Hello and welcome to my research blog! My name is Rachel Cheche and I am currently a Junior Psychology major and Marketing minor here at William and Mary. Outside of classes, I am a member of the healthy relationships/sexual aggression prevention branch of HOPE, a leader for Outreach360′s annual service trip, and I’m lucky enough to work in a candy shop. My involvement in Outreach360 is actually the inspiration for my research: the Positive Effects of Education in Developing Communities. I’ve gone to Jinotega, Nicaragua for a week-long service trip the past two Winter breaks, and it hit me during my last trip that I would love to learn more about the community.
During the course of my project, I am going to research how and why education is beneficial in developing communities. Specifically, I will be focusing on English and Spanish literacy education as well as public health education for primary school-aged children in the city of Jinotega, Nicaragua. I am curious about how the community has changed since the establishment of Outreach360’s neighborhood learning center in 2010. The learning center provides free classes for neighborhood children whose parents sign them up to go on a regular basis, as well as occasional open “day camps” when they have enough volunteers. They hope that the children take their newly acquired knowledge home to share with family members and friends who may not have the chance to go to school, creating a “ripple effect.” I hope to examine this effect by observing the students, parents, and other community members with the help of on-site Outreach360 staff members who are fluent in Spanish. These staff members will also be able to provide useful first-hand knowledge and experience with implementing education initiatives and establishing community ties.
As a background to my research in Jinotega, I would also like to conduct some preliminary research on the history of education in Nicaragua, focusing on the aftermath of the Revolution, subsequent overthrowing of the Somoza regime, and establishment of the Sandinista ruling party which is pro-education.

Traveling to Jinotega the past two Winter Breaks has opened my eyes to the intense need for better education opportunities, especially for children living in the more disadvantaged areas of the city. While it is required in Nicaragua for children to attend school, it is a common occurrence for schools to lack resources and enough teachers. Teachers often have to provide supplies for their classes of 40-50 children, where up to 5 children may have to share a book! Obviously, this is not the best environment for learning, despite teachers’ best efforts. Children also may have to work before or after school in order to help their families, leaving little time for homework and important playtime. The learning center provides supplemental education as well as much-needed one-on-one time with the students to practice reading and writing. My goal in this research is to determine what kinds of interventions have worked most effectively for Outreach360 for determining curriculum needs and establishing themselves as a respectable entity within the community. I think the best way to conduct this research is onsite at the learning center and around Jinotega. In addition to observations, I will be able to directly interact with the students and teach them as well as working with the staff members to plan lessons. I also plan document my experience with pictures and perhaps videos.
My perspective has already been vastly impacted by my two past trips to Jinotega, so the prospect of going there on a more long-term basis (4 weeks) is very exciting to me. It allows me to see the students’ progress and the overall impact on their learning, not just a weeklong snapshot.