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Ligia Pol, education promoter, leads a parachute activity
at the San Rafael elementary school.
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Meet Ligia Pol, education promoter, on the front lines of our newest initiative to enhance educational opportunities at Guatemalan schools | | Ligia Pol's work day starts early. She wakes at 5:30 a.m. to prepare classroom materials before catching a ride into San Rafael. Arriving at school around 7:30 a.m., Ligia greets all 15 teachers, checks in about where she can help, and prepares for her morning reading activity.
A teacher with Common Hope since 2000, Ligia just started her second year as an Education Promoter in San Rafael. Her days are spent working side-by-side with the elementary school directors and teachers, leading reading activities and modeling creative learning strategies.
"It was difficult at first," Ligia admits, "but little by little I gained acceptance from the teachers and they began to enjoy the reading activities." Ligia says one of her biggest accomplishments of 2010 was when one teacher embraced a new style of teaching and began to lead her own reading activities in her classroom. Another breakthrough occurred when a teacher volunteered her summer break to help Ligia with San Rafael's vacation school. Continue reading...
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Members of the Perham Vision Team, including Ron Anderson (2nd from r),
paint chairs for the sponsorship correspondence room.
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First Vision Team of anniversary year comes from hometown of our founders
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We found it very fitting that the first Vision Team of our 25th year was a group from Perham, MN, the hometown of our founders. One of the team members, Ron Anderson, was the supervising teacher for founder Dave Huebsch back when Dave was student teaching in Perham.
A sponsor since 1990, Ron and his wife Dee currently support four students through Common Hope. This Vision Team was Ron's second trip to Guatemala. For more reflections from Ron on how things have changed over the years, and why he continues giving, click here.
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 Remembering Finance Director Kathleen Lock |
We are all very saddened by the loss of our good friend and co-worker, Kathleen Lock, who died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on January 29.
Kathleen served as finance director at Common Hope for nearly nine years and over that time, she left a deep impression on the organization. Not only did she leave a legacy of financial strength and efficiency for the organization, but she did so with her genuine love for the children and families we serve, and her passionate belief in the mission of Common Hope.
A consummate professional and a gifted leader, Kathleen led with clarity, integrity, kindness, and intelligence. Whip-smart, Kathleen had an incredible capacity for both the big picture and the smallest of details. Beyond her facility with numbers, Kathleen had a real way with words-she wrote beautiful letters for annual reports and had a keen eye for editing. Continue reading...
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Saturnino (r) with his mother and two of his sisters.
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Saturnino, an aspiring teacher, needs a Sponsor
| Saturnino, age 15, lives with his mother and three sisters in a village near New Hope School. His family lives in a home made of roofing steel and has a monthly income of $104. Saturnino wants to be a teacher when he grows up. He is above-age for his grade, studying in his first year of junior high this year. Kids in this position often need extra encouragement to stick it out through high school graduation, which a sponsor can help provide.
If you can help Saturnino achieve his dream of becoming a teacher by sponsoring his education, please contact Jessie Szopinski via email, call (651) 917-0917, or sponsor him online. |
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 Save the Date for Noche 2011 | |
Mark your calendars for our biennial night of colors, a celebration and fundraiser called Noche de Colores. The 2011 event will be held on Saturday, April 30 at the Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis. More details coming soon.
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A student at the New Mozart School performs in their fundraising concert.
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Special thanks to the New Mozart School of Music
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We are very grateful to the students and faculty at the New Mozart School of Music, which raised more than $3,500 for Common Hope through a fundraising concert late last year. The school, based in Palo Alto, CA, has a tradition of concerts to raise money for causes they believe in. About 200 students participated in the event, which was attended by nearly 400 people. Many thanks to the New Mozart School!
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Photo from a sponsor visit, on our blog.
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More news: Notes from the Field
| Common Hope, Constru Casa, and 19 families celebrate new homes · Junior high attendance jumps in San Rafael · Youth program kicks off school year with busy activity schedule.
See these stories and more on our blog, Notes from the field.
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