Methodology Overview
Project Eligibility Criteria
CAFRED identifies schools in Central America that are inadequate in size and infrastructure, that hold classes in temporary shelters such as farm sheds or private homes, and usually have dirt floors and lack sanitation. Most are located in remote inaccessible areas that can only be reached by taking unpaved and treacherous roads that lack any signage whatsoever. Some of these schools are already officially recognized by the Ministry of Education and some are not.
Escuela Divina Providencia (Somotillo, Nicaragua)
Once CAFRED identifies a school, it leverages donor resources to secure important commitments from local and national governmental entities, as well as other regional stakeholders, facilitating cooperative agreements.
Methodology OverviewProject Eligibility CriteriaCAFRED identifies schools in Central America that are inadequate in size and infrastructure, that hold classes in temporary shelters such as farm sheds or private homes, and usually have dirt floors and lack sanitation. Most are located in remote inaccessible areas that can only be reached by taking unpaved and treacherous roads that lack any signage whatsoever. Some of these schools are already officially recognized by the Ministry of Education and some are not. Once CAFRED identifies a school, it leverages donor resources to secure important commitments from local and national governmental entities, as well as other regional stakeholders, facilitating cooperative agreements.
CAFRED’s Partner-Centric Approach to Sustainable Education
CAFRED identifies target communities that agree to collaborate as following:
- Community must have the will to work together with CAFRED, the municipality and the ministry of education to build a school.
- Community must have the will to organize a committee to supervise educational activities and the management of the school.
 Community must agree to divide into work groups in order to contribute the unskilled labor required for the construction. - Community must sign a written cooperative agreement to allow CAFRED to implement and supervise extra-curricular programs and teacher training for a two-year period.
CAFRED's Programs
Professional Teacher Development ProgramCAFRED promotes educational quality in the learning processProgram Methods A tailored approach to teacher development and evaluation is designed and implemented. Through classroom observation, videotaping and subsequent discussions with teachers regarding what has been observed, steps will be suggested for improvement of the work done in the classroom.
Documentation from previous years and comparison with control groups will help us measure the degree of improvement in the learning levels of our children. The teachers in our schools will be supported, in a systematic way, by CAFRED and the local community education board.
Program Objectives- Provide teachers with leadership training, to be used both in the classroom and in the community.
- Promote a healthy learning environment in the classroom for all students.
- Facilitate the maintenance of an optimal space for academic work.
- Evaluate teachers in order to track improvements.
- Train teachers in proper execution of student evaluations.
- Sensitize and train teachers to recognize and respond to child learning
diversity through the utilization of Individual Education Programs
(IEP).
- Promote teamwork approach between teachers and parents.
Reading for the FutureViolence Prevention and Critical Thinking
 CAFRED teams with other organizations to build libraries with computers and to encourage reading and computer literacy as fun activities. CAFRED has teamed up with Schools for the Future, a non-profit organization based in Sweden,which facilitates the realization of a violence prevention project called Reading for the Future.
The programs aims to empower students to influence their own future and the society around them. Reading for the Future supports democracy, human rights and a sustainable management of natural resources. One hour per week, students read materials from outside the classroom, such as magazines, newspapers, and diverse texts. Classic children’s literature is read and discussed in group settings.
Project themes are human rights, peaceful conflict resolution, intercultural understanding, gender equality and environmental sustainability. The project was started in January 2010. Encouraging reading as a source of pleasure and reflection, the project aims to promote long-term thinking skills, leading to a more peaceful coexistence among El Salvador’s citizens.
Main objectives of the project:- Promote self-reflection
- Develop sustainable social networks
- Support long-term thinking
- Encourage dreams and ambitions for the future
Activities- Weekly workshops for the children, facilitated by a team of university students, teachers and psychologists.
- Development of skills in reading, writing, drawing and drama.
- Individual and group exercises in conflict resolution, cooperation and communication.
Expected Results
By the end of the second project phase, the participants will have:
- Obtained a deeper understanding of literature as a source of pleasure and knowledge.
- Achieved higher skills in critical thinking and analysis,
- Obtained more self confidence in discussions and group exercises.
- Explored various art forms, leading to a higher degree of creativity, study motivation and long-term thinking.
- Shown more self-reflection and tolerance in interaction with others.
- Achieved better communication within their families
- Incorporated into a stronger social network and the basis for a cultural exchange between Swedish and Salvadoran schools will have been created.
Sports, Recreation, and Culture
CAFRED
finances trimester programs in which students participate in activities
ranging from soccer, basketball and softball to field trips to cultural
destinations.
 Objectives:
- Development of an
acceptance, appreciation and practice of sports as a validcomponent of
education in the comprehensive development of boys and girls.
- Mastery of skills and appreciation of the need for teamwork in everyday life.
- Aiding students in going beyond the notion that learning takes place only in the classroom.
- Three
field trips yearly to broaden the child’s horizons beyond her or his
community. These trips complement the educational process while visiting
museums, recreational areas and ecological projects.
Family Law Outreach ProgramA Family Outreach Partnership between CAFRED and the Family Courts of El Salvador - for Parents and Youth (A Monthly Seminar)
Parents participate in a once-per-month forum in which the progress of their children is discussed. Discussions include but are not limited to the following:
- The Family Courts of El Salvador
- Domestic Violence Discipline at School and In the Family
- Child Abuse
- Sexual Harassment
- Values
The Rights of Children to be educated in order to achieve their full potential; to be protected from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation, and to be allowed to participate fully in the culture in which they live.
The Responsibilties of Children to respect parents; to be prompt; to help with chores In the home.
The Rights of Parents to be able to participate and have a voice in their children’s education, to be able to participate in lifelong learning for their own betterment.
The Responsibilities of Parents to help their children as best they can with homework assignments, to keep them from working in the fields during school hours.
Goals of the Project:- To educate parents and students alike on topics dealing with family and school issues.
- To create a positive attitude concerning the rights of responsibilities of each member of the Family.
- To establish a support network between the School and the Family Courts.
- To analyze issues that are common and important to families in El Salvador.
- To create changes in attitude by fostering the active participation of parents in the educational process.
Mentor Program
This program encourages successful adults to visit the school and discuss their careers while
fielding questions from students regarding where they came from, how they overcame obstacles, and how they achieved their level of success. Business owners, tradesmen, journalists, attorneys, doctors, politicians, scientists, athletes and people from a wide spectrum of fields are encouraged to participate in this program on a volunteer basis.
Health and Wellness Program
Regular health check-ups and vaccinations are provided to the students in conjunction with the ministries of health, along with a program to teach children proper dietary habits to promote a lifetime of good health.Environmental Conservation Program
 This program teaches the protection of the area surrounding the school by proper trash disposal, the conservation of the school’s forested areas - by planting trees and learning alternatives to cutting trees
for cooking - the protection of clean water sources and the planting of an “edible schoolyard” garden.
Children’s Movie Forum
Once per month, children view a movie and discuss it in a group setting. This helps the students learn to think rationally and participate in group discussions. Such films may include The Bicycle Thief,The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, and Finding Nemo.
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