Transform Education for 90 Children in El Salvador

Poor infrastructure and low student performance plague the Salvadoran school system. For example, only 7% of sixth-grade students meet the minimum performance standard in math. These issues are especially true for rural schools, commonly described as 'low-quality,' 'painfully underresourced,' and 'hopeless.' With more than 70% of schools considered rural in El Salvador, our work at Perkin Educational Opportunities Foundation, Inc. is critical, with Amún Shéa School as a transformative model for all.

Since opening its doors in 2008, PEOF has provided more than 1,000 scholarships to Amún Shéa students. But why does that matter? These scholarships effectively subsidize each student's tuition, opening the doors to quality rural education for students from all economic backgrounds. Here at PEOF, we do not take lightly the need for access to quality education in the poorest region of El Salvador (i.e., Morazán).

That's why we are proud to share our 2023 annual report with the people who make this impact possible—YOU! Last year, we celebrated 15 years of Amún Shéa and impacted over 3,000 Pre-K to university students throughout Morazán. Thank you for making this good work possible. Please be sure to read the full annual report and let us know what you think!

--peace, love, & gratitude,
Michelle Martin Romero
Board President, PEOF, Inc.

Links:

• 2023 PEOF Annual Report

The following is a report written by Daphne Hofschulte, a supporter of PEOF and Amún Shéa School since 2008, and a member of the PEOF Board of Directors since 2021.

It was my pleasure to return to sunny and beautiful El Salvador in December.  My visit to the Amún Shéa school was different this year because students were already on vacation.  It was too quiet! 

I participated in strategy planning meetings with Melida Bonilla, PEOF Executive Director, and Michelle Martin Romero, PEOF President.  Michelle was on site for the 15th anniversary celebration in November, and it was fortunate that our visits overlapped.

Teachers, several of whom were new, were closing out their duties for the year and generously gave their time to meet and talk about their situations.   It was beautiful to hear their goals and dedication, and they provided valuable insight into the strengths and challenges of the school.  A common thread of concern was how to best work with students who come to the school without adequate academic background. 

As an organization, it is clear that PEOF must look seriously at long-range funding plans to sustain Foundation projects, especially the school.  Inflation affects every line item of our budget, including the salary needs of administration and staff.

We devoted time to planning with the English teacher how to establish and carry out an academic English curriculum for the school.  Plans toward this goal have begun.

Significant progress has been made to create a student-friendly library.

The CIAC regional science center has new and exciting student-centered projects.

Agricultural projects are doing well with the assistance of a grant from the Inter-American Foundation. There is still work to be done with the fish ponds and the relocation of the greenhouses.  These projects need “capital improvement” funds.

In summary, I encourage all to visit the Amún Shéa site and see for yourselves the wonderful work of this PEOF community-based educational opportunity.

Thank you for supporting PEOF as we work to transform education in El Salvador! Please consider donating today.