When Literacy Trainer Jeremias Morales walks into a classroom, kids pay attention. Whether he’s reading a story, running an activity or working with a small group of students, Jeremias brings an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm to his work. He is adept at engaging kids, getting them involved in learning and making the experience […] Continue Reading
Child Aid News
A ‘To-Do’ List for Improving Libraries
As the only librarian in the town of San Miguel Morazán, Gloria Muños Garcia has worked hard to make her small municipal library a resource for her community. “I have learned how to classify and organize books,” she says, describing her accomplishments. “I invited teachers from the local school to bring their students to the […] Continue Reading
Teacher Followups Bring a Personal Touch to Training
One-on-one teacher followup sessions are at the heart of Child Aid’s Reading For Life program and are what distinguishes it from other teacher training programs in Guatemala. Follow Literacy Trainer Jeremias Morales as he helps teachers in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala apply the techniques and activities they learned in Reading for Life workshops in their classrooms. Continue Reading
How Book Donations Make a Difference
Child Aid received and distributed over 50,000 donated books from U.S. publishers and non-profit book consolidators this year. See how we got those books to rural schools and libraries, how they are being used and the difference they are making in the lives of Guatemalan children. Continue Reading
Librarians Gather for ‘Adventures in Reading’ Workshop
The Guatemalan school year ends in October and as schools begin to wind down, Child Aid staff and partner libraries are getting ready to launch another year of Adventuras de Lectura (Adventures in Reading), Child Aid’s school break reading program. This past week, forty-seven librarians gathered in Antigua for the first of three Adventures in […] Continue Reading
New Books Help School Launch a Weekend Lending Program
Earlier this year, the tiny school of La Vega near Patzun, Guatemala started something new for their 40 students. Every Friday, a group of student leaders, called the Gobierno Escolar, selects books from the school’s small library and visits classrooms to distribute the books to their fellow students. The students hand in their ID badges […] Continue Reading
Librarians Get a New Tool for Book Lending
When Child Aid Country Director John van Keppel and Library Coordinator Carlos Pos visited the library at the public school in Agua Escondida earlier this month, they were thrilled to see the librarian, Clara Luz Mox Umul, and a group of students huddled around a small plastic box. They were using a new checkout system, introduced […] Continue Reading
Student Profile: Erick Patzán Ramírez
Erick Patzán Ramírez is a hard worker. Now 17 and in his fifth (or junior) year at Pedro Molina High School, Erick wants to use his academic skills and knowledge to pursue a career in Computer Technology after graduation. The oldest of four siblings, Erick is on track to be the first of his family […] Continue Reading
Teaching Kids to Read in Many Languages
How might a teacher in Guatemala say “good morning, how are you?” to a student as they enter the classroom? In Spanish: “Buenos días, ¿cómo estás?” In Kaqchikel: “Xsaqer, utz awach?” In K’iche: “Saqarik, jasmächa?” In Tz’utujil: “Saqari, utz awach?” Roughly the size of the state of Ohio, Guatemala is home to just over 14 […] Continue Reading
Jorge Sanum Buch Leads Kids by Example
Jorge Sanum Buch knows both the importance and the value of education – something that gives him much joy (and smiles) when working with kids in Child Aid’s Reading for Life literacy program. Jorge grew up in the Kaqchikel-speaking village of El Sitio, Guatemala. His childhood was similar to other indigenous Mayan children raised in […] Continue Reading