Honduras (MNN) — The Jubilee School in Honduras has a message for the parents of its students: “You are vital to your child’s educational success.”
The Jubilee School, or Jubilee Centers International, works in the local area of La Era, a poor community in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Established in 2010 with 80 Pre-K/Kindergarteners, the school quickly grew, adding a new grade level each year. Now there are 200 students from PreK to 5th grade, and the school thinks it will be able to someday graduate its students from high school.
(Photo Courtesy Orphan Outreach)
The idea that parents can play an important part in the education of their child is a new one for many moms and dads in the area, but they’re coming to accept the concept and even get excited about visiting Jubilee’s parent workshops.
Teachers say that their goal of impacting the student’s lives with a quality education is made much easier by parents willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved in their kids’ education. Because it was not a common practice in the area, the School Principal, Claudia Velazquez, launched a parent program in 2013.
The program consists of eight classes including self-esteem, conflict solution and management, forgiveness, committing to a child’s education, family violence prevention, and homework habits. The school also brings in a local Christian pastor to give a biblical perspective to education.
(Photo Courtesy Orphan Outreach)
So far, it’s working. Some of the most popular classes last year had more than 80 parents in attendance. Teachers are seeing a dramatic increase in involvement from parents, and the children’s enthusiasm, attendance, neatness, and homework are all improving quickly since the program was started.
All this is more than enough incentive to continue the program into another year, but there are a few obstacles to this goal. The school needs financial support to push the program forward, funding everything from invitations to informational bulletins to coffee break supplies.
Jubilee Centers International is a partner with Orphan Outreach that represents just one of many active, quality ministries that work to impact the lives of children living in impoverished areas around the world.
