#11 Providing High Quality K-12 Education to the Indigenous Children of Panama with Emily Talentino

Emily Talentino is the Executive Director of Give and Surf. Give and Surf is a grassroots organization based in the island community of Bocas del Toro, Panama. Give & Surf has built 8 classrooms for local schools, 3 community centers, and several other projects in the Bocas region. Give & Surf now runs 5 year-round educational centers whose programs are led by a team of local teachers and supported by international volunteers. Emily first joined the team as a volunteer in 2013 while living in Massachusetts and working at the YMCA. Eventually, she moved to Panama in 2015 and committed herself full time to supporting the indigenous community of Bocas. Come and learn of Give and Surf’s unique strategy of not seeking to have a small impact on the greatest number of people possible, but instead, having a deep, long-lasting, sustainable impact within the small communities that they serve.