Rival   gangs   are   fighting   each   other,   as   well   as   police   and  military   patrols,   and   even   an   anonymous   vigilante   group.  Since   July   2015,   the   region   counted   over   15   homicides,   and  numerous  cases  of  rape,  death  threats,  and  extortion.  Voices’  local   partners   are   caught   in   the   middle   of   what   many   are  calling  El  Salvador’s  new  war.  Some  are   forced  to  migrate   to  escape  credible  death  threats.  Others  want  to  flee  before  they  get  caught  in  the  wrong  place  at  the  wrong  time.  This  unstable  climate  has  greatly  effected  educational  development.    This  year,  Voices  has  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  meeting  with  local   leaders,   consulting   with   experts,   and   reviewing   the  academic   literature   to   figure   out   how   to   best   respond.   The  consensus   is   that  we   need   to   provide   Bajo   Lempa   Youth  with  access  to  quality  education  –  keeping  kids  in  school  is  the  key  to  keeping  them  safe.      

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Lograr  en  Educación  Rural  L  .  E  .  E  .  R  

Radically  altering  the  culture  of  education  in  the  Bajo  Lempa   PROJECT  PROPOSAL    

Inside  

Over  the  past  year,  notoriously  violent  gangs  have  moved  into  the  Bajo  Lempa.  

Success  in  Rural  Education  

Studying  student  in  Amando  Lopez    

 

Community  Board  of  Education  

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In   partnership   with   educators,   support   staff  and   parents,   the   mission   of   the   BOE   is   to  ensure   that   all   students   develop   the  knowledge,   skills   and   character  necessary   to  reach   their  highest   potential   and   to   become  productive   members   of   their   communities.  As  an  elected  body,  it  represents  the  views  of  the  community  on  issues  affecting  education,  safety  and  the  environment.      

The   Bajo   Lempa   Board   of   Education   will  advocate  on  behalf  of  local  schools,  students,  and  teachers,  to  increase  the  support  it  needs  from   government   agencies.   The   Board   of  Education   will   also   promote   education   and  parent/guardian   participation   in   childhood  development,   to   strengthen   the   culture   of  education  throughout  the  region.      

During   their   3-­‐year   term,   board   members  work   together   to   establish   effective   policies;  set,   approve   and   monitor   educational   goals  and   curriculum   changes;   and   collaborate  

To  set  the  standard  for  a  sustainable,  effective  and  community  based  learning  environment  

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with   the   school’s   executive   staff   to   set  direction  for  each  year.      

Community   members   are   encouraged   to  attend  and  participate  in  board  meetings.  Each  town   that   sends   children   to   Amando   Lopez,  including   Amando   Lopez,   will   have   to  democratically   elect   a   parent   representative  for   each   year.   In   doing   so,   this   project  proposes  that  each  town  also  create  a  position  for   that   representative   in   their   own  Community   Boards   –if   they   do   not   already  have  one–  so  the  representative  will  be  able  to  share   information   on   behalf   of   the   BOE   and  vice  versa.      

BOE  will  also  use  it’s  members'  experiences  to  influence   education   policy,   work   with   the  ministry   of   education,   teachers   unions   and  other   community   based   groups   to   seek   the  best  developmental  policies  for  both  students,  educators  and  the  schools.      

Community  Executive  Board  of  Amando  Lopez    

 

 

 Innovating  the  

Curriculum  

 

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The  Board  of  Education  will  also  partner  with  Voices   on   the   Border   and   other   education  experts  to  redesign  the  school  curriculum  so  that   it   is   more   relevant   to   rural   Salvadoran  communities.  In  addition  to  updating  current  courses,  the  new  curriculum  will  include  new  classes   on   climate   change,   food   sovereignty,  sustainable   agriculture,   and   other   topics  relevant  to  living  in  the  Bajo  Lempa.    

The   project   coordinator,   local   educators,  experts   and   Ministry   of   Education   officials  will   partner   with   staff   from   the   Carlos  Rosario  Charter   School   in  Washington,  D.C.  to  form  a  curriculum  development  committee.  Developers   will   be   tasked   with   reviewing,  updating   and   adding   to   the   current  curriculum  being  used   in   all  Amando  Lopez  schools.   Five   new   subjects   that   will   be  proposed   to   the   education  model   are   Sexual  &   Reproductive   Health,   Climate   Change,  Civic   Participation,   Arts   &   Culture   and  Sustainable   Agriculture   &   Food   Sovereignty.  

To  ensure  the  material  being  taught  is  relevant    to  the  realities  of  youth  in  the  Bajo  Lempa    

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The  committee  will  be  expected  to  incorporate  popular  education  material  from  Eqiupo  Maiz,  use   online   resources   and   bring   interactive  solutions  and  technology  into  the  classroom.      

The  new  curriculum  will  focus  on  maintaining  and   strengthening   the   wellness   and  sustainability   of   their   communities.   The  committee   will   also   devise   an   official  curriculum   evaluation   form   that   will   be   used  in   determining   the   effectiveness   of   the  material  after  one  full  school  year  has  ended.    

Curriculum   development   has   a   broad   scope  because   it   is   not   only   about   the   school,   the  learners  and   the   teachers.   It   is  also   about   the  development  of  a  society  in  general.  In  today’s  knowledge  economy,  curriculum  development  plays   a   vital   role.   It   also   provides   answers   or  solutions   to   the   world’s   pressing   conditions  and   problems,   such   as   environment,   politics,  socio-­‐economics,  and  other   issues  on  poverty,  climate  change  and  sustainable  development.  

Livelihood  in  Amando  Lopez    

 

 Supportive    Services  

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LEER  recognizes  the  emotional  well  being  of  educators,   students   and   families   as   an  important  part  of  academic  success.  Working  through   such   issues   as   family   separation,  gang   induced   fear   and   undiagnosed  developmental  disabilities  will  go  a  long  way  in  dignifying   the  child’s  potential  and  create  a  more  inclusive  learning  environment.      

Voices   and   the   Education   Board  will   train   a  team   of   teachers   to   provide   mental   health  services   (the   increase  of  violence  has   caused  high   rates   of   PTSD),   special   education,   and  guidance  counseling.    

Trained  school  psychologists  and  experts  will  help   form   a   community-­‐based   Support  Services   Team   that   provides   individual  assessment,   teacher   counseling,   group  training   and   treatment   of   students   with  special   needs.   The   team  will   work   to   assess  and   address   needs   while   dedicating   time   to  building  local  capacity.      

In  a  climate  of  increasing  fear  and  violence,  the  importance  of  behavioral  and  developmental  awareness  is  undeniable    

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The  main  objectives  of  the  Support  Team  are:      

• Establish  and  maintain  a  consistent  way  to  identify  and  assess  special  needs  students  

• Determine,   plan,   and   organize   required  services   with   the   coordination   of   local  agencies  and  community  groups  

• Provide  assistance  to  help  family  members    • Plan  and  co-­‐ordinate  staff  development    • Maintain  an  information  system  necessary  

for  planning  storing  and  reporting  data  • Participate   in   community-­‐level   planning  

with   community   boards,   agencies   and  government   departments   to   set   service  priorities  

The   support   team   will   ultimately   be  responsible   for   providing   informational  workshops   to   help   educators   and   parents  better   understand   the   child’s   learning,  developmental   or   emotional   disability   and  provide  effective  tools  on  how  to  manage  it.        

 

A  mother  and  her  school-­‐aged  children    

 

 

Organizational  Accountability  By  creating  the  Board  of  Education  the  region  will  have  the  infrastructure   it   needs   to   advocate   for   appropriate  resources,  not   just  now  but   for  as   long  as   the  organization  exists.    Creating  Future  Leaders  The   Board   also   ensures   that   there   are   mechanisms   for  ensuring  the  curriculum  in  place  is  appropriate  to  the  needs  of  the  students,  and  is  preparing   them  with  the  knowledge  and  skillsets  necessary  to  be  future  leaders.  And  even  in  an  economically   depressed   region   like   the   Bajo   Lempa,  guidance  counseling  on  career  options  and  life  choices  will  help  youth  develop  and  pursue  their  interests.    Addressing  Special  Needs  Ensuring  the  appropriate  placement  of  students  with  special  needs   in   well   equipped   and   nurturing   learning   programs  and   activities   is   extremely   relevant   to   the   academic   and  developmental  success  of   the   individual  child,   their   family,  the  other  students  and  educators.  

Social  Impacts  Community  Executive  Boards    will   open   a   space   for   parent   reps   in  each  community  as  well  as  a  Board    of  Education  space  in  Amando  Lopez.      Ministry  of  Education    will   help   to   provide   experts,   advice  and   financial   support   as   we   rework  the   current   curriculum   and   school  infrastructure.    Carlos  Rosario  Charter  School    is   an   adult   education   school   for  immigrants   in   Washington,   D.C..  Staff   from   the   school   will  work  with  local   educators   and   experts   to  develop   an   effective   and   sustainable  education  model.      Salvadoran  Center  for  Appropriate  Technologies(CESTA)  Salvadoran  Ecological  Unit(UNES)  Well-­‐known   NGOs   that   promote  appropriate   social   and   ecological  technology;  they  will  provide  support  in   creating   a   more   environmentally  based  curriculum.  

COLLABORATIONS  

What  makes  this  project  unique?  Each   of   the   30   communities   in   the   Bajo   Lempa   has   an  elementary  school,  but  there  are  only  5  middle  schools  and  3  high  schools,  and  only  20%  of  youth  study  past  the  6th  grade.      LEER  aims  to  keep  youth  in  school  (and  away  from  gangs  or  sitting   idol   at   home),   by   working   with   teachers   and  administrators  to  give  them  a  reason  to  stay,  and  a  reason  for  parents   to   send   them.   Making   education   relevant,  maximizing   educator’s   potentials   and   providing   effective  supportive   services   will   ensure   a   sustainable   development.  This  project  does  not  pretend   to   fix   all  of   the  problems   that  prevent  youth  from  attending  school.  But  this  project  creates  the  infrastructure  necessary  so  that  communities  can  identify  other  issues,  current  and  future,  and  address  them.    

The  Future    

KEY    

   

Lorem  Ipsum  

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