Morristown Beard Students Volunteer in Panama

This summer, 20 Morristown Beard School students and four chaperones traveled to Panama to volunteer as part of an ongoing collaboration with Give & Surf, Inc, a nonprofit organization founded by MBS alumnus Neil Christiansen '02. 

The 10-day trip began in Panama City, where they toured The Panama Canal and the "old town" of Casco Viejo. The group then flew to Bocas del Toro to spend the next eight days in Isle Bastimentos.  

The students’ volunteer work consisted of helping at the community centers in Bastimentos and San Christobal, where they played soccer with the children, helped the youngsters improve their English, assisted with classroom activities, and made many friendship bracelets.  They also spent time refurbishing existing community center buildings.  

Cultural events on the trip included visits to a cacao farm, a medicinal plant tour, and snorkeling at the beautiful island of Zapatillus.

Students attending the trip were: Madeline Berniker ’23, Brooklyn Chen ’24, Ethan D’Andrea ’23, Poppy Ehrbar ’23, Hannah Everett ’23, Brooke Fesq ’25, Gwyneth Geoghan ’25, Carly Greer ’25, Chloe Higgins ’24, Isla Johnston ’25, Julie Kirshenbaum ’25, Evangeline Lisk ’25, Julian Melendez ’23, Dumebi Okonkwo ’23, Emily Pardilla ’23, Sasha Proper ’23, Samantha Simon ’23, Emma Teitelbaum’25, Indiya Weinmann ’25, and Jonas Weinmann ’23.

The chaperones were MBS faculty members Andrea Deventer, Darren Lovelock, Zach Mazouat, and Rebecca Van Horn.

To learn more about Give & Surf, Inc, visit www.giveandsurf.org.