As the coffee season approaches in Guatemala, the school year draws to an end. In the past, children were seen as an important source of labor in the picking and gathering of coffee, one of the country's major cash crops. At La Puerta Abierta, November signifies vacation...not for the teachers as we offer our programs year round, but for the students of Santiago who will enjoy a two month break for formal education.
Some children will continue to work the coffee fields during the vacation months and many more will accompany their parents to harvest their family crops or to haul fire-wood from the surrounding mountains.
This said, over 100 children will participate in 8 weeks of fun, stimulating, and engaging classes throughout the next two months of vacation at our center. In the mornings, Wendy, Chonita and I have been busy working with our pre-school aged children with 3 different early stimulation classes.
During the afternoon hours, Candelaria and Chonita host a group of 15 school aged children who participate in a program called, "Adventures in Reading." In addition to exploring literature, the students are exposed to creative learning techniques, academic reinforcement and critical thinking skills. Angelika continues to join us every Friday afternoon to teach a two hour art class. Her young artists range in age of 7 years old to 32 year old (I participate too).
4 year old Geremias visits the library three mornings a week for early stimulation classes and a toddler art class. His mother shares, "Geremias loves coming to La Puerta Abierta and wishes that he could assist classes every day."
I am thrilled to know that even at a very young age we are providing the children of our community with a positive connection to education.
