived in Playa Gigante, Nicaragua on August 15th to fulfill a commitment of 6 months of work with the goal of helping develop the Voluntourism programs. It’s All In my Head I can be selfish.  I do not mind this.  It is not the way I go through my life all the time, but I have to admit that I have my moments.  Today, I...
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The Process Outweighs The Product

Posted by Bo on Nov 15, 2011 in Gigante Blog, Slider | 3 comments If you’ve read earlier blogs or spent some time on the WOO website you may have heard this before. But what does it mean? Community development is a process, and a long one at that. So where are we/WOO in that process? Take a moment to skim over WOO’s key findings from our most recent community census completed in July. CLICK HERE A census allows WOO the opportunity to go door to door, gather...
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Volunteer Post: New Arrivals to Gigante: Beth, Fletcher… and 3,000 little Toms.

Posted by Trent on Sep 2, 2011 in Gigante Blog, Slider | 1 comment “It will be really challenging but very rewarding.” Bo had often repeated this phrase to my wife, Beth, and I in our conversations leading up to our arrival in Gigante and while I think for the most part it had been a warning (with emphasis on the challenges), within an hour of arriving it was running through my mind as a mantric means of reassurance of the rewards to come. After all,...
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Volunteer Post & Video: Robbie Jackson

Posted by Trent on Aug 30, 2011 in Gigante Blog | 1 comment Many thanks to Robbie Jackson, superhero volunteer extraordinaire, for all of his hard work, thoughts, support, continued involvement, and his words and video below… “I just finished up a 2 month volunteer trip with Project WOO. The project manager, Bo Fox, has been my childhood friend and I was thrilled to work along side him. He and other volunteers are inspiring the people of...
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Thoughts on Community Development

Posted by Bo on Aug 23, 2011 in Gigante Blog | 0 comments Community-driven development work is like learning to surf. There is no one handbook to study, or one perfect instructor to instruct you. As any experienced surfer knows, each next wave is unique and requires a distinctive approach. Both actions demand much patience and persistence, and in the end, there is no peak to summit or check to cash. As a surfer I have dedicated 20 years to the art of...
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Guest Post: “Rapid-Fire Reflections” – Jack Neudorf

Posted by Trent on Jul 6, 2011 in Gigante Blog | 3 comments It’s hard to believe it’s been a week since arriving in Gigante, Nicaragua.  After looking forward to the trip for weeks, navigating several international airport terminals, catching a taxi from Managua to Gigante in the pouring rain, I feel like I’ve blinked and seven days have gone by.  I’ve known several of the WOO team members since our college days at UC...
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Volunteers in Action!

Posted by Bo on Jun 13, 2011 in Gigante Blog | 1 comment         WOO is proud to introduce its very first volunteer/super ripper: Anna Kramer! Anna hails from New York City and has grown up picking apart hurricane swells along the coast of New Jersey. About 2 weeks deep into her homestay and volunteer project, Anna is a solid WOO addition. Anna’s primary project is teaching English to the elementary students. By visiting the...
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First Gigante Community Census Meeting

Posted by Bo on Jun 7, 2011 in Gigante Blog, Slider | 1 comment I arrive early even though I anticipate the majority of the community will be arriving late.  I’m prepared, equipped with note cards full of icebreakers and homemade, super cheesy jokes. Behind me, the visuals stand pre-planned and placed in order of appearance. My dark slacks and dress shirt help to hide my nerves. The meeting agenda is simple, but captivating the audience and calculating the...
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