“There is a deficiency, a poverty of books in our country,” says Magdaly Perez, Trinidad’s head Kindergarten teacher. Unlike many rural areas, Trinidad has a public Kindergarten where children in pre-school age come every day during the mornings to learn. It’s a small one-story building covered in brightly painted murals, a yellow wall surrounding it … Continue reading Trinidad Kindergarten Library: A Year and a Half Later
This past summer, two new educate.-funded libraries were inaugurated in Honduras. Both were located at small, rural public primary schools, where one teacher has all students from first through sixth grade in a single classroom - no small feat, especially with the limited resources both of these schools struggle with. Both projects were also led … Continue reading Two new libraries once again show the power of community leadership
“When children see their lives reflected in the books they read, they feel they and their lives are not invisible.” - Malorie Blackman. At the very first educate. library inauguration, in July 2018 at the Adrian Mejia School in El Progreso, children were clambering on their friends’ shoulders to peek through the window into their … Continue reading Latin American Children’s Books: Why Representation Matters (+ Book Recommendations!)
(Versión en Español mas abajo) La Lima, a small city in Honduras, is steeped in history. In the 1960s, most of the North Americans from the banana corporations that flourished at the time lived here. The Tela Railroad Company, part of the well-known Chiquita brand, was also based here at the time, and one of … Continue reading “For every 100 students who enroll, most don’t make it to the end”: Bringing books to La Lima, Honduras
On a sunny Thursday morning in Honduras, a truck laden with the books and desks rumbled its way up through the Honduran coffee-farming countryside to the rural town of Trinidad. Far too big for the town’s narrow streets, the truck barely made it to the school’s entrance, where the carpenters and visiting educate. representatives were … Continue reading “Viva la Biblioteca” at Escuela Guadalupe Ulloa
Along the colourful streets of Trinidad, Santa Barbara, just out of the centre, is a small one-story building covered in brightly painted murals. Trinidad’s only kindergarten has just over 100 children, and though resources are limited, the posters and paintings that cover the walls both inside and outside create a warm, friendly atmosphere. Though it … Continue reading Closing the Gap in Early Literacy
A library inauguration party is key to creating a sense of value for the community of this new space. It acts as a celebration of the work they have completed, and creates a sense of anticipation for the opportunities to come. Chispa Project, through whom we have been working to start the Adrian Mejia primary … Continue reading A Celebration of Literacy in El Progreso
(Versión en Español abajo) “Why do we read?” In the small, aluminum-roofed classroom, seven pencils scribbled. Chairs scraped on the concrete floor. A fan spun lazily in the corner, ruffling pages. On each desk sat a shiny children’s book, carefully selected from the new library. “Don’t write directly on top of the books - … Continue reading Starting a School Library that Actually Works
At the International School of Panama, grade 6 students have been busy over the past term organising a book drive. From logistics to publicity to sorting and storing the books, the project was 100% student led. The students managed to collect a grand total of 438 books, a number well over their goal of 350! … Continue reading Reflections on a Student-run Book Drive at the International School of Panama
We are incredibly excited to be able to announce that educate. has recently partnered with the International School of Panama in Panama City. The International School of Panama is home to over 1200 children from 50 countries and runs from Pre-K to 12th grade. educate. has partnered with the school’s Grade 6 Global Issues class, … Continue reading Panama International School Global Issues Partnership
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