Escuela Integrada - Chuchuca
How did Escuela Integrada Chuchuca get started? Local church leaders, village
elders and education officials in the area of Patzun, Chimaltenango solicited Escuela
Integrada –
Antigua
and LACES for help to open a middle school in their area. An abandoned village
grade school with 5 classrooms, an office, a kitchen and a store room was offered
for our use. The village elders also offered to pay for the monthly water
and light bill and in exchange Escuela Integrada would refurbish the abandoned and
dilapidated buildings and would have full control of the new educational center.
The local ministry of education officials promised their full support and
also petitioned Escuela Integrada for help building a much needed kitchen in the
local grade school which served over 100 children.
Why did Escuela Integrada start a middle school in a village, Chuchuca, instead
of a city, Patzun? Patzun is the nearest urban center to the
village of Chuchuca
. Limited middle school
opportunities do exist there. However, for most area villagers, it is impossible
to take advantage of this opportunity. One barrier is transportation: most prospective
students must ride for over one hour each way on a public bus – which only serves
the area three days per week. This is in addition to other high costs including:
tuition, uniforms and all school supplies. This makes a middle school education an economic luxury that is beyond the means
of most Mayan village dwellers. A final complication is that these parents cannot
afford to lose all of the work time of their children.
Escuela Integrada - Chuchuca opened its doors in February 2006 with twenty-four
(24) students in 7th grade. Enrollment for 2008 is (80) students; (22) in 7th grade and (36) in 8th grade and (22) in 9th grade. Escuela Integrada
Chuchuca is centrally located within walking distance of (6) additional villages
in the Patzun area. All students studying with us would not have access to secondary
education without this institute. In October 2008 we will be celebrating
our first 9th grade graduation in Chuchuca. If funding is received for our
High School Scholarship Fund
students leaving Escuela Integrada Chuchuca will be offered the chance to continue
studying at the High School Level.
Our middle school here in Chuchuca is the largest in the
state of Chimaltenango because of supporters like you who sacrifice to make education
a possibility for our students.
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