Posted by: Noah VanValkenburg (navanval@colby.edu) on Sun, April 17, 2011, 3:13 p.m.

Safe Passage is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Hanley Denning, a 1992 graduate of Bowdoin College, providing educational programs for the children of families living in the municipal garbage dump in Guatemala City. In 2007 Denning, 36, died in Guatemala when a bus traveling in the wrong direction struck her car. But Safe Passage continued her mission. It now offers Guatemalan children and their families educational support, food, medical assistance, and a chance to socialize, gain confidence, and teach others.

Richard Schmaltz was recently named as the new executive director for Safe Passage and has been involved in the organization since the beginning, when he served as an advisor to Denning in the establishment of the early childhood program, from curriculum development to teacher training to fundraising. Schmaltz will offer insights into the process of establishing and building a sustainable nonprofit service program, share experiences working with Guatemala City municipal dump community, and describe ways for individuals or groups to get involved (featuring current Colby students who have participated in a Safe Passage service trip).

The lecture took place on April 13, 2011 at 7 PM in Diamond 122.

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