An Unforgettable Experience in Brazil

By Karina Bond, Physical Education Teacher & Recipient of the Thompson Family Grant

Oi! Que experiência. Being able to volunteer with children at a community center in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, learn about their culture, and learn Portuguese was an unforgettable experience that had a lasting impact.

I observed firsthand the little things we as North Americans take for granted as I spent time with children at the community center located in a “favela,” a slum or shantytown, outside the city. Over my two-week stay, I wasn’t able to volunteer as much as I had hoped due to factors outside my control. Classes at the community center were often canceled due to a lack of participants, staff, or equipment; I couldn’t help with nighttime classes due to safety concerns; and I wasn’t able to run classes by myself because of the language barrier.

When I was able to volunteer, I supported the instructor and worked one-on-one with the children, especially the girls. Since all of the sports instructors were male (except for those teaching aerobics or dance), seeing a female instructor was a different experience for everyone. I helped with a skateboarding class – a favorite activity that brought so much joy to the kids – as well as a few basketball classes in which I tried to broaden the children’s view of the sport as an option other than soccer, the dominant sport in South America.

I learned a lot about myself and what I could do to provide a positive experience to a community that has very little. On one of the days our classes were canceled, I shared fun activities we do at Langley such as knee tag, hula hut, and rock paper scissors tag that the director was excited to try at the camps during the summer. Being able to partner with the international community, learn from them, and have them learn from me gave me the opportunity to grow in my teaching and coaching skills where cooperation, communication, and perseverance are so important.

I returned with an expanded worldview, a better understanding of why it’s important to get outside your comfort zone, gratitude for the resources we have at Langley, and an appreciation for Langley’s commitment to supporting its teachers with experiences outside the classroom. I was reminded how important it is to remember where you come from and to be grateful for what you have, because not everyone has those same privileges.