The sixth grade class at San Juan Mirador with their new Trailside t-shirts
In the coming months, we will begin construction on new WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities at San Juan Mirador School. This new partnership is particularly exciting because San Juan Mirador has some very special supporters: the students at Trailside Middle School in Ashburn, VA.
San Juan Mirador School is located in a small, Kaqchikel-speaking community outside of San Lucas Toliman. There are currently 222 students from preschool to 6th grade, and most of the students’ parents work on the large coffee plantations nearby. The students love school -- but their bathrooms are in desperate need of repair.
“The bathrooms are in bad shape, and the kids are really at risk to get sick,” explained Tomas Mendoza, our WASH in Schools Project Coordinator.
San Juan Mirador School is located in a small, Kaqchikel-speaking community outside of San Lucas Toliman. There are currently 222 students from preschool to 6th grade, and most of the students’ parents work on the large coffee plantations nearby. The students love school -- but their bathrooms are in desperate need of repair.
“The bathrooms are in bad shape, and the kids are really at risk to get sick,” explained Tomas Mendoza, our WASH in Schools Project Coordinator.
The current bathrooms at San Juan Mirador
Trailside Middle School has joined us to take on the challenge. Through a collaboration with H2O For Life, Trailside students have been raising money and awareness to support San Juan Mirador’s new WASH construction.
In November, Trailside students began studying public policy and investigating accessibility to clean water in the US and Guatemala. Some students are producing videos for their morning news channel, advocating for WASH and San Juan Mirador. On the fundraising side, Trailside has big plans. They are setting up a fundraising and awareness table at their school musical, organizing a “Blue Out” (students pay $1 and wear blue, teachers wear jeans for $5) and planning a water jug carrying walk-a-thon.
In November, Trailside students began studying public policy and investigating accessibility to clean water in the US and Guatemala. Some students are producing videos for their morning news channel, advocating for WASH and San Juan Mirador. On the fundraising side, Trailside has big plans. They are setting up a fundraising and awareness table at their school musical, organizing a “Blue Out” (students pay $1 and wear blue, teachers wear jeans for $5) and planning a water jug carrying walk-a-thon.
San Juan Mirador students check out photos of Trailside Middle School students!
Beyond advocacy and fundraising, Trailside students are reaching out directly to the students at San Juan Mirador. Students learning Spanish have written letters introducing themselves to the students in San Juan Mirador. The entire school also recently sent over 100 Trailside t-shirts (with the Timberwolves mascot and all!) to San Juan Mirador.
When WASH Project Coordinator Tomas Mendoza visited the San Juan Mirador School recently, he delivered the letters and t-shirts to the 6th grade class. Students could see photos of the students at Trailside, and each student received a t-shirt and a letter. Soon, they will be writing letters in response to their new pen pals!
Alice Arnold, an 8th grade teacher at Trailside Middle School shared photos with her class of San Juan Mirador students receiving the letters and t-shirts, and told us, “The students here are really excited. [They] loved being able to see the direct connection made. Our students were excited to see how excited San Juan Mirador students were.”
When WASH Project Coordinator Tomas Mendoza visited the San Juan Mirador School recently, he delivered the letters and t-shirts to the 6th grade class. Students could see photos of the students at Trailside, and each student received a t-shirt and a letter. Soon, they will be writing letters in response to their new pen pals!
Alice Arnold, an 8th grade teacher at Trailside Middle School shared photos with her class of San Juan Mirador students receiving the letters and t-shirts, and told us, “The students here are really excited. [They] loved being able to see the direct connection made. Our students were excited to see how excited San Juan Mirador students were.”
Proud to wear their new Timberwolves t-shirts
Some of the students at Trailside Middle School
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