Max Crider
Staff Reporter

     The Pulsera Project has made its way into Ms. Street’s AP Spanish Language classes’ curriculum in order to help raise money for artisans in Nicaragua and Guatemala by selling their handmade bracelets and purses.

     “[In class,] we’re analyzing poverty and its effects on education and trying to come up with either a direct or indirect service, as well as awareness. We’re using the Pulsera Project, which is an organization that supports indigenous groups as well as other artists and craftsmen and women in Nicaragua and Guatemala,” Ms. Street, AP Spanish Language teacher, said.

     According to the Pulsera Project’s official website, in 2009, The Pulsera Project was born after 13 friends visited Nicaragua and soon discovered a group of welcoming and hospitable artisans living on a small farm. The friends wanted to share the artisans’ handmade bracelets, known as pulseras in Spanish, to those in the United States. To date, The Pulsera Project has raised over $2,000,000 by selling bracelets, with all the proceeds going to the craftsmen and women to support their education, employment, and housing costs. The proceeds also go toward environmental and healthcare programs in Nicaragua and Guatemala.

     “It’s just cool, being able to do something with our five years of Spanish. The tags have the picture and name of the person that made it, and it makes us feel like we made an impact with this project we’re doing,” said senior Michelle Lui, a student in Ms. Street’s class.

     Additionally, The Pulsera Project is considered a Fair Trade exchange, meaning that the Pulsera Project follows the Fair Trade Federation’s objective of creating sustainable partnerships in trade between countries all around the world. “The Project employs Pulsera Artisans, and buys the bracelets from them at three times the market value in order to make it beneficial to them. Then, they sell them around the country and world in schools, like Atholton,” said Lev Axler, junior and student of Ms. Street.

The Pulsera Project has raised over $2,000,000 by selling bracelets, and now Atholton students have thechance to be a part of this international campaign.

     The bracelets were sold from Tuesday, February 20 to Friday, March 2 during lunch shifts and Raider Time. They each cost $5, all of which will go to the bracelet artisans in Central America.

     Ms. Street is using The Pulsera Project to fulfill the international requirement for AP With WE project, a program that weaves service learning into the AP curricula through relevant coursework and a service project. Run by the CollegeBoard, this project covers six classes, and Ms. Street is the first teacher at Atholton to utilize this partnership. She came across the AP With We program over the summer while “doing some research on revamping the Spanish AP curriculum.”

     Whether you’re a bracelet aficionado or would rather display the colorful pulseras on your backpack zipper, your purchase will aid talented artisans and their families who need a little extra support. Por favor, ayude las personas que necesitan ayuda y compran las pulseras.

     Thanks to all the students and staff at Atholton who purchased a pulsera! We have raised over $1,250 to support The Pulsera Project.

Posted by Max Crider

Max Crider is a 17-year-old senior hailing from Atholton High School. He has recently been converted to the wonderful religion of hockey and, in tandem, is a football fanatic. The only current member of the Raider Review to have been on the staff since freshman year, he aspires to forge a legendary career in the sports broadcasting industry.

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