Project Report
| Jun 3, 2020
Skills of success during COVID-19 crisis
By Nataly Byrne | Communications Assistant
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Dear Friends,
The past months have been challenging for all members of the NDG Team, the current situation regarding the COVID-19 crisis has forced us to find new ways to keep on with our mission of providing education to our students.
Since the COVID-19 started spreading in Guatemala, all schools closed including of course NDG schools in Ciudad Vieja and San Lorenzo el Cubo.
Even though at first it was hard to come up with a backup plan, we got it. Since then, the NDG school staff has been handing out worksheets to each and every of our students. These worksheets started as a review of the topics that teachers taught in the previous months. Now we are happy to announce that the worksheets include new topics so our students are learning new things every 15 days.
We are also very happy to see that NDG parents are getting more and more involved in their children´s education since they are the ones coming to the schools to pick up new worksheets and to turn in homework.
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Feb 3, 2020
Looking back at 2019
By Zita Tangel | Communications Manager
![Students in class]()
Students in class
Dear friends,
In 2019, together we achieved great impact - thank you. Please see the below:
- Our director, Julio, is taking the quality of our education to the next level, highlights include the English Dual Immersion Program and emotional intelligence.
- We received 279 volunteers who dedicated more than 5,000 hours to supporting education, particularly in our Dual Immersion Program.
- We welcomed 70 new sponsors to our Sponsorship Program, providing our students with the support they need to succeed.
- We launched our PenPal program, creating a global exchange and support network for students and long-term relationship with donors.
- We completed the first year of our Bachillerato (high school) program.
- We have seen enormous improvements via our Skills for Success Program. Teachers are getting more creative, kids are speaking more in English and classes are more interactive. We are looking forward to the next school year when we can see more progress.
First highlights of 2020:
- From all of us at Niños de Guatemala, thank you for your continued support and for helping our students shine. You are helping to change the world!!
- January was the start of the new school year, and we've welcomed back 550 students. Our primary schools have added an additional hour to their classes now ending at 1.30pm.
- As of 2020 we officially have 26 students enrolled, providing them with the skills they will need for life after they finish school.
- In January the school opened its doors after one month of holidays. Thanks to a generous donation, we've received over a 100 new backpacks to give to the students who needed them the most.
We very much are looking forward to continue the work we do, and will keep you updated on all that is happening in our schools and our Skills for Success Program! Thank you for your continued support of Niños de Guatemala.
![Computer class]()
Computer class
![Start of the new school year]()
Start of the new school year
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Nov 4, 2019
Skills for Success Update
By Zita Tangel | Communications Manager
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We have had some busy months for all of us at Niños de Guatemala. Skills for Success is up and running and we now have a full-time Coordinator supporting us on this program to guarantee its success. Our teachers have been training hard with our new methodologies. We are are eager to see the impact on results and are excited for what the future holds.
For our component literacy skills in Spanish as part of the Skills for Success Program we've started using the Reading A-Z curriculum. To stimulate reading amongst students we've created reading corners in the classrooms where the students can sit down and read their books.
As part of the literacy skills in English we are implementing our Dual Immersion Program in the Pre-K, Kindergarten and first grade. Currently, 30% of their classes are taught in English. Students will be evaluated next semester with the aim of moving a full language level from A1 level to A2 biannually and working their way up to proficiency level by the end of their 12 academic years.
Technology is being used to make all these programs a success, such as tablets, projectors, televisions, and of course, a reliable internet connection.
To maximize the impact of our Skills for Success Program we are organizing a weeklong teacher training in November. Over 20 teachers and their principles will be trained in a combination of Math and Playnovate (Project based learning).
Our students are officially finishing the school year, and our graduates said goodbye to their teachers and the school. We are looking forward to celebrating their achievements with them at graduation in November.
![Teacher Renato]()
Teacher Renato
![Reading]()
Reading
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