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Teen Night School
Latin America & the Caribbean
Teen Night School
Project Coordinator:
Rafael Valdez Rodriguez
Project Overview:
Teen Night School (Managua, NICARAGUA) provides secondary education to teenagers who work during the day to support their families. The school is located in one of the poorest areas of Managua, where the crime rate is high and economic opportunities are few, where teenagers work in the informal market, often selling food and washing car windshields. The curriculum at the Teen Night School condenses a six year secondary education into three one-year terms, and offers evening classes so that the students can still work to support their families. The staff of the school also make regular visits to students’ homes to help them register for classes, and start discussions with the students’ families about the future of the school and the community.
Recent Accomplishments:
52 students finished the program in an accelerated time (3 years) and are all motivated to continue pursuing their education.
Number of People Directly Served by Project:
125 (students)
Number of People Indirectly Served by Project:
500 (students’ families)
Goals for 2010:
To improve their teaching methods
To create more courses available to the students
IPM Funding Goal for 2010:
$10,000
Community Impact:
Meyling del Rosario Guillén Chavaría was raised in a single parent household in extreme poverty. As a result, she was unable to attend school when all the other children her age were going. Eventually, when she was able to afford an education, she was too old to start. Meyling del Rosario Guillén Chavaría became a mother and began the Teen Night School program which for her was an incredible challenge. However, she was able to persevere and finish the program, fully motivated to continue her education. She hopes to eventually start a professional career and thus improve her family’s quality of life as well as become a more integrated and constructive member of her community.
How your donation may be put to use:
$10 provides school supplies for one child for an entire school year