June 6-13, 2026 For the second year, Cotinga Foundation took a team of 6 teachers to Chiquimula, Guatemala. We partnered with Eyes Wide Open Ministries, who invited us and have made it possible for us to work with the teachers there. Saturday is a full day of travel, since we leave St. Louis on 6…
There was a new beginning for Cotinga Foundation this year. We were invited by Eyes Wide Open Ministries (EWO) in Chiquimula, Guatemala to partner with them to help the many schools there. There are not any government special education schools, so as a result, most students with learning needs do not attend school. EWO…
In March of this year, 7 of us traveled to Cayambe, Ecuador. This was our 9th trip as a foundation. Because of the experience of this team, we were able to accomplish so much during our time there. We spent most of our time at Geovanni Calles (the special education school that is considered a…
“There Is A Purpose for Everything” (This year I decided to give a detailed description of our week. I thought if you opened this document, you might want some specifics.) This was the first year that our trip occurred in March, during our spring break time. We took a very small team of 4 teachers…
The trip in 2022 was called by the team the ‘Great Escape’. In spite of the circumstances, strange situation and harrowing trip home, 5 of those teachers, plus Terry and Bob Lancaster, made the decision to return in June, 2023. The team of 2023 consisted of Kathi Ritchie, Ellen Nicholl, Amy Manzcuk, Ann Matoushek, Terry Lancaster…
As the pandemic eased and restrictions were lifted, we realized that we would be able to make the 6th Cotinga Trip to Ecuador a reality. A team of 11 teachers met throughout this past winter and spring to create seminars and curriculum to help the teachers in Cayambe, Ecuador. Their students were out of school…
After 3 long years, we have a team that is headed to Ecuador from June 10 th to June 20th . There was team ready to go in June 2020 when the pandemic hit, so a team hasn’t been there since 2019. I (Terry) was able to go in March 2022, to meet with the…
Everyone knows the story of 2020: the year of ‘It had to be canceled’. That is what happened to the June 2020 Cotinga Foundation Trip. There were 11 teachers and one support person that had tickets purchased, supplies gathered, curriculum written, seminars planned, and THEN . . . . . CANCELLED. But for the story…
On June 4, 2019, a team of 9 teachers and one support person took off from St. Louis for Quito, Ecuador. This was the 5th year of the Cotinga Foundation. We took a total of 1,680 lbs. of luggage, which included over 1,100 lbs. of supplies for the teachers and students. Although the team left…
The fourth official trip of the Cotinga Foundation is complete. From June 7th until June 18th , 2018, Terry Lancaster led a team of 11 teachers and 3 support staff traveled to Cayambe, Ecuador to work at Escuela de Educacion Especializada Cap. Geovanni Calles. Of the 11 teachers, 8 of them had been to Ecuador…