Our programs for children, “Manos de Colores” (Colored Hands), founded in 2004, provide instruction in English, art, music, theater, and others—subjects which most children would not otherwise receive in the Guatemalan public school system. Manos de Colores was created by our director, Jaime, after a long period of reflection on the national reality of education in Guatemala. Although six years of primary education are theoretically provided free of charge, many families cannot afford the costs associated with public schools (inscription fees, uniforms, books and supplies) and many children attend sporadically or drop out early, which the government does little to discourage. Manos de Colores seeks to provide these children with creative, thoughtful instruction that stimulates their minds and promotes a desire to continue their studies. These programs are fully staffed by our volunteers, who plan lessons, design curricula, and teach classes at the four Manos de Colores sites:
Manos de Colores El Nahual: Our after-school program for kids ages 5-12 runs Monday through Friday at our community center throughout the year. Children receive instruction in Spanish, mathematics and homework reinforcement for one hour with a Guatemalan teacher, and our volunteers teach basic English and art for the second hour. The groups of children served by Manos de Colores El Nahual are diverse in terms of age, experience with schooling, and income level, and our volunteers do amazing work providing creative instruction in subjects such as theater, art, photography, crafts, sports, and music.
Manos de Colores La Cuchilla: La Cuchilla is a public primary school on the outskirts of Quetzaltenango, and every Tuesday and Thursday morning our volunteers ride bicycles up to this school to teach classes in English. Using the creative arts and games to help children in this largely indigenous, economically disadvantaged community learn the language, volunteers at La Cuchilla provide instruction in subjects these students would not otherwise receive.
Manos de Colores Llano del Pinal: The village of Llano del Pinal is located at the foot of Volcan Santa Maria, about 2 kilometers from El Nahual Community Center. The primary school at Llano del Pinal houses over 1,000 students and counting, most drawn from the surrounding rural area just outside of Quetzaltenango.
Manos de Colores Telesecondaria: Telesecondaria is a public secondary school just around the corner from El Nahual, where our volunteers teach English to seven different classes every Wednesday afternoon. These children range in ages from 10 to 16 and learn English through the variety of activities—creative, sports, and classroom instruction—that our volunteers provide.
Manos de Colores San Jose la Viña: Our second ¨Telesecundaria¨ is a local high school where we teach four English classes every Thursday afternoon. 2010 marks the first year of our relationship with San Jose la Viña and we are excited to be expanding our programming to new schools!
