Great news. We are now nationwide.

Two senior students at Brown University in Providence R.I. saw our Web Site and contacted us.

The two students, Jacob Donoghue and Paul Cotter who have considerable experience in Latin America and with Out-reach programs, have volunteered to start a Pencil Project chapter at Brown.

[That's Jacob on the right.]

Here, in Jacob’s own words is some background:

My name is Jacob Donoghue. I am currently a senior at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Several years ago, the Guatemalan Ambassador, José Castillo, came to lecture on the problems and the future of Latin America. My friend Paul Cotter and I, both with passionate interests for providing aid to Latin America (we have had many experiences abroad), talked with the Ambassador after the lecture about the most effective ways we can help from abroad.

The Ambassador told us about the pencil (and school supply) shortage and the effect that this was having in rural Guatemala. He put us in contact with his senior aide with whom we had initially remained in contact as we began collecting necessary school supplies. With unique access to the college dorms, we have made several mass efforts to go dorm-to-dorm over the past 3 years collecting pencils and other supplies. Our efforts stagnated in the past year, however, as we lost contact with the ambassador's aide and a reasonable means of transporting supplies became hard to find.
       

Luckily, I have found your project and I have gotten a chance to read about your work. With similar goals, though for us on a smaller scale, I was hoping there is some way in which we could collaborate with your wonderful Pencil Project by donating our supplies to you so that these supplies are sent off to the children that need them.

I would love to talk to you about any ideas you might have. Furthermore, with unique access to college students with excess school supplies, maybe we could discuss this turning into a connection between this project at Brown University and The Pencil Project. 

We naturally called right away and here is the follow up.

[Again, in their own words.]

Paul Cotter (left) and me (right). Together we
started our Guatemala pencil project and are now semi-officially the
co-presidents of the Brown University Chapter of The Pencil Project.
You can write up a blip based on what I told you (we both have lots of
experience in Latin America i.e. Cuba, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile,
Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Dominican republic and many more places). Let
me know if you need anything else. We are currently working on getting
full club status at Brown (which will happen soon) and getting funding
for the project. Talk to you soon,

Jake