My name is Helen, and I am a recent graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, where I played on the women’s lacrosse team. In June, four of my F&M teammates and I got the opportunity to travel to Bocas for a week of service with LtN. I loved it so much, I even decided to push my flight and stay a few extra days. Here’s a look into how incredible our week was…

We landed on Sunday morning and spent the first two days getting to know Bocas and the LtN team. We explored the beach at Isla Carenero and took an excursion to Cayos Zapatilla on Monday, where we tried ‘deep boarding’ behind a boat and snorkeling in the nearby coral reefs. We saw tons of beautiful marine life, with the highlights being two nurse sharks and a stingray!

On Tuesday, we started our service project at the school on Isla Solarte. The school was in need of a new paint job on the surrounding fence and wall. We sanded down the rusted fence and painted throughout the morning, playing music and even getting to play a few games of soccer with the neighborhood kids. That afternoon, we had our first LtN lacrosse practice. It was amazing to meet the LtN kids, show them some of our own college drills, and play alongside them in practice.

Left to Right: Mary Pat, Helen, Sydney, Ally, and Sarah

We continued our service project at Isla Solarte on Wednesday and Thursday. When we finished, seeing the newly painted fence and walls was very rewarding and we were grateful to have made a difference for the school and its students. The school’s facelift brought a lot of smiles to the students and a revived feeling to the community.

That Thursday afternoon, we headed back to the main island for our final LtN lacrosse practice and watched in awe as a plane took off from the airstrip right next door, flying over our heads as we continued playing in the drills with the youth players.

On Friday, we visited the Wasteless World Recycling Center and learned about their work and mission to creatively combat waste issues on the island. We even got to try using some of their new machines! Throughout the week we took advantage of our free time by scheduling a group surf lesson and a scuba dive as well as trying local restaurants. We had a blast exploring the great waves and beautiful oceans surrounding the archipelago of Bocas del Toro.

In my extra few days, I had the opportunity to help run English and P.E. classes at the elementary school since the students’ were fortunately back from vacation, as well as work on my newfound surfing skills and explore a jungle hike to a remote beach on Isla Bastimentos.

All in all, the five of us left Bocas with new friends, great experiences, and a deep connection to the Bocas del Toro community. We are so grateful for the opportunity to visit such a beautiful place and to support the important work of Lacrosse the Nations, and we want to thank the LtN Team for organizing this once in a lifetime trip and for showing us all that Bocas has to offer! We are looking forward to continuing to build a partnership between LtN and F&M Lacrosse and returning to Bocas in the future!