Our Affiliated Site: La Inmaculada School in Sucre, Bolivia

 

facts about The La Inmaculada School:

  • Grades Served: 5 – 18 years of age
  • Facility Description: Built in Spanish colonial style, this building includes classrooms, community rooms, a daycare center, a dining hall and a large central courtyard which is used as a playground.
  • Academics: The academic program is widely respected, with core academic subjects taught for kindergarten through twelfth-grade levels.
  • Academic Year: Typically begins in early February and ends in early December. Students enjoy summer break from mid-December through the end of January and a two-week winter break in July.
  • Sports and Activities: The school offers workshops in sewing, cooking, theater, choral singing and art. Gymnastics is a popular sport among the girls of La Inmaculada, though unfortunately the program was recently suspended due to lack of funds.
  • Funding: La Inmaculada is funded mainly from outside donations, which are few and far between. There is no government funding for the school here. Many parents are unable to afford the cost of tuition, uniforms and books, so Children Incorporated sponsorship covers these costs.

The small, landlocked nation of Bolivia comprises rugged Andes Mountains, vast high-altitude plateaus to the west (including a portion of Lake Titicaca, the largest high-altitude lake in the world) and lush, lowland Amazon jungle to the east.

Despite its wealth of natural beauty and resources, Bolivia bears the scars of centuries of conflict, beginning with the Spanish conquistadors and followed by almost 200 years of wars and internal military coups. Political and economic instability have brought about considerable poverty, resulting in widespread malnutrition, crime and disease. Sucre, Bolivia’s constitutional capital, is no exception.

Established in 1928, the La Inmaculada School serves as a beacon of hope for many children in this community. It provides a refuge where impoverished girls in the area receive educational support from a caring and compassionate staff. The Children Incorporated program also works with the school to help provide food baskets, uniforms and other essentials to boys at local public schools.