About US

At Backpack International, we are dedicated to empowering students across the globe by providing essential resources for academic success. Through mission trips that deliver backpacks filled with school supplies and hygiene products, as well as enriching educational programs through our microschool, Terra Nova, we strive to make a lasting impact in the lives of children in need.

where it started

In 2016, Oslyn Rodriguez returned to her native Guyana, South America, after 14 years to celebrate her grandfather's 85th birthday. During an outdoor gathering her family hosted, they invited local village children to join in the festivities, and about 50 children attended.

As Oslyn looked around the village while everyone sang songs and enjoyed food and drinks, she noticed the absence of playgrounds, parks, community centers, or libraries. Many children were barefoot, not by choice, and others wore tattered clothing. Inspired by what she saw, Oslyn began jotting down ideas for how she could help these children, leading to the founding of Backpack International.

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President and founder

MEET OSLYN

Oslyn is a daughter of the Most High God, a wife, mother, minister, and self-proclaimed Renaissance woman. She has been happily married to Pastor Angel Rodriguez for nearly 20 years and they have four amazing children: Josiah, Jonah, Micah, and Aimee-Miah.

After graduating from Hofstra University, Oslyn began her teaching career at Baldwin Middle School in Baldwin, NY. She earned her Master's degree and Educational Leadership & Administration Certificate from New York Institute of Technology and The College of Saint Rose.

As a certified teacher, school administrator, and John Maxwell speaker, coach, and trainer, Oslyn has a rich educational background. The Rodriguez family relocated from New York to Alabama when Josiah and Jonah were toddlers, where they discovered a love for homeschooling. This passion led Oslyn to become the director of a homeschool community in Opelika, AL.

After about ten years in Alabama, they felt led to move to South Florida. Oslyn taught at a private Christian school for a year but missed her family and returned to homeschooling. In January 2024, she founded Terra Nova (Latin for “new territory” or “new earth”), a microschool serving Christian homeschool families.

CONTACT OSLYN

BEYOND BACKPACKS

Backpack International began by providing backpacks to children in Guyana. We quickly recognized that the need was equally significant in our local communities and in other countries like Mexico and Belize. Since 2016, we have served children and families in Alabama, Florida, and ten countries worldwide. Each year, we aim to expand our reach to even more countries. If you'd like to donate to support families in need, please click the button below!

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