Author Archives: Carrie Rhodes

Why should You Travel With Your Students?

After a recent class trip to Costa Rica, group leader JJ Epperson of Gibson Southern High School in Indiana wrote a great blog post for why you should travel with your students. If you are considering a school trip with your students, this blog is a must read. It will encourage you and have you…

Yesterday’s Power Outage

Yesterday Puerto Rico experienced an island wide power outage due to an excavator accidentally cutting through a main power line. Some residents in 5 municipalities along with several hospitals have already had their power restored and the rest should see their electricity return within the next 24 hours. The company responsible for yesterday’s outage was…

New U.S. Travel Warning for Cuba

On September 29 the U.S. Department of State issued a statement warning U.S. citizens not to travel to Cuba until further notice. Even though travel to Cuba is not illegal under the proper authorized categories of travel, the US ordered the withdrawal of most non emergency U.S. government employees and their families for their safety….

Souvenirs from Samuel Lind's workshop

Are Your Souvenirs Authentic?

We all do it. We go on a trip or vacation and we bring back souvenirs. How often have you given thought to how authentic your souvenirs are? Have you ever considered whether your souvenirs are ethically sourced? Could buying that item cause harm to a country, an economy, an ecosystem, or an endangered species?…

Martinique Anse Cafard

Martinique – History

Political History Martinique, a small island in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, possesses a long and complex history. Columbus visited the island in 1502 on his fourth voyage, but Spain didn’t seem interested. The island remained un-colonized until 1634 when a Frenchman named Pierre Bélain Sieur D’Ensambuc started a colony on the island. He…

Piña Farming

Farming Experiences a Revival in Puerto Rico

Up until the 1940’s, agriculture was a dominant industry on the island with crops such as cocoa, sugarcane, coffee, plantains, bananas, and even rice. Unfortunately, farming has dwindled to almost nothing over the last few decades. Puerto Rico now imports 80% of its food from other countries. Over the last few years, this trend is…