Enhancing rural education

Year: 2013
Country: Dominican Republic
Project Status: Funded
Impact Sector: Education
Project Investment: $299.95

Project Launch:

In Buen Hombre, Dominican Republic, a rural coastal community with about 650 residents, the average adult has completed education only through the fifth grade. To this day, the school in the community only goes through eighth grade. Those who wish to continue their education and obtain a high school diploma must travel ten kilometers from their homes every day, which results in many youth choosing to forego their high school education. This project will build a library in the community’s school to reinforce the benefits of learning and create educational murals with children to promote reading and learning. School leaders will is build moveable maps using light plywood that will be transported classroom to classroom to be used as teaching tools. And finally, as there is no trash service at the school, students will be collecting trash to create recycled benches for the school grounds and to promote fun, practical environmental education. The larger goal of the project is to make school a more dynamic and fun space and encourage more youth to pursue their high school education.

 

Project Update:


The library has been built and stocked with 150 new books. Three different murals were painted at the school, local park, and local fish shop, each conveying messages about taking care of the ocean and preserving natural resources. Community members and students participated in a National Beach Clean-Up day and helped removed trash from the local beach. A volleyball court was also built at the school to encourage youth engagement and physical exercise.

 

Testimonials


“The children here are rarely encouraged to be creative, so it was a pleasure to do so and some children were giddy over the opportunity to paint. The educational impacts of the murals have reached the youth of the population more than anyone else.” – Alexis, Peace Corps Volunteer
“I’m going to go tell my parents tonight that I got to paint today and it was so much fun!” – Yadira, 9 years old, Project Participant

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