Today we started off in the Town Hall of Pilar for a student proposal by North Hills. What happens here is the student come up with an idea for improvement in the community and pitch it to the local government in hopes of it being applied. The students must provide in depth examples of what they want to do and how to will go about doing and funding the project. It is then up to the government to decide whether or not it is a feasible project to undertake.
After some time we moved on to a tour of downtown Pilar. First we visited a beautiful church with a recently renovated interior composed of many handmade wooden figures. Next we walked a few blocks away from the center of town towards the Museo Acalde where we learned about the city’s past and looked at some antique electronics. Following the museum we made our way towards human rights center where a man named Santiago talked to us about the domestic abuse problem in Argentina. We then visited the Honerable Concejo Deliberante where we met multiple government members. Over empanadas we discussed the differences between American and Argentinian life and politics. After struggling through thick language barriers we were able to learn about Argentinian politics.
We returned to the town hall to meet up with our students and embark on the journey back to the school by bus. After lunch we started an art project with the 3rd years. It was fun to talk with them because they will be hosting next year and traveling the year after. We got to know the people who would be hosting the freshman. When we finished our masterpieces we made our way to another room to watch the video that we made the day before. After school we went to people’s houses and hung out a little while before eating and going to bed.
–Chapman
