Literacy for Dominican-Haitian Youth in the Batey

This September, Yspaniola welcomed students and local staff back from a well-deserved summer break. Classes in our Learning Center kicked off, with students excited for the school year and the new resources and programs available in the Learning Center.  There have been a lot changes to our academic programming this year, so we are eager to update you!

The normal excitement for the start of the school year is accompanied by important structural change in students' education in Batey Libertad this year. In 2012-2013, the Dominican government announced the roll-out of an extended school day in 96 public schools with the intention of gradually expanding this policy throughout the country. This would expand the school day from the traditional four hours of instruction to a full day with eight hours. These changes reached the public school in Batey Libertad this August, and they have compelled us to adapt our educational programs to continue to serve our students effectively.

We are working with the director and his staff at the local public school to make sure our students have the necessary support to adapt to these developments. Yspaniola's teachers have established a pilot program to deliver our literacy-focused curriculum within the public school setting to continue the supplemental education they have always provided in the Learning Center. At the school, we are working with students in grades two, three, four and five.  For our literacy classes, we organize our classes by reading level so teachers can create lessons that best address the needs and abilities of students.

In addition to our work within the public school, we continue to serve students in our Learning Center and Preschool.  This year, our preschool will deliver early childhood education to four-year-olds in our first ever Kinder class. Lead Teacher Leidy, and her two bilingual Creole and Spanish-speaking Teaching Assistants, Johnny and Yohana, will help students establish a solid base of Spanish language speaking and listening skills, which will give them an important head start when they are old enough to start school.

We are also offering after-school classes for older students who want to practice reading and writing and work on what they learn during the full school day.  Every Monday and Tuesday afternoon, our most advanced students gather in the Learning Center to work on their literacy skills. Some of the older students wanted to help the younger learners at Yspaniola, so on Wednesdays and Thursday, a group of students who are fluent readers serve as mentors to younger students, offering one-on-one literacy tutoring.  Mentors in this initiative have access to an extensive collection of books from our library that they can use for their tutoring.

This summer we were able to undertake an extensive renovation project in our Learning Center library and our Preschool reading corner. Our talented local teacher and library coordinator, Mayra, oversaw the installation of purpose-built shelving, improved ventilation, and the redecoration of the spaces to be as bright and welcoming as can be!  We also purchased new books to inspire the imaginations of students of all levels. This expanded program will give students the extra attention and practice they need to continue to excel. Along with renovating our library, we have expanded our reading hour, now offering the program twice a week. Young readers have been excited to spend time in our cozy library and have access to a wide variety of books. We can’t wait to see how our students continue to use our library and develop their reading skills!

As always, Yspaniola is deeply grateful to all of our donors at Global Giving. Your support is critical to the success of our organization and the implementation of our new programs.  We will keep you updated on the 2018-2019 school year!