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Bouwman heading to Dominican on school building mission

École Steffie Woima Elementary School teacher Amy Bouwman is looking forward to her participation in building a school

École Steffie Woima Elementary School teacher Amy Bouwman is looking forward to her participation in building a school in the Dominican Republic next month.

She’ll participate in a Lifetouch Memory Mission from Jan. 21-28 with about 50 volunteers to build a vocational school for children in a small, mountainous farming community.

Lifetouch, the leading national provider of school and family photography, organized the trip and invited school administrators, principals, educators and PTA members throughout North America to work alongside their volunteers and Dominican nationals on the project.

This is the third Memory Mission to Constanza. In 2011 and 2012 volunteers built an elementary school. That school now serves hundreds of children who otherwise would not have had a chance to receive an education.

Volunteers will work on a variety of projects, including block and concrete work, stucco and paint finishing for the classrooms. They will also have an opportunity to visit community members and participate in a day of photography for the children in this village, many of whom have never seen a photo of themselves.

Since the inception of the Lifetouch Memory Mission in 2000, Lifetouch hands have helped rebuild a village in war-ravaged Kosovo, repair homes in Appalachia, establish a children’s center in Jamaica, and construct a bridge in the land of the Navajo in Arizona. They have built 11 schools across Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Memory Mission volunteers have also provided on-site assistance to victims of natural disasters throughout the United States, including Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, floods in the Dakotas, fires in California, and tornadoes across the Midwest.

Learn more about the coming Memory Mission at www.lifetouchmemorymission.com.