Thanks to your generous support, we have been able to sponsor 38 students so far to continue studying at Los Alagrrobos. As you know, the majority of our families' livlihoods depend on tourism, which took a heavy hit in March when the government imposed lockdown restrictions. Even though many business have opened since, the economic situation for some of our families continues to be desperate. Thanks to you, they are able to keep their students at Los Algarrobos and continue to benefit from our English classes, environmental education, and access to our library.
In October, the Ecuadorian government asked all schools to do a social study of their families and decide whether to return to the classroom or not through a democratic process. We met with representatives of the local municipality and health center to determine if the school grounds were ready for students to return to the classroom. The decision to return or not was ultimatley determined when the survey of our families revealed that over 70% do not feel comfortable returning to the classroom. Respecting their wishes, we have resolved to continue virtual until further notice.
That said, we are very proud at the progress our teachers have made through their virtual studies. We started the second semester with an extended class schedule to move faster in areas like math and reading. We are also transitioning to a new online platform, Google Classroom. English studies hours have also increased and we continue our monthly environmental education activites online. Our teachers are constantly preparing and researching new ways to use online tools in the virtual classroom.
Again, thank you so much for your support this year! As we approach year-end giving, please consider continuing your support! On December 1st, GlobalGiving is giving a million dollars in matching funds! The more you donate, the greater our match! And from December 14-18, switch to a monthly donation and it will recieve a 200% match on the first month! Join our team! Help us keep our doors open next year by giving during one of these special match opportunities!
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When the pandemic hit during our summer vacation we knew that this was going to be a particularly difficult year in so many ways. At first we weren't sure if the school would be able to continue at all. About half of the school's income comes from tuition and the other half is fundraising by the James Dean Byrd Foundation. With the sever lockdown here, most of our families were no longer able to work and didn't have savings to count on. Many told us that they would have no choice but to withdraw their children because they knew they wouldn't be able pay their part.
With the first hurtle, the matriculation fee, we received over 30 donated matriculation fees! This guarenteed that we could open our doors, and stay open when other private schools in our area have closed!
Then, between GlobalGiving and local Ecuadorian sponsors in Quito, we now have 36 students with full or half scholarships that are able to continue studying with Los Algarrobos and enure that the school stays open for the rest of the school year and into the future! The families that have received help are those that would not have been able to continue, we are so grateful that they are still with us!
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