Panorama Service Expeditions

This was a very important project. Building a house within a week allowed us to engage in a project with very concrete outcomes, and our group had the opportunity to see the impact that its work had on the community with which we worked. The organization engages in valuable, sustainable work within the communities that it serves, and we felt fortunate to have been a part of that. Working on a construction site with a group whose abilities varied, with little training, was challenging, but in the end we were able to build a house and fulfill the goals of a project. Not everyone involved put forth the same amount of effort, but that is to be expected, to some degree. In such a context, flexibility is key; regardless of how well you prepare, you don't fully know what you will encounter. On the whole, it was a very rewarding project and overall experience; it was affordable and, for the most part, well-organized. I would recommend this program to other groups.

This program opens you up to completely new experiences and realities of what the world outside the U.S. looks like. For many, like myself, it is considered a culture shock because you don't expect to see certain deplorable situations. This program is an amazing way to give back through community service while also learning about beautiful Nicaragua and its people. It has provided with myself and my peers with an unforgettable experience that has lead me to continue my service for Nicaragua and its people.

Norman and Katie were wonderful to work with. They helped create a program that allowed our student nurses to feel like nurses, especially through our work in the rural clinics. Our time in Nicaragua was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would highly encourage anyone contemplating a medical brigade to jump in a go with Panorama.

Well, I can say that the work we did was extremely labor intensive,but it was worth putting our time and effort into something that would not only benefit a community,but also the world at large. I can say a lot of things about my experience in Nicaragua,it was fun, it was something different, and for the first time in my life, I was pushed to a limit physically, where I had to assess my mental and physical health.

I very much enjoyed my trip to the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. I was excited about it before I went, while I was there, and still am after. I am actually in the process of trying to go again this year. I believe our trip was very beneficial to the island as we worked toward helping their environment. Nicaragua as well as other countries have a deforestation problem, and we just got started by trying to expand the plants that are natural to its land. To be exact, we were able to prepare 2,332 seed bags to be planted across the island. The best thing is that we were able to help the community while still enjoying ourselves.