The 140 children ages 3-18 who attend Amaro Tan School, in Pogradec, Albania, come from challenging home environments. Most of them come from the Roma and Balkan Egyptian communities and have parents with limited (if any) education. This 1-year pilot project targets parents of Amaro Tan students. Lack of parental buy-in depresses student performance in school. This project invests parents in attendance and grades by offering credits at local grocery stores, awarded at the end of each trimester.
At Amaro Tan, attendance and academic performance of our students is not always supported by students' parents. Many parents have had little or no education themselves and live with extreme poverty and chronic unemployment. This project will offer tangible benefits tied to attendance, good grades, and good behavior. We expect it to motivate parents to get their children to school on time and to do their homework, so that the students form good habits and realize their potential as learners.
Amaro Tan has come up with a system of points to be awarded for good grades and attendance, along with conduct problems that result in loss of points. Points are tabulated at the end of each trimester and are good for credit at local grocery stores. Parents choose what they buy (alcohol and tobacco excluded) and NG is billed at a discounted rate. This project will provide a powerful motivation for parents not only to enroll kids in school but be sure they sure they show up and do their work.
Education changes lives, and that is the goal of this project. Investing in the education of Amaro Tan students gives them a better shot at a brighter future. By giving parents a reason to support their children's performance in school, this project will help more of the children stay in school for longer, learn better, and succeed in high school and beyond. It will break the cycle of poverty in their communities and give a new generation better options for success in work and in life.
