A Brief History

walking into the Manuel Ortega girls´ school at recess is like walking into chaos. A welcoming chaos where girls´ are coming up to you to say hello, practice the few English words they know and find out where you are from.

After several years of experience working in the Bilingual Education project, ICAmigos became interested in developing an educational project within the city of Quetzaltenango to benefit the local community and provide volunteer opportunities close to the Spanish school. We began working at San Jose La Viña in 1994, just 20 minutes walking distance from ICA.

Ten years later, we began working in a new school, Manuel Ortega, however there are students in San Jose La Viña who continue to receive scholarships for study.

WHAT DO THE PROJECTS CONSIST OF?

There are less than 500 students, a mixed group of Mayans, Non-Mayan Guatemalans, and immigrants. The school is staffed by a Principal, and 13 full-time and part-time teachers. The government funds these positions and provides classes to pre-primary and primary level students from 4.5 to 13 years of age.

Volunteers assist in the classroom, teaching English and helping children to write. The project provides teacher’s aides to assist with the learning process in first and second grade classrooms, which are over-crowded. Support is also offered to fifth and sixth grade classes in social studies, with volunteers offering presentations, such as a description of a European country. Children in third and fourth grades are also offered enrichment in the form of sports clinics, theatre, group dynamics, etc.

STAFFING

PERMANENT: Includes a principal, thirteen full-time teachers who work directly with groups of students, and two part-time teachers, one in Physical Education and the other in Musical Development.

TEMPORARY:The school benefits from the services of student volunteers from various countries who work in the mornings or afternoons with groups of children in the various grades. Minimum time commitment is three weeks.

FINANCING