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SEEDS FOR PROGRESS PRESENT AT THE GLOBAL FORUM VIRTUAL EDUCA!

Virtual Educa
SEEDS FOR PROGRESS PRESENT
AT THE GLOBAL FORUMVIRTUAL EDUCA!
Recently, we were invited to participate in the global forum Virtual Educa (Virtual Education) in Brazil, a conference specialized in innovation in education. This event takes place every year and is focused on discussing the application of innovative tools in education and how they can be used as a strategic pillar to favor inclusion, development, and consequently, international competitiveness.

Martha Alicia Moreno, Project Coordinator, and Marielos Ubeda, Digital Seeds Coordinator, participated as speakers presenting Seeds for Progress' advances in developing methodologies specific to improving the quality of education
in rural communities.
 
One of the methodologies presented at the conference was the "Puentes Educativos" Project (Educational Bridges). This initiative consists in setting up three months "pop-up schools" during the school vacation period for children from 0 to 12 years-old in coffee farms, which coincides with the coffee harvest season in Nicaragua.
 
Through Puentes Educativos we provide early child development by integrating stimulating activities for children between 0 and 3. For older children, we focus on introducing them to the use of technology in the classroom by teaching them computer skills. Most of these children have never had access to a computer which makes learning a lot more interesting and fun!
VOLUNTEER

We are excited to share that we held our first volunteering activity in Guatemala with the collaboration of Eleva Coffee and McCombs School of Business.  

 

During the week of July 23rd, 12 MBA Candidates from the McCombs School of Business, from the University of Texas in Austin, participated in a volunteer trip in the small region of Palencia in Guatemala.  Prior to their trip, the volunteers raised over $17K to repair two rural schools in Agua Caliente, Palencia, which will benefit over 100 students.

 

Throughout the week, the volunteers did a number of tasks, including: mixing cement, painting classrooms and setting the foundations for new bathrooms and recreational areas for the children. The volunteers stayed in the community and were able to share great moments with coffee producers and the children from the schools.

 

With this project, Seeds for Progress inaugurates the Digital Seeds Program in Guatemala, beginning with infrastructure improvements.

 

We are proud to expand our programs beyond Nicaragua and work towards improving the quality of education in more coffee communities. 

INAUGURAL PROJECT AND  VOLUNTEER TRIP IN GUATEMALA
A special thanks to Eleva Coffee and the McCombs-Building Bridges partnership for allowing this to happen. We look forward to continue our work in Guatemala and to have more partnerships for a greater impact!

To  join one of our volunteering trips contact us here!

Tech tools
ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING WITH INNOVATIVE TOOLS 

As part of our Digital Seeds Program, our team of facilitators and pedagogy experts are constantly looking for ways to innovate and create fun and dynamic learning spaces in the schools. We have identified three initiatives that are proving to be successful in enhancing education in a rural context. 

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Lego Education supports early learning by the use of different Lego tools , as a way to open up the world of early math, science, and language skills for young children. 
 
Solutions grow with students as they problem-solve and discover how science, technology, engineering, and math affect their everyday life.
 
We are happy to have our first trials with this methodology in 3 rural communities of Nicaragua.
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Makey Makey is an electronic tool and toy that allows users to connect everyday objects to computer programs.
 
This tool promotes the development of creative thinking, technological knowledge, team working and creative thinking.
 
This year, we started a pilot program with students from 1st to 3rd grade in three Digital Seeds schools.
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TOMi, is a technological device that can turn any board into an interactive whiteboard and was designed to improve education by potentiating the interaction and participation of students. 
 
Starting in September, 15 Digital Seeds schools with more than 4,000 students, will implement the use of this innovative device.
 
Seeds for Progress will start training our teachers in Nicaragua on the use of the TOMi this month.
iniciativas
INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGIES TO 
IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION
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LEARNING BY PLAYING

 

Learning through play can  make children develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments.

 

Through games and the use of technology, our teachers are able to reinforce their lessons. 

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EVERYDAY TO SCHOOL

 

Daily school attendance is one of the main obstacles we face to improve the quality of education in coffee-growing communities.

 

Thus, we have developed the "Everyday to School" Program which aims to promote attendance among children and highlight its importance within the families and community with tools such as the "dynamic student attendance board". 

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READING CORNER

 

​Reading is essential for the student's development and learning.

 

In order to encourage the love of reading in young students, we promote different reading activities and design spaces such as the Reading Corner to awaken the students' interest in books.

This year, the Digital Seeds team has worked with 260 elementary school teachers to develop these three initiatives.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE
IMPROVING SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

One of the main components of the Digital Seeds program is to guarantee the optimal schooling conditions for the children and teachers in the schools.

 

This year we have invested in 6 infrastructure projects, and we will complete 6 more by the end of the year. We plan to invest more than U$ 250,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:
5TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

In honor of our 5th Anniversary, we will we be hosting the Building a Better Coffee World through Education Gala on November 7th in New York City. With this event, we want to celebrate the work we have done together for the development of the coffee communities of Nicaragua.

 

If you would like to join us, please click here for more information.

A YEAR IN REVIEW:
2017 - DISCOVER OUR IMPACT
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
William James
Philosopher and Psychologist

To continue supporting our coffee-growing communities, click here!​

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