Give Maya First Graders The Tools to Succeed

The Learning Center began the 2026 program in January, enrolling the students and assigning them to teachers and classes. The public school system didn't begin until February, but the additional time gave the teachers the opportunity to evaluate each student's academic needs and prepare their plans accordingly. Then, as the public school system begins there was ample time to respond to the students' homework needs. 

The Learning Center curriculum is based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy which emphasizes experiential learning. The teachers design learning activities that the children enjoy (and the children arrive early for their 2-hour week-daily class.) 

The Learning Center emphasizes work that is based on the Maya Mam culture and language. The public school system is supposed to do so as well, but it is not executed there as well as it might be, sometimes because the teachers are not Mam, sometimes because there are just too many students.

This year, each class at the Learning Center has received two Maya number-based games, two variants of dominoes. One is Kanuk' and looks the same as western dominoes except with Maya numerals that are based on 20 instead of 10, the other is Oxnuk' a triangular dominoes game. 

The Learning Center also takes advantage of the UN's International Day of Mother Tongue to celebrate even more intensely the value of Mam and the students' culture. The children perform traditional dances and sing in Mam along with the participation of their parents.

Your donations contribute to strengthing the educational experiences of first graders so they are better able to succeed in an overcroweded public school system that is not funded to provide an adequate education.

The program has been in place since its pilot year in 2016, we REALLY appreciate on-going donations to fund each year's work -- the teachers' nominal salaries along with creative materials and experiences to support the learning.

Thank  You, Chjonte, and Muchas Gracias!!!

Caryn

The 2025 school year is winding down. We don't quite have their results for the year -- their teachers are working on their evaluations for the end of the month. However, we know that their public school teachers have recognized that their skills have benefited from the additional learning time. The public school teachers struggle with 35 or 40 children in a classroom and meager books and supplies. They are pleased that the children who need a bit more help have a place to go to get it.

Grupo Cajolá opened a small library in October. The town of Cajolá, with its more than 50% illiteracy, has no library. The library is currently open just to the Learning Center and Grupo Cajolá's preschool. The children are participating in a reading program. They read 20 minutes each day and log their reading. And they love to read!! So they were thrilled when the new library opened and they could go and select a new book when they finished the current one.

We would welcome another financial contribution. The program will run til December 15th and then open again -- with a new set of first graders -- in mid January 2026. 

Thank you for collaborating with Grupo Cajolá in our work to provide a quality education to the youth of Cajolá.