A Passion for Puerto Rico
April 2, 2015Excpert Published in Courier Magazine; April 2015 Edition page 40
Compiled By: Pat Henderson
During his career as a middle school and high school language teacher, Jorge Pardo organized immersion tours to Puerto Rico. As he was taking his students on these educational trips, his passion for the northeastern Caribbean island grew and led to him opening Vámonos Tours in 2002.
Morrill Spanish Club Tours Puerto Rico
July 2, 2014Excerpt As published in the Nebraska Star-Herald Newpaper; July 2, 2014
By: Sara Beyer
Six members of the Morrill High School Spanish Club and their sponsor have returned from a whirlwind fiveday, four-night tour of Puerto Rico.
Traveling were recent graduates Megan Fish, Amanda Kaufman, Ana Rodriguez, and Athena Tarin; up-coming senior Traci Sinner; up-coming junior Erika Derr; and their sponsor Sara Beyer.
Medford High School students, faculty take in sights in Puerto Rico
May 7, 2013Excerpt from Article on WickedLocal.com published May 7, 2013
By Alyssa Valentyn
Puerto Rico literally means “rich port,” for all its wealth and beauty. For the 44 Medford High School students and faculty who traveled to the island this past February vacation, it was more than just beautiful: it was rich in memories we’ll never forget.
We arrived in Condado, Puerto Rico, at 2:30 in the morning. The groggy group of students from when we boarded the plane in Boston suddenly became excited with the sight of palm trees and the feel of the night’s warm air; after all, in Boston, it had seemed like a record-breaking cold day.
Taking Students Off the Beaten Path in Puerto Rico
September 30, 2012NTA Trip Planner; 2012-2013 page 56
NTA tour operator Jorge Pardo’s company Vámonos Tours specializes in cultural immersion student tours of Puerto Rico, where Pardo was born and raised. While he moved to the United States when he was 22, he studied romance languages abroad during college. He taught Spanish and French at the middle and high school level for 18 years. After taking students on educational tours to Mexico and Spain, he was inspired to bring students to his homeland, which he realized he could show them in a less touristy and more educational and fun way. The rest is history—Pardo has been sharing Puerto Rico with students and teachers from all corners of the United States for 16 years.
NTA: What makes Puerto Rico a good destination for student groups?
Pardo: Parents need to put their trust not just in the school and chaperones in charge of the tour but also in the destination. Puerto Rico is an ideal destination since it’s a foreign culture on U.S. soil. Puerto Rico’s high standard of living and U.S.-quality medical care make it a safe location. From an educational perspective, our island has a unique fusion of cultures (Taino, Spanish, African, American) that’s evident in our everyday life, food and traditions. Of course, it also helps to be in the warm Caribbean during our cold months and only three hours away from the main East Coast cities.
¡Bienvenidos A Puerto Rico!
September 15, 2012Excerpt from Page 62 SEPTEMBER 2012 / Teach & Travel – The Official Publication of SYTA www.syta.org
By Kristyn Roggelin
Every March, I have the pleasure of accompanying students from my advanced Spanish classes to Puerto Rico. Our goal is to experience another language and culture through immersion. For one week, I ask them to step outside of their comfort zones and try exotic new foods, speak a new language, and imitate cultural nuances.
Vámonos Tours San Juan, Puerto Rico
July 15, 2011Excerpt from Courier Magazine, July 2011 page 74
For Jorge Pardo, taking groups to his native Puerto rico is more than a way to earn a living, it is his passion. “I’ve been taking friends and family around Puerto rico ever since I was in high school,” said the founder and president of Vámonos tours. “I started this company by taking my own students to my island.”
All The Pleasure of a Tropical Getaway
February 15, 2011Published in Courier Magazine Feb. 2011 pages 78-79
Excerpt of article By Judy Watiuk
They’re rarely at the top of any American’s getaway bucket list, but the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands should be. After all, they offer all the delights of a tropical vacation with intriguing local history thrown in.
SPANISH INFLUENCE
Jorge Pardo, owner of Wilmington, Delaware-based Vamonos Tours, is a Puerto Rico native who has been leading student tours to his home island for more than 15 years. Located east of the Dominican Republic on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico is just over 1,000 air miles from Miami — an easy hop “Culture, adventure and Spanish immersion are the hallmarks of our tours,” Pardo said. “We go for a long hike in El Yunque National Forest, we do spelunking, ziplining, visit a local fisherman who shows us real, living creatures he caught that morning — everything your typical tourist will not do.”