Spark a Change.
YOU can give kids their first books EVER!
Alejandro Alvarenga Elementary School
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
With the Support of Desert Mission and Trinity Heights United Methodist Churches and Friends
1300 Books
624 Students
33 Teachers
This Just In! All donations are matched dollar for dollar.
Give big to DOUBLE your impact!
We’re lighting a spark!
Alejandro Alvarenga Elementary School is an educational community that is driven in their pursuit of providing a quality, accessible education to all learners. In addition to serving students from 1st to 9th grade, the school runs EDUCATODOS, a weekend program which allows older youth and adults to continue their studies after previously dropping out of school. Furthermore, Alejandro Alvarenga Elementary School welcomes students with special needs and teachers with disabilities, a rarity in Honduras. This highlights the inclusivity of the school and their dedication to ensuring that education is a right of every individual in Honduras.
Despite all their efforts to provide a high quality, accessible education to as many learners as possible, this educational community has no books. Teachers describe relying instead on photocopies, newspaper clippings, biblical texts, and a few outdated textbooks to provide reading opportunities to their students. Now, with the support of volunteers from Desert Mission and Trinity Heights United Methodist Churches and an anonymous Chispa donor who is matching all donations to this school, we aim to change that. Teachers here have communicated how eager they are to have books to use as resources for learning: The 3rd grade teachers (morning and afternoon shifts), for example, mentioned how they would integrate the library into their classes to strengthen reading comprehension and critical thinking. For them, access to books is an essential and transformative tool that would empower their students and raise the quality of education. Parents at the school and the PTA are all in alignment; they expressed that a library would be a key resource to keep their children focused on education and away from risks such as gang influence. There is full willingness on their part to collaborate with the project and support its sustainability.
Having spoken to the educational community, we are certain: A library here will be a tool for social transformation, creating new horizons for children, youth, and adults, and reinforcing the this community’s values.
Love it? Sponsor this Project!
Love it? Sponsor this Project!
We have a special sponsorship program where you can partially or fully sponsor a library, individually or with an organization or business.
Check out the perks of the sponsor program and how to have the most impact.
What all does the library program entail?
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This library includes:
A year-long training program for the school on how to run and maintain a library and ways to incorporate reading into everyday classes.
Children’s books of unique titles based on the size of the school and appropriate age levels
Shelving, decorations, cushions, mats, painted murals to decorate library and each classroom
Parent workshop for developing reading habits from home
Library inauguration celebration with reading activities and arts and crafts for all the students
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All our schools have to go through a rigorous vetting process. We look for schools that demonstrate dedication to incorporating a library and integrating reading habits into everyday classroom reading activities.
The school commits to creating a committee of parents and teachers who will run and promote the library with training from Chispa Project. They also commit to fundraising approximately 4% of the total library costs.
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Creating school libraries, providing teacher development opportunities, and international volunteer partnerships, Chispa Project works with Honduran educational institutions to spark a passion for learning within local communities. We work in 10 of the 18 departments across the country of Honduras in dozens of schools.
Chispa Project has a unique approach in bringing books directly to schools in a community-driven development approach. Library programs are implemented together with a school’s library committee made up of teachers, parents, and students to manage the library. The committees create a plan of action and guide the direction and layout of their library space and activities offered.
Checks can be made out to:
Chispa Project
10556 Combie Road, Suite 6643
Auburn, CA 95602