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Our re(solution) for the new year |
We look forward to some exciting plans for 2012. Our biggest resolution: expand our school partner initiative into two new schools, bringing our total partner schools to six. One school is the afternoon program in San Miguel Escobar, where we already partner with the morning school. The second school is in San Cristobal el Bajo, a community where we have many sponsored students but where we will be introducing our education promoters for the first time.
San Miguel Escobar Vespertina
Like the morning school in San Miguel Escobar, the afternoon school has a very large student body -- 600 students -- that will benefit greatly from the extra classroom support. By partnering with a second school in this community, we will be able to share and leverage staff, resources, and facilities, including the homework center space that we have already rented for the morning school.
San Cristobal el Bajo
San Cristobal is a small village that is close to our Antigua family development center. The community still has great need -- many more children and families could use the support of Common Hope. The school is very eager to partner with us, and they have a long-standing principal who is a strong leader and will be a great facilitator of the education promoters' efforts in the school.
Hitting the ground running
This month, our education promoters have a full to-do list to lay the groundwork for the new school year. [Continue reading...]
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Common Hope staff stock supplies for the school supply festival in Antigua.
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School supply festivals kick off new school year |
The new academic year begins in January in Guatemala, so our staff has been busy distributing supplies in advance of the first day of school. Common Hope makes a celebration of it, with activities, raffles, and skits. Our first school supply fair was held in Antigua on January 8. Another will be held in New Hope on January 15, and a third in San Rafael on January 22.
Supplies and some fun, too
On January 8, families arrived at the Antigua site as early as 6:30 a.m., eagerly waiting outside for our doors to open. More than 1,603 bags full of school supplies were handed out to students that day. In addition, the library hosted reading promotion activities, donated goods were raffled off to families, and the education promoters put on a skit, dressed up as school supplies like crayons and scissors. The performance was meant to entertain families but also to increase awareness on the importance of attending school regularly and taking care of school supplies.
More info and photos of the school supply festivals...
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A necklace in the Hidden Talents art sale at Best Buy, for which Common Hope was one of the beneficiaries.
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Best Buy volunteers raise funds for Common Hope at annual employee art fair
| Common Hope was very fortunate to be chosen as the beneficiary of the Best Buy employee art fair this holiday season. This is only the second time in 15 years that a charity besides the Best Buy Children's Foundation was chosen.
Education that paid off in overwhelming support
The Best Buy volunteers did a great job of raising awareness about Common Hope during the silent auction period, creating informational materials to display at the sale, playing a video about Common Hope, and staffing a table to speak personally about Common Hope's work. Their education paid off -- an overwhelming percentage of winning bids went to Common Hope. Not only that, the fair had a record number of pieces this year and an all-time high return. Says Best Buy team member Jodi Hoffman, "I really attribute the success to the level of engagement of the Vision Teams, from planning to execution." Thanks to the Best Buy leadership The team's work would not be possible without the support of Best Buy's leadership. Says Jodi, "The team is grateful that Best Buy has given us the opportunity to participate and to travel. My leadership has graciously supported our efforts and will continue to as we travel."
[Continue reading...]
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Hector is a first grader from San Miguel Escobar.
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Hector needs a sponsor
| | Hector is starting first grade this year at San Miguel Escobar, so he will benefit from an education promotor in his classroom helping him through the challenging first year of elementary school. He will need the promoter's support in particular because his mother cannot read and his father has only a first grade education. Hector lives with his parents and three siblings in a cornstalk home, so his family could also benefit greatly from the housing program.
To sponsor Hector, please contact Jessie Szopinski via email, call (651) 917-0917, or sponsor him online.
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 Openings for Vision Teams | |
Interested in planning a vacation with a vision next year? In 2012, we have the following openings:
- May 5 - 12
- August 18 - 25
- September - December
You can check out the trip calendar on our website. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers, and start planning your trip of a lifetime. |
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