Transform Education for 90 Children in El Salvador

The following is a report based on a site visit recently conducted at Amún Shéa by one of PEOF's Board Directors, Daphne Hofschulte.

Education is alive and well in the Eastern region of El Salvador through the amazing programs at the Amún Shéa Educational Center in Perquín, Morazán.  It was my privilege to meet on site with Executive Director Mélida Bonilla and her dedicated staff for an enjoyable and informative afternoon, December 15, 2021.

Problem-based learning in action for all

Each teacher explained how problem-based learning is central to the curriculum in their classroom.  Each classroom exhibits colorful displays that underscore living and learning in the real world as experienced by the students. Amún Shéa is accredited by the Salvadoran Ministry of Education (MINED).  Xochilt Pocasangre, Coordinadora del Centro Interactivo para el Aprendizaje de las Ciencias of the MINED is pictured with Director Daphne Hofschulte on the left and PEOF Executive Director Mélida Bonilla on the right.  Xochilt works in the CIAC science center, a regional facility housed at Amún Shéa, available to all teachers and students in the Eastern Region of El Salvador.

Forging partnerships with local government

Mélida and the mayor of Perquín signed an agreement of community support for senior student research projects. A current example is a project testing the pH level of local soils to facilitate crops that will best thrive in the community.

Land of seedlings, quite literally

Each student spends one hour per week in the school garden. Research is underway to grow and select seed varieties that are best suited to the local climate and soil conditions. Excess vegetables will be sold from the newly constructed sales building. 

For more on-the-ground updates, please be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. Please know that every dollar you contribute goes directly to supporting Amún Shéa and its students for a more peaceful and brighter El Salvador. Now more than ever we need your support.

Wishing you prosperity and good health in this new year of 2022,

The PEOF+ Amún Shéa team

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Hi friend,
Here at Amún Shéa we are entering our final months of the school year. The school year will end the third week of November. Our students recently celebrated the bicentennial of El Salvador's independence--you can see the celebration on our Facebook page.

We at PEOF + Amún Shéa recognize the importance of building within our communities and uniting forces to bring real change on the ground. That's exactly why we continue our partnership with MINED in replicating our innovate methodology within the public school system. And that's also why we recently formed two new partnerships: with 1) Universidad Gerardo Barrios (UGB) and 2) Arambala local government. Our partnership with UGB will strengthen our commitment to implementing quality research and providing our students with the tools necessary to broaden their knowledge and sharpen their research skills. This partnership comes just in time as we launch our Student Research Fund for the year. You can find more details about the fund by clicking here.

We're also proud to share some recent videos from Amún Shéa students as they briefly introduce their current research projects. You can see these videos on our YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to our channel so that you can see more videos about our students as they become available.

Our partnership with the Arambala local government will expand our efforts centered on sustainable development in the region. We're excited to see where this partnership will lead. 

These mutual partnerships are just one way we're reimagining rural education here in El Salvador!

So, you see, when you give to Amún Shéa, you give to multiple communities throughout Northern Morazán, communities that have long been abandoned and marginalized. We appreciate your continued support.


Thanks for all you do!

It's a bit hard to believe that we are almost to the middle of 2021. Here at Amun Shea we continue to push through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students came back to school in person on April 6th and, oh, what fun it has been! But it has also been a challenge as we continue to face the realities of an ongoing pandemic and remain in major need of financial support--but more on that a little later. Let's get into some good news!

Have you heard? We were in the news! Amún Shéa students were recently featured in Prensita of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador as Earth Heroes! This feature is a testament to the hard work our students, teachers, and staff do every day in honor of climate action and generating real change in rural El Salvador. Check out the images below.

We've also made a concerted effort to strengthen our presence in social media. Please be sure to follow our accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The more followers we have, the better--so please share with your family and friends as well. You can find us on all platforms via @peofelsalvador. 

Speaking of social media, please check out our Instagram account where we have featured our students' recent participation in a photovoice project centered on ecological consciousness. Through photo artwork in collaboration with FLASCO and UNICEF El Salvador, Amún Shéa students showcased their knowledge, talent, and skills while addressing the tough reality of a changing climate and environment degradation and those most affected by this reality--communities living in poor, rural areas. 

Aligned with our school's focus on ecological consciousness to inspire innovative solutions, we were able to raise $2,050 during the Climate Action Campaign here on GlobalGiving. This campaign occurred on April 19-23rd where every donation of $100 USD or less per unique donor was 100% matched. This was our first year participating in this campaign and we're excited to participate next year if given the opportunity. 

On another note, we've been making some important internal changes on the foundation side of things. One major change to note is our new mailing address. We are now based out of Delaware at 9135 Memory Rd, Greenwood, DE, 19950. Please send all mail correspondence to this new address.

Now here's a painful moment of honesty: Our fundraising has fallen substantially short since the start of the pandemic--in fact, the first quarter of 2021 has been hit the hardest. Even more, it has been a real challenge to self-generate funds on the ground due to pandemic restrictions. Nevertheless, our economic needs remain the same as past years, averaging a need of $10,000 USD monthly. Here at PEOF + Amún Shéa we are constantly growing and are always looking for more sustainable ways of funding. If you have any ideas or propositions, please send us an email at learn@peofoundation.org. 

Thank you for your continued support of PEOF + Amún Shéa. Your support directly goes towards student tuition, meals, and materials, along with teacher and staff wages. More importantly, when you your support is an investment for a brighter future for families in rural Northern Morazán--a future full of innovative and responsible education, sustainable economic development, and life-changing opportunities. 

May the showers of April continue to bring new blossoms moving forward.

peace & love,

Michelle, Ron, and the entire PEOF + Amún Shéa team 

Well, friends, let us be honest: 2020 was a tough year. And with the global pandemic continuing, 2021 looks to be a challenging year, too. But, yet and still, we remain hopeful. We remain dedicated to our students, families, and communities in Northern Morazan, El Salvador. We continue to give our best as we challenge status quo and reimagine what rural education can and should be: education that produces real, tangible change for a brighter and healthier future. As we get started in this new year, we thought it to be appropriate to look back on some of our proudest achievements from 2020 as a source of motivation and encouragement. All of these achievements were made possible with your continued support so this is a celebration of your generosity as well. Will you celebrate with us?

1. We enhanced our academic virtual learning plan as a strategy to face the COVID-19 pandemic, improving students' digital skills.
2. 97% of the parents were actively involved in the educational program; We provided family psychological care with the support of one family mother.
3. We delivered 60 agroecological kits for the implementation of home gardens as a contribution to food security during the emergency of COVID-19.
4. 100% organic vegetable production for consumption by local families in times of crisis continued. We expanded existing areas and created new ones, too.
5. PEOF was featured in GlobalGiving's article, "Meet 10 Nonprofits With Ingenious Innovations To
   Combat COVID-19."
6. PEOF is now recognized as a “Superstar” organization on GlobalGiving and received a $20,000 emergency grant.

Despite its challenges in 2020, we were able to care for our students and keep the innovative learning going strong. We look onto this new year of 2021 with positive energy and so much motivation to keep pushing. Your continued support keeps us going. Thank you for all that you do. Together, we can grow bigger and better in 2021. Adelante, Amún Shéa! To learn more about us, check out our page and subscribe. You can finds us on Facebook, too :)

Sincerely,

Michelle, Ron, and the entire PEOF + Amún Shéa team

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect us here at Amun Shea in El Salvador. Our students continue to learn from home as they are accompanied by dedicated teachers virtually and through guided learning packets for the many students without access to the internet. With the rainy season coming to an end, we hope that the continued interruptions in internet stability will be resolved. This is the reality of rural education here in Northern Morazan, El Salvador in the 21st century. Perhaps this situation is akin to the many schools that find themselves in low-resource, rural areas throughout the world. Nevertheless, we keep pushing forward.

We continue our commitment to improving rural education throughout Northern Morazan, not just here at Amun Shea, through our partnership with the Ministry of Education (MINED). We are entering our final months of this partnership and will present final results as they become available. 

Recently, we asked our students to share their perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic through photographs. Here is what they shared:

Links:

• Check out our new video featuring photos from students
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