The purpose of this project is to provide each of our students with a set of school uniforms. We have decided to focus on uniforms at the request of teachers and parents alike, and we hope that they will enhance the overall accessibility and equity of our learning spaces. The uniforms also align with the tenants of our new Montessori curriculum by creating unity and structure for each of the Yspaniola students. We hope to offer uniforms to all 100 student at our preschool and learning center.
Currently Yspaniola students don't have uniforms to wear to school, which our teachers have noticed creates distractions and reinforces the unequal economic conditions of our students. Many parents don't have the means to send their children to school in adequate clothing every day, and adding uniforms will address many of these concerns, ultimately allowing the students to focus more on classroom activities.
Providing student uniforms will offer a range of benefits for parents, teachers, and students. For parents, uniforms will help reduce the economic burden of schooling. Within the classroom, uniforms will improve the educational environment by instilling a sense of equality and unity among students and teachers, eliminating distractions and competition in the classroom, and creating greater space to focus on learning. This project will reach all of our 100 students.
This project contributes to our larger goal of offering equal educational opportunities to students in Batey Libertad. Additionally, the initiative is part of a greater shift towards Montessori education. As we continue to improve our Montessori program, teachers feel that the next step must be student uniforms. Uniforms serve as an opportunity for students to practice "freedom within limits," a defining characteristic of the Montessori model.
