By Anina Hewey | Communications Associate
The 2015 school year has been filled with activity for the children in our education and nutrition programs in Nicaragua. Fabretto's after-school classes are typically called "enrichment classes"; these classes not only help students master important skills to help them excel in regular public school classes, but also enrich the educational experience by introducing new skills, experiences, and approaches to learning to give underserved children access to quality education.
We believe that the best way to learn about Fabretto is from our students, in their own words, so we sat down with Adriana* (name has been changed to protect privacy), a primary student from the town of Ocotal, to hear her perspective on Fabretto's program. This spunky girl loves learning and trying out new activities! She shared her five favorite things about Fabretto's Primary Enrichment Program:
1. A full day of learning: “If we weren’t in enrichment classes we would be at home doing nothing," said Adriana. While the average Nicaraguan public school day averages just 4 hours long, she and her classmates are at Fabretto's Education Center participating in meaningful activities in the afternoon.
2. Confidence: “We aren’t shy to talk to a group of people anymore, since in enrichment classes we present our work a lot,” said Adriana, who is empowered by the student-centered methodology used in Fabretto classes (which is very different from typical teacher-centered, lecture-style classes). Adriana has even participated in public performances outside of the classroom in her community; she explained, “Thanks to Fabretto, I’ve gotten to travel to [nearby town] Somoto for dance performances and municipal competitions and to [capital city] Managua for a literacy fair.”
3. Individualized support: “When I started enrichment classes I was horrible at math," Adriana confessed. "But," she continued, "With help from my after-school teacher, I've gotten so much better.” Like most parents in Nicaragua, Adriana's mom and dad must work demanding jobs in order to make ends meet, and they aren't always available to help her and her two siblings with homework. Fabretto after-school classes offer students like Adriana critical educational support to ensure that they succeed in school.
4. Love of reading: “I already have 5 pages of library borrowing cards filled out with books I’ve borrowed,” she beams. Families in Nicaragua often struggle to cover the costs of basic school supplies and rarely have the luxury of being able to own books, and public lending libraries are rare. At Fabretto's library, Adriana can check out and read as many books as she likes, and she's grown into an avid reader.
5. Creativity:“In [public school] class, we write and write and write, whereas in Fabretto enrichment classes we write, but we also have fun and let our imaginations go wild!” Fabretto after-school classes expose children to the arts and nurture creativity through arts & crafts, traditional folkloric dance lessons, and more. For Adriana, who dreams of becoming a writer when she grows up, Fabretto classes give her the chance to expand her horizons.
Adriana is just one of the many students whom your donations supports. Thank you for bringing quality education and opportunity to children in Nicaragua!
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By Anina Hewey | Communications Associate
By Anina Hewey | Communications Associate
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