We visited all 4 of our projects during October and November, and we are happy to report back that they have all been very successful!
The preschool program has several students that are ready to go to 1st grade in January. Others who are 4, 5, and 6 will continue on in the preschool, working on skills that will prepare them to be successful in 1st grade. They are learning more Spanish, working on alphabet and pre-reading skills (although some of them are already reading), socialization, small motor skills, and many other things that will prepare them for academic success in the future. Without this kind of support and opportunity that our projects provide, these rural Maya children would have a great deal of trouble succeeding in 1st grade and then might not continue with their education.
The 2 after-school tutorial programs have had great success with the children. Almost everyone who received the extra help was able to pass to the next grade level. In a similar way as the preschools, these projects are making sure that the children stay in school.