This project seeks to reduce the digital gap of children and their families in our community by providing access to internet connection and technological devices in order to minimize school dropouts and learning loss due to the COVID-19 crisis. Colegio La Fontaine is closed since March 2020 but provides online education to its 174 students. In case the government of Colombia does not allow schools to reopen, we need to ensure that every single child keeps learning and developing skills at home.
In Colombia, as in many developing countries, quality education is an issue. Low income families do not have access to high quality schools because they are not affordable. English teaching and technology are hardly ever part of the curriculum in early stages of education. This creates inequality gaps because these children will not develop the abilities and knowledge to be competitive in a globalized world. Creating affordable bilingual schools is a way to create justice in an unequal world.
We founded an elementary school that provides access to affordable quality education to underserved children in Cali Colombia. It prepares students with XXI century skills and knowledge such as STEAM education and bilingualism for only USD$35 a month. Our school serves today almost 200 students and their families who are highly involved. We work together with the community as well as with local and international partner organizations. Now because of COVID-19 our school operates 100% online.
We dream of a network of bilingual schools for low income families in Colombia. Now that COVID-19 changed the way we operate, we see a great opportunity to maximize our impact thanks to the creation of an online platform that will allow more and more children in Colombia to keep enrolled in the education system as long as they have access to internet connection at home.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
