Empowering Poor, Rural Girls in Paraguay

Due to the consequences of the pandemic, one of them being the closure of Educational Institutions and the implementation of online classes, it was necessary to have a technological tool through which students could continue to learn and maintain contact with their teachers.

With the funds raised for the project, a student platform was developed and implemented in Mbaracayu seeking to facilitate contact between students and teachers. The portal allows the students to receive and submit their assignments, receive content and educational materials, maintain contact with teachers. Additionally, the platform will also enable students to evaluate their teachers and manage their entry and exit permissions from the institution.

Moreover it keeps the academic and field records of each of the students. Furthermore, it will serve as a means to follow up with students once they graduate to collect information about what the alumni are doing (studying, working,etc.).

As a first stage, a training session has been carried out for managers and some teachers in order for them to  discover the Student Portal, seeking the correct appropriation of the tool by teachers and students. In a second stage, the students will be able to use this tool from their mobile devices (cell phones).

Due to the Covid19 pandemic, our school switched to home school and home office in order to protect the health of our students, teachers and collaborators. Teachers received training and guidance on how to use digital platforms and we were able to reach 70% of our students. Students that did not have internet access in their houses received their assignments daily by professors, taking in consideration all health related measurements. 

Despite these challenges, the school participated in the 2020 Virtual Book Fair, organized by the Roosevelt Library, part of the American-Paraguayan Cultural Center, in Asuncion. During the Book Fair, the Director of the school and students representatives participated in the official launch of the book "Sustainable Adventures in Mbaracayú", a book for children inspired on the native protected forests of Mbaracayu, where the school is located Also, during the children’s week of the book fair, two students narrated stories of the book for children.