I came away from the experience with a lot more than the standard shock at the poverty and conditions in the developing world. Instead, I was surprised by how little is really needed to change those conditions.

The children we worked with were up against more than just shabby schools. In Ecuador, as in many developing countries, public education costs money. Between books, matriculation fees, uniforms, and supplies, each child must pay at least 200 dollars a year—an impossible amount for families living on two dollars a day.

This year, that number totaled 48 matriculating students. Second, we prepare the students with summer courses in mathematics and English, subjects in which the students are typically lacking. Working in accordance with Ecuadorian standards for secondary education, we train volunteers to teach summer classes in the village schools.