Tag Archives: education

Shelley Callahan | January 19, 2019En Español

The second-largest country in Latin America, Argentina’s borders envelop a full spectrum of topography: rugged, towering mountains, tropical lowland, arid steppes, plateaus and frigid tundra.

Children often suffer from abandonment as their parents find it too difficult to care for them.

Nestled along the estuary where the Rio de la Plata meets the Atlantic Ocean, the sprawling Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires is the second-largest metropolis in South America and home to the slum neighborhood, Villa Ballester, where our affiliated project Casa Del Niño – Maria de Nazaret is located.

Typical of many area slums, families in Villa Ballester live in hopeless poverty, forced to endure squalid conditions in tin shacks with no running water. Many are immigrants from other Latin American countries and have few family members, limited resources or limited means to gain adequate employment. Children often suffer from abandonment as their parents find it too difficult to care for them.

A blessing for children in need

The Montessori method of education has been adopted at Casa del Niño.

For residents of this overcrowded district, the Casa Del Niño – Maria de Nazaret Daycare Center is a blessing of infinite proportions. The center serves over 200 local children during the school day, providing them with a safe and nurturing environment where they are continuously monitored, offered basic necessities and provided with psychological support as needed.

On a visit to Casa Del Niño – Maria de Nazaret, our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, and International Projects Specialist, Kristen Walthall, met with our volunteer coordinator, Dominga, and some of the children at the center.

While they toured the Center, Luis and Kristen asked about the newly implemented Montessori method of education that Casa Del Niño had adopted for the younger children at the center since Luis’ last trip to Argentina.

What is Montessori Education?

According to the website Montessori Northeast, “Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. In Montessori classrooms, children make creative choices in learning, while the classroom and the highly-trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore the knowledge of the world and to develop their maximum potential.”

Luis was pleased to hear from Dominga that the school had been re-organized to function around the Montessori education method that will eventually be used for all the children in attendance.

Luis was pleased to hear from Dominga that the school had been re-organized to function around the Montessori education method that will eventually be used for all the children in attendance.

Doing the most good for kids

“The center is managed by a committee to plan all activities for the children to maximize the support the children are receiving. With the Montessori method of learning, as well as the supplemental support that our sponsorship program is providing, the children at Casa Del Niño – Maria de Nazaret are very well cared for,” exclaimed Luis.

Although Casa Del Niño – Maria de Nazaret is receiving a great deal of support from the local government as well as Children Incorporated sponsors and donors, Dominga expressed to Luis that she wishes to enroll even more children in our program in the future. She would also like to re-establish a few skills training programs for adults in the community, such as cooking and sewing, and acquire funding to pay salaries for teacher aides in each of the classrooms.

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How do I sponsor a child in Argentina?

You can sponsor a child in Argentina in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in Argentina who is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | January 16, 2019En Español

Roy G. Eversole Elementary School is located in Eastern Kentucky in the small city of Hazard. With a population of less than 5,000, Hazard is the county seat of Perry County. This region of Kentucky is known for its lumber and coal industries, which sustained the people of this beautiful part of Appalachia for generations.

Tammy knows that he is doing his absolute best as a father; but the family still requires additional assistance from a few caring sponsors.

Originally founded as a settlement in 1790, Hazard received its name in 1854 in honor of American naval hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Today, despite a progressive local government that has spurred economic growth, unemployment is high and wages are low in Perry County. The coal mining industry — once a main source of income for thousands of families in the area — is rapidly waning.

In addition, a variety of social maladies such as drug abuse and alcoholism plague the families of this small community. Amidst the poverty-related stress, our affiliated project, Roy G. Eversole Elementary School, supports children so that they may receive an education, while our sponsorship program provides kids with basic needs, so that students and families have the opportunity to overcome some of the barriers they face in life.

Eager to find sponsors

Shelley pictured with Tammy, our Volunteer Coordinator at Roy G. Eversole Elementary School

On a trip to visit Roy G. Eversole Elementary School, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with our Volunteer Coordinator, Tammy, at the school’s Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC). Tammy is a former school secretary at Hazard Middle School, and she currently oversees the Children Incorporated program at both Eversole Elementary School and Hazard Middle School. In total, approximately 750 students between pre-kindergarten and the eighth grade are in attendance at the two schools. While they were meeting, Tammy explained to Shelley that she is anxious to obtain sponsors for some of the children that she has identified as very needy as soon as possible.

Tammy told Shelley about one particular family in which a single father is raising four children all on his own. He works for the Housing Alliance, and was able to acquire an apartment through his employer; but it is still difficult for him to manage day-to-day responsibilities at home while also having to work — and his job doesn’t pay enough for him to ensure that his children are receiving everything they need, like new school outfits, school supplies, and hygiene items. Tammy knows that he is doing his absolute best as a father; but the family still requires additional assistance from a few caring sponsors who she knows could really change this father’s life and his children’s lives drastically through their monthly contributions.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | January 10, 2019En Español

Hear from our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, about her visit with our volunteer coordinator and a sponsored child and his mother at our affiliated project Johns Creek Elementary School in Pike County, Kentucky:

“I arrived on a cloudy afternoon; and even though it was April, spring had not yet reached the higher mountain elevations. The trees had buds, but no leaves.

“I was welcomed warmly by long-time Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) Coordinator and our Volunteer Coordinator, Dwayne. It had been a while since I’d visited, so Dwayne took me on a tour of the buildings and grounds so I could familiarize myself with them.

“Rebecca told me that she will never forget our organization’s special help when she and her husband were so desperate.”

– Renée Kube

“Dwayne explained that the original building was constructed around 1950. A separate addition was built in 1975, with a courtyard between the two structures. Finally, a third addition was built in 1991 that enclosed and reclaimed the courtyard for academic purposes, and also provided a new cafeteria.

“Johns Creek Elementary School is the second-largest elementary school in the entire county, with over 800 children. Dwayne feels the school has an excellent academic reputation, and that young parents choose to live in the community so their children can attend school there. It is located in the rural community of Meta, where there is a lot of poverty. Seventy-two percent of the students at the school receive free meals. However, the county’s overall poverty rate is so high that it has qualified for countywide free breakfasts and lunches.”

A tireless advocate

“Dwayne is a tireless advocate for his students, and he works with partners large and small, near and far, for their benefit. He uses a company called Kits for Kidz that provides new, discounted, name-brand school supplies that can be ordered by age and grade. He partners with Operation Warm, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Pennsylvania that provides new winter coats to needy children.

“And he works on a smaller scale with a county group called Manna From Heaven Outreach, Inc. that provides clothing, hygiene items, and sometimes furniture. By collaborating with Operation Warm, Dwayne doesn’t have to use sponsorship funds for winter coats, so he instead focuses on using that money for the purchase of shoes and clothing for our sponsored children throughout the year, which really helps him and the children in our program.”

Taking action

Renée with Joshua and his mom, Rebecca

“After our tour, Dwayne took me to his office, where he had made an appointment for me to meet with Joshua* and his mother, Rebecca*. Joshua is eight years old and is the youngest of three boys who live with their mother and stepfather. All three boys are currently in our sponsorship program. His mother is a homemaker, and his stepfather does landscaping work. Joshua has Down syndrome, which comes with some developmental and physical problems. Overall, his health was stable until this school year, when he had three emergencies that required hospitalization.

“One of these emergencies resulted in a delicate heart operation at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Rebecca took Joshua to Ohio, and she stayed with him while his stepfather stayed home with the two older sons. Dwayne appealed to Children Incorporated for help for the family during these emergencies, and we were able to respond. Our Hope In Action Fund provided food for the stepfather and older boys, some aid with food and lodging for Rebecca, and some funds to purchase food and pajamas to ease Joshua’s stay in the hospital.

“While visiting with them, Rebecca told me that she will never forget our organization’s special help when she and her husband were so desperate. And she added that they are, of course, very grateful for the regular assistance that the boys receive from their sponsors, too.”

Thank you, Renée, for sharing this heartfelt story as a reminder of how Children Incorporated sponsors and donors make a difference in the lives of so many children and families in Kentucky, all over the United States, and around the world!

*Names changed for individuals’ protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | January 4, 2019En Español

From snowcapped Himalayans to tropical beaches, India is truly a nation of contrasts. It boasts a rich history spanning tens of thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known civilization in South Asia once called India’s fertile Indus Valley home. Today, with the world’s second-largest population, India comprises a staggering variety of ethnicities, languages, religions, and cultures. India’s wealth of natural resources and vibrant cultures, however, belie the abject poverty in which so many of its citizens live.

We are very proud of the teachers, administrators, parents, and students at the Auxilium School, as well as of all of our affiliated projects that prioritize parental involvement.

About the Auxilium School

The city of Guntur in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is no exception to these maladies. Within this rice-producing region, susceptible to crop-destroying flooding and droughts, thousands of field laborers earn very low wages. Due to widespread poverty, few parents are able to send their children to school. For these reasons, the Auxilium School, located in the outskirts of the city of Guntur, is critical in offering children an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty.

Founded in 1981 and run by members of the Salesian Sisters of Saint John Bosco, the Auxilium School provides the poorest children of the Guntur slums – as well as children from the surrounding rural areas — with shelter, nutrition, and an education. In addition to equipping young children there with a well-rounded curriculum, our volunteer coordinator and the school’s administration also host parent meetings at the beginning of each school year. This way, parents and guardians have an opportunity to meet teachers and ask any questions they may have about the upcoming academic year, which the school feels is a critical element in student achievement.

Many reasons to participate

In India, our volunteer coordinators work to involve parents in their children’s education.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes parental involvement as “parents and school staff working together to support and improve the learning, development, and health of children and adolescents. Parent engagement in schools is a shared responsibility in which schools and other community agencies and organizations are committed to reaching out to engage parents in meaningful ways, and parents are committed to actively supporting their children’s and adolescents’ learning and development. This relationship between schools and parents cuts across and reinforces children’s health and learning in multiple settings — at home, in school, in out-of-school programs, and in the community.”

Why is it important for parents to become and stay actively involved in their children’s schooling? According to the National Education Association (NEA), family engagement in school improves achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s academics. Parental involvement is also linked to better student behavior and enhanced social skills, while also making it more likely that children will avoid unhealthy behaviors such as using tobacco, abusing alcohol or drugs, or resorting to violence.

We are very proud of the teachers, administrators, parents, and students at the Auxilium School, as well as of all of our affiliated projects that prioritize parental involvement. Along with help from our sponsorship program, we feel confident that impoverished children in India are being uplifted through the support they receive from sponsors and their parents, giving them the best possible chance to have bright futures.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN INDIA?

You can sponsor a child in India in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in India who is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | December 19, 2018En Español

Although our affiliated project Dorton Elementary School in Pike County, Kentucky is an older school that has been around since 1929, the staff and administrators there have implemented progressive tactics to ensure that our sponsored and unsponsored children are receiving a well-rounded education that includes learning valuable ethical lessons. On a trip to Pike County to visit with our Volunteer Coordinator Alisa, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, was told about the school’s efforts to not only teach children academics, but to also incorporate character education.

“Students spend much of their young lives in classrooms. This time in school is an opportunity to explain and reinforce the core values upon which character is formed.”

What is character education?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Character education teaches the habits of thought and deed that help people live and work together as families, friends, neighbors, communities and nations.”

“Character education is a learning process that enables students and adults in a school community to understand, care about and act on core ethical values such as respect, justice, civic virtue and citizenship, and responsibility for self and others. Upon such core values, we form the attitudes and actions that are the hallmark of safe, healthy and informed communities that serve as the foundation of our society.

“Students spend much of their young lives in classrooms. This time in school is an opportunity to explain and reinforce the core values upon which character is formed.”

Thanks to Alisa and the Family Resource Center, Dorton Elementary School has made a commitment to implement character education while students are young, and oftentimes in need of guidance as they develop. For Alisa, who receives very little help to support children living in poverty outside of our sponsorship program, character education allows her to have an impact on students that will help them grow, because they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about these important topics.

Beyond academics

While they were meeting together, Alisa described to Renée exactly how she conducts her character education courses. She explained that many children at the school come from very poor homes. Their parents are often uneducated or absent from their children’s lives due to the rising drug problem in the area; so they aren’t around to teach them valuable ethical lessons.

In order to address these issues, Alisa runs small groups for her elementary students to discuss good manners, kindness, and proper study habits. For the older children in the upper grades, topics such as puberty and bullying are addressed. Alisa also works on drug awareness programs throughout the school year. She hosts a luau in the gym, with a DJ, food, the game cornhole, ping-pong, and other games so that children not only learn about good habits for everyday life, but they also have the chance to put good habits into practice in a fun and safe environment.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

Shelley Callahan | December 13, 2018En Español

We are very grateful to regularly receive testimonials from our incredible volunteer coordinators around the world, because they have the opportunity to see first-hand the amazing impact that our sponsors and donors are having on the lives of impoverished children all over the globe. We would like to share a beautiful letter with you from Neil, one of our volunteer coordinators in North Carolina, in which he expresses his gratitude and appreciation for our programs — and more importantly, for our sponsors.

A letter from Neil

Your donations mean so much to our sponsored kids — and our volunteer coordinators.

“Dear Children Incorporated Staff and Sponsors,

“Words seem inadequate as I think about the smiles and heartfelt appreciation my students demonstrate for the gifts and letters they receive from their sponsors. How do I describe the pride a student exhibits as he walks down the hall in a new pair of sneakers? Or the twinkle in our students’ eyes and the voracious manner in which they read letters from their sponsors as they try to imagine far-off places? I do not believe it is possible to describe the gratitude the students, or I, feel for the sponsors. Words are not enough.

“Let me tell you a story about sneakers. There are two boys who come immediately to mind. Life has dealt them a very difficult hand. Both have absentee parents and are being raised by either a grandparent or great-grandparents. While having many excuses to be mad at the world that create waves of pain and anger, both of these young men work diligently to learn as much as they can, follow the rules, and interact with their classmates in a cooperative manner. They come to school and do their very best every day.

“At Christmas, I asked each of them what they would like from their sponsors. Both wanted a pair of Stephen Curry high-top sneakers. I told them I would see what I could do. Because of their sponsors’ monthly funds and additional holiday gifts, I was able to get both boys exactly what they requested. Each of these young men are used to being disappointed, to having promises made to them that are ultimately broken; and to wish for brand-name products, and to get discount brands instead. That is their experience in life.”

‘Thank you’ doesn’t express how much the assistance from Children Incorporated and the sponsors mean to the students and me. Know that it is heartfelt and truly meant.

– Neil

“When they sat down in my office, opened their bags of gifts, and there in their hands were the coolest shoes a kid could get, they were in disbelief; and then they smiled. Tenderly, they pulled their new shoes from the boxes, as if they were plated in gold — and the bright colors dazzled their eyes. One young man looked up to as if to ask if they were really his, and he had to be encouraged to try them on. One asked to wash his hands before he tried them on so he wouldn’t get them dirty.

“The other day, I greeted one of the young men as he was dropped off at school. The shoes looked almost as good as they did the day he got them. I asked his grandmother about this, and she stated that every day when he comes home from school, he takes off his shoes, washes them, and puts them away. He told her that he has to take care of them because they are the nicest shoes he has ever received in his life. This from a rough-and-tumble boy is an example of the worth he places in those shoes.”

Another special story

“It is unfair that I get to see the smiles from these children when you, their sponsors, might not. There have been times, like those described above, which bring tears to my eyes. One small girl, upon receiving her new, sparkling shoes, had to show me how well she could spin like a ballerina – the entire time, watching how her new shoes sparkled in the light. Another couldn’t stop tapping her feet to make the lights in her shoes come on and go off. Another young lady ran up to me and gave me a very unexpected hug (she is a child who seldom expresses her emotions), and spun around, showing me her new outfit, stating ‘I feel like a millionaire in these clothes.’ Things that I would take for granted meant the world to these students.

We are so grateful for your support of children in need.

“There is one last story I would like to share. One of the Children Incorporated sponsored children at my school is intellectually and physically disabled. Non-verbal and unable to provide for his own care, I have to depend on his caregivers to find out what to get him. They told me he loves blocks, and loves to put them away after playing with them. For Christmas, thanks to his sponsor, he received several different types of blocks and a container to put them in. While he wasn’t able to open them, as the caregivers opened his gifts and showed them to him, I could tell he was quite happy and excited.

“After Christmas break, the caregivers reported that he played incessantly with the blocks, arranging them and stacking them. When finally tired, he would use as much care as he could to put each block in his new container. One day shortly after the end of Christmas break, I was in his classroom giving a guidance lesson for him and his classmates. The boy, typically remote and aloof, began to smack his hands together, beat on his desk, and attempted to ‘talk’ to me. I walked over to him and offered him my hand. This student had never attempted to interact with me before that day. He began patting my hand – and in an ultimate display of affection, took my hand and rubbed it back and forth over his head.

“He chattered away at me and repeatedly patted my hand and had me rub his head during the rest of the guidance lesson. Never would I have believed that the boy understood that the blocks came from me. But he did. And he displayed the tremendous depths of his gratitude in the only manner his unique mind and body could. I left his classroom that day with a profound sense of humility. I had received a blessing his sponsor should have received. And what a humbling blessing it was for me.

“’Thank you’ doesn’t express how much the assistance from Children Incorporated and the sponsors mean to the students and me. Know that it is heartfelt and truly meant.”

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN NORTH CAROLINA?

You can sponsor a child in North Carolina in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD