By Antonia McGrath | educate. Director
Dear educate. supporters,
The last few months at educate. have been filled with progress! We are continuing to advance with the Youth Center and have also launched our High School scholarship programme with a first 10 students in grades 7 through 12. educate. is growing in ways we could never have imagined just 12 months ago, and that is in large part thanks to all of your support.
Our scholarship programme is supporting students who were selection for their passion and determination to pursue their education despite economic and social barriers. Many of them had been forced to drop out of high school during the 2-year school closures due to COVID-19, as they were unable to follow online classes and, in some cases, had to work to support their families. Among them are several young entrepreneurs: 7th grader Darnella who dedicates her free time to making hammocks, 12th grader Rosa Sarahi who works as an assistant at a Kindergarten in the mornings, and 9th grader Robin Ariel who works alongside his mother making bracelets. All ten students are picked up and dropped off each day by a minibus hired by educate. in order to access the nearest high school. For these students, distance and the cost of transportation was preventing them from accessing education.
The Youth Center and the scholarship programme are intimately connected: our scholars are attending the center every Saturday to participate in community activities surrounding literacy, teambuilding, leadership and environmental education. These 10 students will also be among the founding members of the Youth Center project, helping to create the space and bring this project to fruition.
Another key member of the Youth Center project is local artist and art teacher ChoChe, known as “Mr. Insekto” for the way that he gets students involved in art projects “like a team of insects,” all working together. ChoChe has been involved in educate.’s library mural painting since 2018, and is helping to design the furniture and murals that will fill the youth center. Inspired by Montessori education systems, his vision is to create a space unlike any other, that is creative not just in its programmes but in the way that it is physically set up. Together with ChoChe we are working to finalize our designs before beginning the furniture fabrication process with local carpenters.
Meanwhile, all of this progress is possible thanks to our local project coordinator Walter Dubon, who has been working for educate. three days a week since April. Walter leads the scholarship programme and the Saturday activities, and is coordinating all the moving parts of the Youth Center project together with the local municipality. We know that people are at the core of our work and we believe that having paid local leaders is crucial to ensuring the quality and long-term growth and sustainability of our work.
As always, we are immensely grateful for your support, and we look forward to keeping you up to date as things continue to progress!
With great appreciation,
Antonia
By Antonia McGrath | educate. Director
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