Study Tour Itinerary

Depending on local support, orphanage location, and interesting connections each year NESES plans a different trip for its student participants. One year, children of Ciudad de los Ninos, outside Santa Ana, met with children from another orphanage, Aldea San Antonio, in San Miguel . On another trip, NESES students went to an elderly home, bridging the generation gap by lively performances and engaging interaction. These are just a few examples of unique experiences that NESES participants have. Our study tour begins in the departmento of La Paz on Saturday. We load the bus with 24 students, 3 caregivers, 2 leaders (Ricardo and Joy Pocasangre), the bus driver and helper and drive to Santa Ana.

Here is a sample itinerary:

Saturday	Departmento La Paz	Arrive to meet up with study tour participants at orphanage
	Arrive at Santa Ana- Cuidad de los Ninos, an orphanage NESES has worked with previously	Meet former NESES study tour participants and tour Ciudad de los Ninos--The group is guided around the grounds by alumni of former NESES study tours visiting the school, computer room, tech shops like the welding, bakery, sewing, electricity and cermanic shops.
	City of Santa Ana	Led by the alumni, the study tour group visits the cathedral, theatre, and town square so the students can see a different city and its highlights. We have lunch in Santa Ana.
	Outside Santa Ana	Exploration of the ancient ruins of Tazumal. The museum and Mayan temple is guided by the alumni. Mayan history and culture is an important aspect of El Salvador and part of the heritage of Salvadoran children.

Sunday	Nahuizalco	Visit to Nahuizalco, an indigenous furniture & craft village. The students learn about the Nahuat culture and the various ways the native people of El Salvador preserve their ancestry.
	Hike at Cerro Verde Volcano and Lake Coatepeque	Learn about natural resources and beauty of El Salvador
	AGAPE Service Community	Tour of AGAPE community. AGAPE offers hotel training, dental & prenatal care, soup kitchen, old age home, vocational skills training

Monday	Port of Acajutla	Major port for El Salvador, learn about shipping, commerce and transportation
	San Salvador	Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), The Romero Museum The study tour participants meet with faculty, and get a guided tour of the campus

Tuesday	San Salvador	MARTE, Museum of Art, View museum, participants create art with artist guide, experiencing hands-on learning
		The Guzman Museum of Archaeology. Through archeology the students learn about geography, geology, natural resources like indigo, industrial productivity, religions of the country, and socio-political history.
	Cuscatlan Park in downtown San Salvador	Wall of Truth and Remembrance
		Evening presentation from former NESES alumni. Like the students in Santa Ana, many alumni have been moved by their experience with NESES and want to give back to the current year's participants by creating a presentation.

Wednesday	San Salvador	ADOC, shoe manufacturing business One of the goals of NESES is to show different industries and occupations so that the students see the choices available to them.
	General Assembly	The young people get to meet their own legislator at the Assembly, learn about the democratic process of voting, how a bill becomes a law, and how important civic duty is to El Salvador
	Puerta del Diablo in Balboa Park	Hike up Puerta del Diablo to view San Salvador and the surrounding area.

Thursday	El Cuco	Learn about fishing industry and the experience of being an independent business proprietor. Lunch and afternoon at El Cuco beach for swimming and fun
		Evening presentation from San Miguel NESES alumni. Like the previous alumni presentations, the current study tour youth get to see more alumni, some of who were with NESES on its first study tour in 1998. Meeting with past participants of NESES creates community, belonging, and the possibilities of making a home in El Salvador.

Friday	Perquin	Museum of the Salvadoran Revolution. NESES visits the museum to show the youth both sides of El Salvador's conflicted recent past.
	Return to La Paz	The students write in their journals and summarize and reflect on what they have learned and experienced in the past week.