India: “Shape Colombia is a journey of surprises and you don’t want to miss it"

By Sabby Srs, India
Marketere/B.A, MBA in Marketing

My decision to come to Colombia was so quick and random as I was not even sure I would get in, but I made up my mind and just in 5 days booked my tickets, packed and landed at this beautiful Latin land.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

My experience was like an amateur doing board surfing on high tide, but somehow I managed to catch up with the wave and it was more than I expected - with initial culture shocks, but they were all surprisingly new to me.

In the beginning, I thought it’s just about teaching English. Trust me guys, being a teacher looks easy, but it’s a responsible task. When you see those little kindergarten champs waiting for you and - at the same time - the teenagers trying to match up with you, it is quite a bit diverse environment. Moreover, it helps a lot seeing other teaching staff in the school trying their best to make you feel like home and comfortable.  

It changed me as a person a lot. Being a business graduate, I have always been in a cooperate environment, but teaching gives you more sense and understanding about people - and it also made me more empathetic. Colombia is different in each way from all the aspects: the food and the music, the culture and colors everywhere. From north to south, every region has its own specialty and it is like a suspense movie. Colombia brings new surprises to your bag of life.

Bogota is just like any other capital city of a country, with its cosmopolitan and mixed culture giving home to people from all around the world, including professionals, students and backpackers.

When you touch the lives of 60 unknown individuals’ souls you come to realize a lot more about yourself, your capabilities and life. Shape Colombia is not just teaching, but it’s about learning too. I proudly say now I am a person with more understanding towards the life of common people, I have more patience and I know there are at least 2 people looking up to be like me in the future - and that’s gives me lot of pride and peace of mind.

So, if you want something really different and above the average experience, then come to Colombia, join Shape Colombia and (trust me) you’re not going to complain. Apart of all of this, the great experience of working with 200 individuals from almost 50 nationalities is itself an amazing and mind opening experience. Shape Colombia is a journey of unexpected new surprises and you do not want to miss this one.

Gracias Shape Colombia for letting me be a part of a life changing experience.

➨ Apply for Shape Colombia and have a great experience with us as well.

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AIESEC in Colombia selects 200 trainees to share languages and culture in public schools of Bogotá

If traveling more is one of your resolutions for the New Year, this might be your chance to start 2015 with a little bit more of possibility of making it come true. The National Committee of AIESEC in Colombia is selecting 200 International Cooperators (ambassadors) to be part of an opportunity in the capital, Bogotá, teaching languages and culture in public schools. “Shape Colombia Project” is looking for young people from all over the world to share their culture with children in the city, using English or French + Culture to provide a bilingual and cultural class for the students. It was created in 2013 by Secretaría de Educación del Distrito, in association with AIESEC in Colombia, to broaden the perspectives and opportunities for the youth, manly by offering innovative, diverse and wider options of education.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

According to AIESEC in Colombia, the Cooperators will be at the schools eight hours daily, from Monday to Friday, planning and teaching the classes. The opportunity starts on March 1st and goes until June 30th, with an allowance subsidy of COP $1.707.225 pesos (approximately USD 720) per month. Each person will have the support of a professional Language Teacher that already has experience in the schools, what makes the opportunity a way easier.

Besides the classes, the trainee will be part of the implementation of cultural awareness events, such as “Global Villages”, “Country Talks”, presentations, workshops, meetings and other activities, which can be planned by the school, Secretaría de Educación del Distrito or AIESEC. All of the internationals will receive a training and orientation for the opportunity before leaving their home country and after arriving in Bogotá. They will also have support to apply for the Visa and a subsidy of COP $600.000 pesos (USD 250 approx.) for travel expenses or international insurance.

This is the 4th edition of the project. In the last semester of 2014, 200 people from around 45 nationalities came to Colombia to be part of the initiative. If you are interested in applying for it, the first step is becoming part of the AIESECNetwork (choose Professional Internships when registering online). If you are already in the system, you can access the Opportunity in here or just search for “Shape Colombia” to read all the details of the job offer. After doing it, send your information to this form. 

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Canada: understand how Shape Colombia changes lives of trainees and students at the same time

By Bilal Zafar - Canada
International Development Specialist

The days I’ve spent in Colombia will go down in my life as some - if not the very - best days of my life. Colombia shaped me much more and had more of a profound impact on my life than I could have ever imagined. Working with the children of Porfirio Barba Jacob School, seeing their passion and commitment to learning revived my own passion towards my educational endeavors. Living and working with amazing people from all around the world, all very different in their own ways yet all strikingly similar in the sense that they’re all global citizens, changed the way I think about the world - it really isn’t such a scary place anymore.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

When I first came to Colombia I knew what was expected of me, I had to teach English at a school, encourage the children to pursue further English education, and to excite them about all the opportunities they can pursue around the world. To be fairly honest with you, I had no real idea how I was going to accomplish any of this. Not knowing a word of Spanish could make it difficult to be an English teacher (when my students only knew Spanish). Encouraging the students to pursue further English education would be even more difficult, because how do I encourage them when they couldn’t understand me? Exciting them about the opportunities around the world sounded near impossible, because the first two problems were crippling. However, once I got to the actual school and started teaching I realized that none of these were big challenges. They could be easily overcome thanks to one factor I hadn’t considered before: the commitment of the children. The kids so badly want to learn English that they’re willing to come to an extracurricular class and give it their all.

Now stepping outside of the classroom, the Shape Colombia project has as much to do with meeting and interacting with the other 199 interns as it does with being a teacher. I was fortunate enough to meet people from over 50 countries during the five months that I spent in the project, and I was even more fortunate to have had the opportunity to form some friendships which will last a lifetime. One guy in particular that I lived with was from Taiwan, when he first arrived he was a tad bit socially awkward and very reserved, we couldn’t even hug this guy! The five months he spent with my roommates and I changed him completely and he grew a great deal as a person, I will always cherish him hugging, because I know it meant a lot more coming from him.

So let’s talk about Colombia itself for a bit, quite simply: it’s pretty awesome, but here’s why! The people are extremely hospitable and kind, I was fortunate enough to become good friends with a few Colombian university students who invited my friends and I to their houses, showed us their city, and introduced us to some awesome food. The country itself is ridiculously beautiful, in my last week in Bogota I was blown away by how beautiful of a city it was, even got a little mad at myself for not appreciating it as much, and that’s just one city!

While I was there I had the chance to visit the city of Medellin - a city so beautiful and advanced that I’m considering moving their in the future. Also was fortunate enough to drop by the small town of Guatape, I have never been into small towns, but then again I’ve never seen a town as beautiful as Guatape. The last place in Colombia I visited was the beautiful tropical island of San Andres. Spending five days on the beautiful beaches of San Andres made it difficult to adjust to the frigid cold of Toronto.

So why should you come to Colombia, why should you put your life on hold and make a journey to a country most people know very little about? Because it’s worth it. It’s worth it to leave the comfort of everything you know, everything that feels safe and certain, just to venture out into a country you barely know in order to pursue an experience. An experience that will change your life and you as a person. If you want to get more out of your life, if you want more for yourself, then take the chance, and join Shape Colombia. 

➨ Apply for Shape Colombia and have a great experience with us as well.

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More than teaching children in Bogotá, Shape Colombia is about leaving a legacy

What turns an exchange program into a life-changing experience? This is a hard question to answer, mainly because it depends on your own capacity to go beyond the stereotypes and discover the cultures that lay a way farther from the beautiful landscapes and postal cards. It doesn´t mean you’re forbidden to enjoy those places, but it requires courage to challenge yourself into a new world.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

For the Venezuelan trainee Alexandra Varela, the opportunity to work in a school was something rewarding: “it was very important for me to leave a legacy”, says the International Cooperator. “Colombia is a very beautiful country, full of colors. It’s more open. Being in here helped me to see the differences from my country to another one”, concludes.

➨ Apply for Shape Colombia and have a great experience with us as well.

Watch her video and see more of her experience with Shape Colombia:

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Shape Colombia: life can be breathtaking if you have the courage to challenge yourself

Imagine going to a country with a culture that is extremely different from yours and doing something for the very first time as a job. This might sound scaring, but when it comes to reality life can be surprising and fun. It was exactly what happened to Darya Dasha Nalimova, from Russia, who joined Shape Colombia in 2014 and came to Bogotá to work with children in a public school.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

As you could see in the photos above, her experience was breathtaking and she had the opportunity to improve many skills, such as leadership and communication. Moreover, Dasha expanded her understanding of world cultures and shared her own traditions with people from a lot of places on Earth.

For the Russian, one of the biggest motivations for somebody to come to Colombia should be working with kids, because it is a great chance to change their views about the world and help them to shape their future. 

“You should come to Latin America to see how it works. For me it was so strange, crazy and fun at the same time”, says the International Cooperator.

➨ Apply for Shape Colombia and have a great experience with us as well.

Watch the video below and see more of her experience in here: 

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México shares its traditions and culture in an unforgettable adventure in Colombia

By Francisco Godoy – México
Touristic Management

This experience has been one of the best of my life. I gained a lot of new memories that I will never forget!

The Shape Colombia - Immersion Room Project is a very good job opportunity, because as we teach English and some of our culture to kids, we learn much more that we can imagine as well. The kids and people from college and project became friends of a lifetime.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

And what to say about Colombia? It’s my second home. This country has given me a new family, new friends, new adventures and experiences that money can’t buy.

I sincerely invite all the ones who like to live amazing experiences to come and join the Shape Colombia Project, you will love Bogotá!

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Shaping a generation: Taiwan sees Colombia through the eyes of a young leader in AIESEC

By ChiMing Liu - Taiwan, 

Educational Psychology and Counseling

The Shape Colombia project has not just changed my students’ perspective towards the world, but also their mentality on lives. I encourage them to pursue their lifelong goal. The very first thing I taught them is that “I’m gonna be there.” ‘There’ could be their career, dream, family, boy/girlfriend or anything that matters to them. And they need to be there so on the life would be different. 

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

Same with my English classes: I told them no matter how late they are, just come to my class. Once they are there, their lives would be different - step by step. By using different visual-aid teaching materials, I taught them how to be more organized and efficient on their lives­; and most important is to have more interest in English.

As for me, I have met 200 trainees from almost 50 nationalities. I have learned a lot of different mentalities on every aspect of life. I found myself, became more open-minded to different cultures, more confident of myself, more mature to perceive and process any events that happened in my life in Colombia, and more certain and excited for my future career.

Life in Colombia had been very comfortable for me. My Colombian friends had helped me out for any kinds of ridiculous errands or troubles. I deeply feel grateful and appreciate their passions and kindness. The culture here is very passionate and relaxed, which is very different from eastern Asia culture.

A lot of places would be dangerous if you go alone. But, if you go with local friends, normally there will not be any trouble. The reason that the Colombian people are amazing is that even they have so many issues like corruption or poverty. They are still being positive and try their best to solve these problems. And that impress me the most.

I had joined the biggest project in Bogota with AIESEC which is in partnership with Bogota city government. The project has been organized thoroughly with every aspect. The coordinators of Shape Colombia are efficient, responsible and productive. Every time I have doubts or problem, they would always give immediate and direct assistance and guidance.

Meeting people from all over the world totally broaden my horizons toward the world. We talk about the lifestyles, the education, the policy and even our perspectives on the mayor events of the world. For me, this is the best experience to grow, to develop an international knowledge and our own personalities into a more mature and better way.

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10 reasons why you should join Shape Colombia and do an Exchange Program in Bogotá

Living abroad means learning. All the time. In a big variety of ways. Thus, taking part in Shape Colombia can be a big step toward becoming a better professional and Human Being. You will understand why in a minute.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

If you were still looking for motivation to join the project and to come to one of the most beautiful countries in Latin America, we selected - in partnership with our International Cooperators - some reasons that might help you make your decision.

In case they are not enough or you feel like in doubt yet, here we have other delicious reasons to live in Colombia. After all of that, please don't come saying you don't know where to go for your Internship.

➨ Apply for Shape Colombia and have a great experience with us as well.

1) You will have an outstanding opportunity to improve your Leadership skills

2) To learn Spanish in one of the most beautiful countries on Earth

3) You will be impacting a community throughout  Education  and Culture

4) To work in a very diverse environment, with 200 people from all over the world

5) You will discover a part of Latin America that mixes many cultures

6) To live in a country that has snow peaks, Amazon forest and sunny Caribbean beaches a few hours from each other

7) You will be able to teach and learn at the same time inside a public school

8) To have an international experience that will be both professionally and personally relevant 

9) You will become more open to new ideas, cultures and, thus, be more creative and innovative 

10) To show your own country traditions and break stereotypes about Colombia

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Nigeria and Colombia: an overwhelming experience teaching languages in Bogotá with AIESEC

By Bunmi Amarachi Suru
Nigeria, Historian / Radio presenter

My experience in Colombia has been eventful. Shape Colombia itself is overwhelming in the sense that you get to meet different individuals, all working towards the same goal: to make Education better in Bogotá. This project has also improved me as human; I get to put smiles on faces. Over all, I am a stronger person now.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

Colombia is a rich country with warm and lovely people; I love the culture and landscapes. My challenges in here were basically the culture and the food, because they are very different from my country, in Africa. However, the nightlife is fun and the people I have met so far were warm and nice towards me.

I think you should take the chance to live by giving back to our community and the world. Shape Colombia does that in a 100 ways. Not only you get to meet more than 200 people from all over the planet; you also have the chance to impact and exchange cultural views and knowledge - that for me is mind blowing.

Moreover, you can’t go wrong with AIESEC, so why not come? One more thing: the kids are a heavenly pain, LOL. The experience itself is the best teacher, so come and get a feel of it by yourself.

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When Brazil falls in love with Colombia, we surely have a great cultural exchange experience

There is a saying about Colombia that “the only risk is wanting to stay”. This might apply to the Brazilian student of Languages (English) and AIESEC International Cooperator, Matheus Gomes. He first came to Bogotá at the beginning of the year (2014) and - after working with Shape Colombia in the first semester –decided to come back to the country for one more season.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

We talked to Matheus and discovered why he loved Colombia so much. The answer is simple: “Day by day living here, I’ve been noticing how warm Colombians are and how they proudly love their nation”, says the Brazilian, who received a Special Certificate for his outstanding job with the project and is also staying for his third semester with us.

Check more about his experience in the interview below:

Why did you choose Bogotá for your internship?

I decided to come because of the awesome feedback given by some of my friends who already took an internship here with AIESEC, and some of them who had some experiences in the city and in the country.

How was your experience teaching in a Colombian school?

It was all very interesting. First, it was an incredible experience being abroad and teaching foreign children, and second, I could realize that both children and I were learning in class. I took the opportunity not only to teach English, but also values and a little bit of my native language and culture.

What are you going to miss the most about the Colombia?

I think that when I leave the country, one of the things I will miss the most will be the people. Day by day living here, I’ve been noticing how warm Colombians are and how they proudly love their nation. And of course I will miss the dance, the music and the fun.

Tell us some reasons why somebody should do an exchange program in here?

I totally recommend an internship in Colombia. In this country where we can find cold high mountains and excellent warm beaches, one of the most fantastic attractions is the culture. Colombia has an amazing cultural diversity and once someone comes here, as Colombians always say, the risk is wanting to stay.

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Advice from India: when you have an opportunity like Shape Colombia, you shouldn’t think twice

Shashi Rekha Santhapuri 
India, Computer Engineer

When certain opportunities knock the door you don't think twice. Colombia was one such opportunity for me. Never thought I could in a second leave my career as a computer engineer and become an English teacher in a Spanish speaking country. If I look back now it was the best decision of my life.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

Colombians are the sweetest people I have met till date, the warmth sometimes makes you feel like a celebrity, the hospitality, the graffiti and the landscapes make sure you never leave this amazing country. The kids I thought have become an integral part of my life now. We are friends on Facebook too.

Coming from a land of culture, Colombian culture still amazes me, the festivities, the food, everything about it will keep amazing you. The best part of the project is the motivation you get everyday you see your kids, you try to be a better person each day.

Shape Colombia was one experience I will never ever forget. Colombia is officially my new home. Come to Bogotá to experience it all, because the best things in life have to be experienced, not read! 

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Argentina with Shape Colombia: it’s all about sharing experiences and creating a better world

What makes an international exchange so important and remarkable? For our cooperator Carolina Diaz, from Argentina, there are many things that mark an experience abroad, especially when it comes to Shape Colombia Project, like helping children to shape their mindset and giving them a new perspective of the world.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

Diaz says this is a great opportunity for the trainee to grow professionally, but also for the students impacted by the project. “I think the best I did in here was to broaden their horizons by meanings of meeting a foreigner. Letting them know that they have a lot of opportunities out there, not only in Colombia”, emphasized the Argentinean.

Watch her video and see why you should join Shape Colombia:

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Russia and Colombia: how can an Exchange Program expand our horizons?

By Lavrinovich Anna, 
Russian – Linguist

My experience in Colombia was amazing and I will never forget it. I must say that if people asked me in my future what changed my life, my mindset and my attitude to life, I would say it was Colombia. This project has a direct connection with my profession, so I had a great opportunity to improve my skills in the sphere where I’m supposed to work.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

Because of my work there, students probably got some new ideas about the importance of the English language in the modern world. They got the opportunity to broaden their horizons, to understand that the education is really important for their future and that modern society needs open-minded people which are aware of what humanity is. As for me, it gave me experience to work with children as I hadn’t worked with them before.

The main knowledge I’ve got with Shape Colombia Project is that the family is one of the main value in our life. Working with children I’ve seen many of them that have not good family background: lack of the attention, poverty and even violence, so I did my best to be not only a simple English teacher but to show these kids some good sides of our life.

Colombia is a beautiful and culturally rich country. It was a challenge of course, but I mean that everywhere you go in this world it’s a challenge, because you should change in some way to live in another environment. As cultures are different, mindsets are different, it does mean that you will find something that you can’t accept because you got used to another attitude, but it’s a great life lesson for you to see how you can behave, even if something is strange for you, you should adapt yourself, respect another culture, overcome cultural shock - if you have it - and become a part of something new.

For me, Colombia is the second home now - sweet home. I appreciate Colombian people because they are the happiest people I have ever met. It’s easy to live with them, work with them. They give you such an amazing feeling of happiness. Colombia changed many things in my life, really.

I strongly recommend all the young people not to doubt, but join this amazing project in one of the best places ever. First of all, it’s a challenge for you to go so far away, to break all the stereotypes mass media made about this diverse country. You need to feel it by yourself. The project itself is a great chance to change the world, when you work with children you teach them not only English, it goes beyond a simple language lesson. You teach them different things, you are making them better, give them reasons to think about the world and their future, you teach them to be human and believe me, they give you back a lot.

You can learn many things from your students, because they still know how to be happy and how to dream. You start to think that this life is wonderful. If you decide to join the project, be sure you will find a big and amazing international family from all over the world. It will be unforgettable and this is your history that you create. I still can’t believe it happened to me, but I feel I was here for many reasons. If you want to find yourself, you will do it for sure. On this stage of my life I found myself and I want to say “THANK YOU, COLOMBIA” for showing me what I can be. Really, welcome to Colombia - everyone!

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Best places to see Christmas lights and decoration in Bogotá

Christmas is a very important date for Colombians. In the Capital, Bogotá, many streets and parks were transformed into a magical place for tourists and residents to share a brilliant experience. With vibrant colors, the lights are spread around all areas of the city.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

More than seeing and photographing the decoration, this year’s attraction is to interact with the illumination. In some places, for example, inhabitants and visitors can make the lights move with a "beat".

If you want to do something cool with your friends, take photos and see the lights, there are many places to go in the city, such as Zona T, Usaquén Park, Timiza Park, Simon Bolívar Square, Lourdes Square, El Tunal Park and several others.

According to the Alcadía de Bogotá, there are 100 kilometers of rope light, 167.000 MINILED extensions, 12 million light bulbs. The city counts with 120.000 square meters of parks and plazas illuminated, besides 7.5 kilometers of roads and streets.  

Check in here all the places you can visit to see and interact with the Christmas lights.  

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AIESEC: discover yourself and the culture surrounding you with an exchange program in Colombia

An exchange program can impact people in different ways. Maria Estelí, from Costa Rica, says that she joined Shape Colombia Project to change children’s lives, but at the end she was the one who changed the most. “I’m from Latin America and I discovered in Colombia a whole new part of my region and I’m very proud of it”, explains the intern.

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

As an International Cooperator, Estelí worked in one of the 100 public schools benefited with the initiative in Bogotá. She says the project has brought her  inner child back and highlights the great experience she had teaching English, while having the chance to meet people from more than 45 nationalities. Do you want to join us as well?

Watch her video and see more about her time in our country:

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Check some mistakes you should avoid when learning a language

Learning can be fun, interesting and fast. This also applies to languages. When you start studying another one, there are a few things you should consider in order to improve it and to make this a more efficient process.

According to the polyglot and programmer Judith Meyer, people usually comes up with several excuses that slows their progression. In an article posted by Time Ideas, she explains what can be done to develop our abilities to learn and to accelerate it.

Meyer, who speaks eight languages, says that many students stick to methodologies and visions that are not always the best way to get fluent. More than that, some people tend to think of learning languages as a traditional education method – with books, a teacher and a classroom. However, it goes beyond a school pattern.

The most common mistakes in the process were listed by Judith Meyer: 1) Thinking that going to a class will teach them the language; 2) Not following their interests; 3) Balking at the language being different; 4) Finding excuses not to use the language, rather than excuses to use it; 5) Thinking that language learning has to be strenuous. Read the full article.

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“DNA” Nobel Prize will be given back to scientist who sold it, said Russian buyer

The "DNA Prize" was given in 1962 (Image: NIST)

The richest man in Russia, Alisher Usmanov, said he will return the Nobel Prize to the American scientist James Watson. The golden medal was bought at auction last week per $ 4.8m. It was the first prize of the type to be sold by a living recipient, revealed BBC News.

According to the news, Watson had planned to donate part of the money to support scientific research. He received the prize in 1962, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, after discovering the structure of DNA.

"In my opinion, a situation in which an outstanding scientist has to sell a medal recognising his achievements is unacceptable," declared Usmanov to BBC. Read the original news here.

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Food: delicious reasons to live in Colombia

One of the greatest motivators for people to travel abroad is the chance to experience new things - and an exquisite cuisine certainty has its place in a traveler's heart (and stomach). Colombian gastronomy isn't different and it plays an important role in the moment foreigners decide to come to the country.

You've probably already heard that our coffee is among the best ones. But more than this drink, in our restaurants you'll meet the diversity that makes Colombia so unique. Arepas, empanadas, obleas, tamales, bandeja Paisa, ajiaco... there are many dishes you can taste in here - and only in here.

The website HuffPost listed 23 Food Reasons Colombians Know What's Good. Read the article and let us know if you need more (delicious) motivation to visit Colombia.

Image: Cocina Linio

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Over 200 people got together at Corferias for Shape Colombia Farewell Breakfast

Around 200 people got together this Saturday, December 6^th, for our Shape Colombia Farwell Breakfast. International Cooperators, Support Teachers, representants from Secretaría de Educación and AIESEC Coordinators went to Corferias, in Bogotá, to share their experience and say goodbye to some of our Interns that are going back to their countries.

During the event, the Shape Colombia Director, Felipe Mora, emphasized the importance of the work that the foreigners did in 100 public schools of the city in the past months. “Thank you for giving your time and energy to make a difference in the education system in Colombia. You are the ones responsible for impacting directly the lives of those children”, said Felipe.

A medal and a special certificate were given to some trainees that had an outstanding job and the other cooperators were recognized with a diploma for collaborating with Shape Colombia. One of the 30.000 students benefited by the initiative, Santiago Garcia Zea, 15 years old, who studies at IED Villemar El Carmén, was honored with a certificate for his engagement in the project.

“Those lessons changed my life forever and my point of view about several things. Thank you all for sharing your experiences, your culture and your knowledge with us”, said the teenager after receiving the recognition. Click here to read more about his participation in Shape Colombia.

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The world meets in Bogotá for the Global Village with a mix of cultures and traditions

Accents, flags, traditions, and cultures from all over the world will meet this Saturday, December 6^th, in Corferias, Bogotá, during the Shape Colombia Global Village. The event will take part in the second biggest fair in the city, Expoartesanías, in the Hall 5A, starting at 2pm.  

Around 200 International Cooperators from almost 50 different nationalities will be sharing their countries’ culture with Colombians and showing a little bit of each continent. 

This will be an opportunity for the local community to get to know more about their characteristics and learn from a different perspective.

Check the invitation and come see us:

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Video: why is so important to teach English to our kids?

“English is the answer for my future, for your future, for our generation’s future”, says the Venezuelan journalist and International Cooperator for Shape Colombia, Mar Servitá. 

➨ Keep connected with Shape Colombia on Facebook

She was one of the Interns that worked in the project for its third edition, in the second semester of 2014. As Miss Servitá, around 200 people came to Bogotá to teach English or French in public schools.

The experience of being part of such a big project and impacting children’s lives is something rewarding.  “Shape Colombia has taught me many things. I love being in contact with different races, countries, religions…  not only the kids benefit from learning in this cultural exchange, but also the teachers”, explains the Cooperator.

Watch the video below, created in partnership with Mar Servitá, and see more of how the project works. If you want to join us, click here.

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December: and here comes vacation with a bittersweet feeling

December means vacations. That said, comes to our mind that it also means the end of one more edition of our Shape Colombia Project, bringing a bittersweet feeling to our heart. Many International Cooperators are flying back to their home country and a few folks that fell harder in love with Colombia will stay for another season.

We’re glad to have had so many nice people, with different professional and cultural backgrounds, helping us to achieve our main goals: improve the Education in Bogotá and promoting great experiences for us all to grow as Humans and Leaders. But, of course, we can’t let you all leave without a last time together. That’s  why this Saturday (December 6th) we’ll meet, at 9am, and have a breakfast to celebrate this time we spent in here, while sharing our experiences and saying Goodbye to the friends who are going home. At night, we'll have another party. For more information, talk to your coordinator. 

Take a look at the invitation (you already received it, right?) and come together:

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Video: see how travel can break stereotypes and change the way we see the world

The best way for you to break a stereotype is to know the real thing. That's what brought Buhegwendzimu Tjedza (Gwen), from Zimbabwe, to Shape Colombia. Before visiting Latin America, she used to relate our country to crimes and violence. After arriving in here, she could see the richness and diversity that makes this such a special place.

By taking part in the project, the international cooperator had the opportunity to learn Spanish, travel around the country and share her culture with children from a public school of Bogotá. If you also want to have this experience, send your CV with your AIESEC TN ID to aulasdeinmersion@gmail.com. If you're not part of our network yet, contact your Local Comitee.

Watch the video and discover what Gwen thinks of Colombia now:

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Shape Colombia: breaking frontiers and building a new way to teach and learn languages

“When we first met the foreigners, we could understand that the world is only one and it’s not as big as we thought. I’m not very different from somebody that lives in Turkey, for example. The frontiers were made by us.” This is how the student Santiago Garcia Zea, 15 yearls old, explains the impacts that the Project Shapes Colombia has in the children’s lives. He studies at IED Villemar El Carmén and is one of the 30.000 people benefited by the initiative in the public schools of Bogotá with language support from international cooperators.

In the second semester of 2014, the Colombian capital received 200 foreigners to work with AIESEC and Secretaría de Educación. The project has helped students from vulnerable areas to improve their English or French throughout dynamic activities that put away the formality of a regular class to create an environment that allows the children to learn while having fun.

For Santiago Garcia, that has been watching the classes for almost two semesters, the methodology itself changes the way the students see the process of learning a language. “I had never met anybody from another country and, suddenly, I had the change to get to know young people from Russia, India, Turkey and Ghana. It was really great to have this opportunity to practice my English”, says.

Santiago’s father, Fernando Garcia, shows gratitude for the improvement his son had with Shape Colombia and highlights the importance of changing the relationship between teachers and students to captivate them into the subjects studied. “This is the best idea I’ve seen in Colombia regarding education. Mainly, because it breaks with the traditional methodology used in the schools. Now, besides the regular class, we have youth that teach youth, using the same language to stimulate them to develop their language skills – something that is inspiring for our children”, tells the man.

In the first semester of 2015, around 100 schools of Bogotá are going to receive Shape Colombia. For that, AIESEC will hire about 200 international cooperators from all over the world. If you want to be one of them, this is the right time to join us. Send your CV with your AIESEC TN ID to aulasdeinmersion@gmail.com. If you're not part of our network yet, contact your Local Comitee.

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