THS engineering teacher Brian Copes spoke with representatives from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Charles Henderson Middle School and Satsuma High School about THS’s upcoming trip to Honduras on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The meeting took place over a Skype call from Three Amigos in Alabaster, and faculty and students attended to receive information and give their input.

“These different schools are looking at joining us. They’ll send their own exploratory teams with us to Honduras this summer,” Copes said.

Students will travel to Jutiapa on Sunday, Jun. 11, and return to the U.S. on Sunday, Jun. 18.

During the trip, THS will establish a “sister school” relationship with three schools in the town of Jutiapa: Venezuela, Cefalu and Trinidad. They also plan to build a two-room high school for students in Olvidado, Honduras.

“They do not have a high school, so we’re raising the funds to build the school,” Copes said. “We’ll have teachers from all disciplines joining forces on this sister school project.”

During the trip, American teachers will coordinate the curriculums of the schools in Alabama and Honduras in order to offer support to each other.

“We’ll be able to share lessons back and forth,” Copes said. “The teachers are going to be working very intimately with each other, and we’re going to see how we can weave the curriculums together.”

Information technology students will also be installing software and computers that it will make it possible for the sister schools to interact, and health students will work at the medical clinic in Jutiapa.

Copes said the trip is made possible through a program called Skilled Knowledgeable Youth.

“This isn’t an Alabaster City Schools function. It’s through Skilled Knowledgeable Youth, which is a 501(c)(3) organization. They’re connecting schools and teachers from all across the state together on this project,” Copes said.

Kingwood Christian School and Eufala City Schools have also expressed interest in joining THS on the trip.

“It’s exciting to be able to do this, because it’s impactful. Not only is it impactful for the Hondurans, but it’s also impactful for us, here in the United States,” Copes said.

“The students and the adults that have traveled with us in the past have come back with their lives changed. Their eyes are opened to a world that they never knew existed. They see the impact they can make, and it’s just tremendous. This would just be the beginning. We’re hoping to see other schools from around the country come and join us.”