What is our whole child philosophy, and how do we implement it each day?
We first create a nurturing environment in which children can flourish:
- Active learning: we strive to create engaging educational environments that are responsive to the learning style of each student in our program.
- Social support: we foster discovery and exploration within a safe and caring environment so that all students feel loved and valued each day.
- Qualified teachers: teachers make time to listen to students (and parents), to value ideas, respect feelings, and recognize unique abilities.
At Safe Passage, what we do is just as important as how and why we do it.
Since 1999, we’ve worked to address the needs of children and their families in the Guatemala City garbage dump community. Here, more than 60,000 people live in extreme poverty around the Guatemala City garbage dump, one of the largest open landfills in all of Central America.
We’ve seen great progress since we first opened our doors to 45 students in 1999. To truly break the cycle of poverty, we must do more.
To start, we’re in the middle of a major transition right now from a half-day educational reinforcement program into a full-day accredited school. Currently, grades Pre-K through grade four (two sections per grade) are full-day classes. We use Planting Seeds as the guiding methodology for Pre-K through second grade, and Expeditionary Learning as the methodology for third and fourth grade. Starting in January 2017, we’ll add two new full-day fifth grade classes (using Expeditionary Learning). We’ll continue to add one new grade each year until we reach the ninth grade.
While change continues, our mission remains the same: to empower the poorest, at-risk children of families working in the Guatemala City garbage dump community by creating opportunities and fostering dignity through the power of education.
What is Gratitude for Guatemala?
Our teachers and staff work hard to implement our whole child approach each day. Help us send them notes of thanks!
1. Download and print your Gratitude for Guatemala note
2. On the front, color the bird and write a note of thanks
3. Send your note to our U.S. office and then we’ll hang it at Safe Passage in Guatemala City!
Our goal is to send words of encouragement from across the globe to inspire our teachers, volunteers and staff who dedicate their time and energy to nourish, educate and love our students and families! To request postcards instead, please email firstname.lastname@example.org.