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    [post_date] => 2019-11-21 12:05:44
    [post_date_gmt] => 2019-11-21 19:05:44
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Dear Dragons Community,

Is global education a privilege thing? At both Where There Be Dragons and its nonprofit scholarship organization, called the Dragons Fund, we are constantly asking ourselves this question. We work hard to provide students from ALL backgrounds with access to Dragons programs. And we need your help.



Giving Tuesday (12/3/19) is the annual global generosity movement that supports nonprofits.

As you may know, Giving Tuesday (12/3/19) is the annual global generosity movement that supports nonprofits. For 2019, we've set a goal of "Ten in 2020": ten scholarships for students from all backgrounds to participate in a Dragons program next year. We have raised nearly 60% of the funds toward our goal, but still have over four more scholarships that need funding.

These scholarships are only possible if we receive enough donations from the Dragons community. Did you know that you can establish a scholarship in your name, or in the name of a student or loved one? We think this makes for a pretty extraordinary holiday gift.

Did you know that you can establish a scholarship in your name, or in the name of a student or loved one?

Giving Tuesday is in ten days, but you don't have a to wait to visit www.DragonsFund.org and donate. Help us reach our Ten in 2020 goal! We'll be providing more details closer to December 3, including an Instagram takeover (11/25-12/3), a few email reminders, and updates on our progress.



 

The Dragons Fund is proud to offer need-based scholarships so that participants from all backgrounds may experience a transformational global education on a Where There Be Dragons program. None of it would be possible without your support. So, in the spirit of giving, allow us to give thanks to you for making these scholarships possible - and for encouraging global education in an increasingly urgent time.

 

ALL donations directly support scholarships for 2020 students who could not otherwise afford a Dragons program.

ALL donations directly support scholarships for 2020 students who could not otherwise afford a Dragons program. To give you an idea, here's how your Giving Tuesday donation to the Dragons Fund increases access to Dragons programs:

    
 	
  • $25 to $150 provides grassroots support
    • 
 	
  • $150 to $999 provides domestic flights and outdoor gear
    • 
 	
  • $1,000 to $2,000 provides international flights
    • 
 	
  • $6,000 funds a summer program, not including flights or gear
    • 
 	
  • $9,000 funds a summer program, including flights and gear
    • 
 	
  • $16,000 funds an entire semester program, including flights and gear
    • 
 	
  • Learn more about Named Family Scholarships 
    • 


Please reach out to my colleague Briana (by phone at 510-990-0271) or myself (by email at [email protected]) if you have any questions about the Dragons Fund. When donating, visit www.dragonsfund.org/donate. Every dollar brings us closer to a more conscious world.

Many thanks,
Courtney Zenner Campbell & Briana Bellamy



PS. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️

    [post_title] => #GivingTuesday and How You Can Help Make Global Education not "just a privilege thing"
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    [post_date] => 2019-11-18 14:54:37
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We know that Bolivia is on the minds of so many people in our community. We are passing along this article on the current situation in Bolivia written by Jacquelyn Kovarik, one of Dragons current South America semester instructors. The article is titled, Bolivia's Anti-Indigenous Backlash is Growing.


Jacquelyn wrote this article while the group was participating in a rural homestay in Tocaña, an Afro-Bolivian community in the Yungas region north of La Paz. The group has now safety rerouted to Peru.


Jacquelyn, thank you for so skillfully guiding your students through a tumultuous and historic moment in Bolivia's history, all the while crafting a thoughtful journalistic piece and keeping our community informed on this complex situation!

 

PS. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️

    [post_title] => Article on Bolivia by Dragons Instructor, Jacquelyn Kovarik
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    [post_date] => 2019-11-02 06:15:09
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    [post_content] => 




















FIRST PLACE: JULIA HALLIN 




North India, Summer 2019


"Taken in the beginning of a grueling, warm day of trekking. There was nothing but a sheer cliff beyond and an endless flat expanse of desert behind. Glorious."








 



 

























SECOND PLACE: VICTORIA SULLIVAN




China, Summer 2019


"My Bangdong homestay sister who loves ping-pong."










 



























THIRD PLACE: HOPE LANE




Madagascar, Summer 2019


"Looking out over Isalo before sunset."












Congratulations to our winners and thanks to all that submitted and shared such lovely images with us!


 VIEW ALL PHOTOS 

    [post_title] => Announcing Summer 2019 Photo Contest Winners!
    [post_excerpt] => Congratulations to the winners of Dragons Summer 2019 Photo Contest...
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    [post_date] => 2019-10-15 15:34:08
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    [post_content] => The following is an excerpt of a recent letter that Executive Director Reed Harwood sent to Dragons instructors, past and present. It offers some history on the new Bishop Paiute Scholarship, which is the result of a relationship between Dragons staff and the indigenous tribe that lives near the site of Dragons annual staff orientation in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. 



Dear Instructor Community:


“I believe in gatherings” said Paul Chaves, a member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe. “And when you gather good people… that’s powerful. This is powerful.” We shared a canopy of stars, the dusty forest floor, and the piñon breeze.  We gathered in the current and ancestral home of the Paiute: the Payahuunadu, aka the Owens River Valley, aka the annual site of Dragons Staff Orientation in the Eastern Sierra. 


Dragons and the Bishop Paiute forged a connection in June of 2018, when a small group of Dragons instructors visited the Paiute tribe on their land in Bishop. The Dragons delegation had collected seeds from Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, Madagascar, Thailand, India, Laos, and Mexico for the Paiute’s Food Sovereignty Program. Later that week, a small group of Paiute representatives visited Dragons Orientation at the mouth of Rock Creek. We broke bread, they wondered and laughed at our “Talent Show,” and in Paul’s words a “friendship and allyship” was born. This year, we again participated in their Food Sovereignty program. They shared a meal with us at the our orientation campground, performed traditional songs and spoken word poetry at our talent show, and returned the next day to sell artisan goods at our global market.


Paul told me the ancient myths of the condor and the eagle, and the connections between his people and the people where the Andean condor flies. His people have always been global travelers. “The Paiute are a sovereign nation,” he said, “and our voice is needed at the global table. We’re getting there, but our youth need more global perspective and connection.” I felt the call of reciprocity pulse through my body. The ancestral home of the Paiute has held us for decades, and the Dragons community can now support the Paiute in gaining access to global engagement.


This fall, the Dragons Fund created a scholarship: the Bishop Paiute Scholarship. This annually-awarded, full-ride scholarship will support Bishop Paiute youth on Dragons programs.


As a Dragons staff member, you have received inspiration and solace from the Payahuunadu, the land of the Paiute. You believe in the power of global education. You know how vital it is to have indigenous representation at the table, as we navigate the survival of our collective history. 


Over the next four months, Courtney Zenner Campbell* and Briana Bellamy* will guide the Dragons Fund’s “Ten Scholarships in 2020” campaign, which includes our goal to provide one full-ride summer scholarship to a Bishop Paiute student. Their campaign is just beginning, and they will need your help.  If the spirit moves you to support this scholarship, when donating, simply write “Bishop Paiute Scholarship” in the “Add Special Instructions” section. 


You will hear from Briana and Courtney soon about this important initiative. Thank you, in advance, for considering this effort.


Reed

*Former Dragons instructors and administrators, Briana Bellamy and Courtney Zenner Campbell currently manage the Dragons Fund and its fall “Ten in 2020” campaign. Their goal is to raise money for ten full scholarships for students who could not otherwise afford to participate in a Dragons program. 

You can learn more about the Ten in 2020 campaign at www.DragonsFund.org, or by reaching out to Courtney ([email protected]) or Briana ([email protected], 510-990-0271).

Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => Dragons ED, Reed Harwood, on Gatherings & The *New* Bishop Paiute Scholarship
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    [post_date] => 2019-10-01 09:01:47
    [post_date_gmt] => 2019-10-01 15:01:47
    [post_content] => 
It was extremely hard for the committee to choose, but we’ve selected our three top Dragons Visual Story contest winners:



1-minute Visual Story by Tom of Dragons Guatemala, 6-week Summer Program 2019.



 

1-minute visual story video by Isabelle of Dragons Peru Summer Program 2019.



 

1-minute visual story video by Samantha of Dragons China Summer Program 2019.



 

CONGRATULATIONS TOM, SAMANTHA, and ISABELLE!


And thank you to ALL those who put love into their beautiful video contest submissions. They were an honor to watch!


Sincerely,


Dragons HQ

 

Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => ANNOUNCING OUR THREE 1-MINUTE “VISUAL STORY” VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS!
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    [post_content] => Maybe you’ve done a group travel program with Dragons or another organization. Maybe you’re feeling ready for a more independent experience abroad...



But here’s what you’re wondering:




    
 	
  • How can I avoid the backpacker tourist traps?
    • 
 	
  • How do I get an authentic learning service experience that avoids the pitfalls of the “voluntourism” industry? 
    • 
 	
  • How do I build authentic connections with individuals when I don’t know anyone? 
    • 
 	
  • How do I find a homestay family that’s been vetted and recommended? 
    • 
 	
  • How do I avoid feeling like I’ve been “placed” without in-country mentorship and guidance?
    • 
 	
  • Who do I call on for support when I have questions or if something goes wrong? 
    • 


It can be hard to know where to even start. We’ve heard from many past Dragons students that the travels they pursued on their own after a group program left them feeling lost, unsupported, or even conflicted about the ethics and efficacy of their presence and projects. 

So we’ve launched the Dragons Independent Spring Experience (ISE). 

Here’s what our ISE Programs offer:

    
 	
  1. Meaningful cross-cultural engagement outside the structure of a group semester, but still with the support of Dragons local (in-country) resources and mentorship. 
    2. 
 	
  2. A co-created, personalized, and self-directed gap year or study abroad experience.
    3. 
 	
  3. Direct Support from Dragons international network of trained in-country staff and vetted resources. 
    4. 
 	
  4. Access to Dragons Administrative Team & our decades of expertise in managing international risk and emergency response.
    5. 


 

MORE DETAILS: What does an ISE program consist of?

ISE programs are offered in places where Dragons has long-established and active community networks. We are currently offering ISE options in:

    
 	
  • Guatemala
    • 
 	
  • Bolivia
    • 
 	
  • China
    • 
 	
  • Senegal
    • 
 	
  • Nepal
    • 
 	
  • Cambodia
    • 
 	
  • Indonesia
    • 


Each program site is staffed by a Dragons On-Site Coordinator: a veteran Dragons instructor with expertise in the country and extensive experience working with Dragons Gap Year students and to our standards of excellence.

The On-Site Coordinator has weekly face-to-face meetings with each student, conducts a multi-day orientation focused on safety, cultural norms, and strategies for engagement, and acts as a cultural facilitator and mentor throughout. ISE programs have a strong emphasis on cultural and language immersion and in-depth exploration of critical issues. 

Participants are placed with a trusted homestay family for the duration of the program, receive intensive language instruction (as desired), and are paired with local mentors for an Independent Study Project (ISP). In addition, participants have 24/7 access to our in-country and international emergency response resources. 

ISE programs have two start dates (January 15 and February 12) with a 6-week minimum length and the option for weekly extensions (up until May 1st). ISE programs were created specifically for those who have previously completed a group travel program (international or domestic), of one month or longer, with any provider.

Dragons Independent Spring Experience Program




Visit our INDEPENDENT SPRING EXPERIENCES Page for more program details and guidance on how to enroll. 

 

 

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