In 2007, fourteen high school students traveled to Nicaragua with Friendship City Projects (FCP), a sister city organization connecting Boulder, CO and Jalapa, Nicaragua. In keeping with FCP's mission to promote friendship and understanding between these communities, three students developed the Project FE model, linking sponsors from Boulder with Jalapan students. The project has since outgrown its local roots; we now work with an incredible group of sponsors from across the United States and beyond. Two of the founders, Tasia Poinsatte and Helen Vernier, continue to co-direct the program with guidance and oversight from FCP.

Since the 2007 youth delegation, Tasia has continued to support the people of Jalapa as a board member for the Friendship City Projects and co-director of Project FE. She has pursued her interests in accessible and high quality education for all students as Site Manager of an educational nonprofit in Kumasi, Ghana and School Gardens Coordinator at New York City Parks/GreenThumb. Tasia holds a BA in international studies from American University and an MA in Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration from the University of Denver Josef Korbel School.

Helen graduated from Lewis and Clark College in 2012 with a degree in religious studies. Her love of Jalapa and its people kept her engaged with Friendship City Projects and dedicated to serving Project FE students. This work reflects her lifelong goal of effecting change throughout the world through a focus on grassroots development. Helen received her MSc at SOAS in London and works as a Programs Coordinator at the Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS).

Morelia runs all Project FE operations on the ground in Nicaragua. As our in-country coordinator, she liaises with local communities, coordinates regular meetings and visits with families, facilitates student service projects and links Jalapa to the United States. Morelia is pursuing a degree in Agricultural Engineering at the Universidad Católica del Trópico Seco in Nicaragua. She grew up in the Jalapa Valley, and her hope is to one day establish a business that supplies agricultural products to support local farmers.