Lidia at the new La Cumbre school library!
La Cumbre School is a small elementary school with around 150 students in a community called Cerro de Oro, located about 20 minutes from Santiago Atitlan. La Cumbre is one of 6 elementary schools in Cerro de Oro, which has a population of about 10,000 residents -- 43% of whom did not complete a primary school education.
Pueblo a Pueblo first began working with La Cumbre School in 2011, and despite the community’s challenges, the school has worked hard to take charge of the projects and create real change.
In the words of our Director of Programs, Montse Deu, “The school has done an admirable job at taking ownership of the projects that were started in collaboration with us.”
Pueblo a Pueblo first began working with La Cumbre School in 2011, and despite the community’s challenges, the school has worked hard to take charge of the projects and create real change.
In the words of our Director of Programs, Montse Deu, “The school has done an admirable job at taking ownership of the projects that were started in collaboration with us.”
The site of La Cumbre's garden in 2011, before the project began.
The first projects implemented at La Cumbre were our Organic School Garden and School Nutrition projects. These projects have seen huge success, as the school now independently runs a productive, sustainable garden (now in its 5th year), which regularly provides nutritious food for its students.
Students working in the garden in 2013!
The school garden in February 2016, with the proud La Cumbre teacher in charge of the garden!
La Cumbre School also participated in our WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) In Schools project for two years, beginning in 2012. We helped the school make repairs and upgrades to their sanitation facilities, provided teacher trainings and educational activities with students, and supported the school in hosting awareness events, like the parade for International Handwashing Day.
Now, with a teacher leading the school’s WASH programming and a community support group in place, La Cumbre’s WASH facilities are working well, and students are practicing good hygiene and sanitation habits every day!
Now, with a teacher leading the school’s WASH programming and a community support group in place, La Cumbre’s WASH facilities are working well, and students are practicing good hygiene and sanitation habits every day!
The WASH mural at La Cumbre
The most recent project at La Cumbre is our Pathways to Literacy project, which began just last year. This project began at La Cumbre because neither the school nor the community had the resources to serve the community or students’ literacy needs.
Our first steps for this project at La Cumbre were to help the school build a larger library space and purchase more books and educational materials. Since finishing construction, our Pathways to Literacy Coordinator, Lidia, has worked with the school to use the new library to its full potential. A school librarian, Deysi, was hired directly from the community, and Lidia has been working to train her in school library management and cataloging systems. Lidia has also worked to provide teacher trainings and class modeling so that La Cumbre teachers can lead age-appropriate literacy activities with their students.
Our first steps for this project at La Cumbre were to help the school build a larger library space and purchase more books and educational materials. Since finishing construction, our Pathways to Literacy Coordinator, Lidia, has worked with the school to use the new library to its full potential. A school librarian, Deysi, was hired directly from the community, and Lidia has been working to train her in school library management and cataloging systems. Lidia has also worked to provide teacher trainings and class modeling so that La Cumbre teachers can lead age-appropriate literacy activities with their students.
Deysi, La Cumbre's school librarian.
Students enjoying La Cumbre's new library space
In 2016, Pueblo a Pueblo will continue to work with La Cumbre School in its school library. Overall, the school has been incredibly enthusiastic and eager to take on these projects despite the community’s many challenges.
Montse says that she has seen a lot of progress at La Cumbre over our 6 year partnership with the school.
“La Cumbre School has changed from being a rural school with just classrooms to being a school with a kitchen to provide school snacks, a productive organic school garden, and a well stocked school library, with teachers who put value on the type of educational opportunities that all these new school spaces bring to the students.”
She added, “Two days ago I went to visit La Cumbre School, and it felt like the dream I have for all schools in Guatemala.”
Montse says that she has seen a lot of progress at La Cumbre over our 6 year partnership with the school.
“La Cumbre School has changed from being a rural school with just classrooms to being a school with a kitchen to provide school snacks, a productive organic school garden, and a well stocked school library, with teachers who put value on the type of educational opportunities that all these new school spaces bring to the students.”
She added, “Two days ago I went to visit La Cumbre School, and it felt like the dream I have for all schools in Guatemala.”
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