Education
Overview
One of the most important ways MPI works to empower the next generation of Nicaraguans is through education. A severe educational deficit exists in Nicaragua, with only twenty-nine percent (29%) of children completing primary school. The direct and implicit costs of schooling—books, uniforms, loss of potential income—force many to drop out at an early age. Even those who do attend school do so for a mere four hours a day, often in classrooms full of forty or more students where resources are stretched thin. This state of education, coupled with lax attendance policies and a tradition of “social promotion,” in which children are passed to the next grade as they grow older, regardless of their mastery of the necessary skills, leaves the children at a complete disadvantage in an educated global society.
The goals of MPI’s education programs are to reinforce what students are learning in school, provide extra assistance for those behind grade level, and instill a lifelong appreciation for the benefits of an education. Small teacher to student ratios allow our programs to foster relationships between the students and the teachers, which increases the quality of the education and promotes the child’s feeling of self-worth.
Literacy
The MPI Literacy Class offers participating students the chance to practice reading comprehension and writing skills. Currently, the class meets every Monday and Wednesday for an hour and a half in Cedro Galán. Exercises include group reading, grammar worksheets, writing activities, and spelling games. Participating students range from six to fifteen years old, and are divided by ability into four groups. The youngest group, Level A, practices phonetics and sentence construction; Levels B and C reinforce reading comprehension skills, grammar, and spelling; and Level D focuses on reading chapter books and fostering creativity through journal writing. Every Friday, a group of students from Cedro Galán travel with their teachers to the library at Chiquilistagua for an hour of independent reading. The children may also select two books to check out, allowing them to take ownership and pride in their own educational progress. Our goals include increased reading ability, critical thinking, creativity, and a deeper appreciation of the benefits of literacy.
Math
A math program meets every Monday and Wednesday for an hour in Cedro Galán. It is divided into four levels among participating students and skills taught range from addition in the most basic level to algebra and order of operations in the most advanced. Activities include worksheets, problems on the board, flashcards, and bingo. Nicaraguan math classes are usually very large, and students who fall behind do not receive the necessary attention to keep their skills at grade level. Our Math program is designed to help children learn topics through completion, holding them at a topic for as long as necessary until the students have mastered the subject area. Our program aims to promote stronger math skills and greater confidence with numbers, laying a stronger foundation for the future of these children.
English
With Nicaragua looking to make inroads in the tourist industry and become more integrated in an increasingly globalized world, speaking English has become an invaluable skill. As volunteers in Nicaragua, we recognize that one of our greatest assets is our ability to provide quality English instruction. While English is a required course for all students in high school, the level of English instruction is extremely lacking.
MPI currently runs six English classes in Nicaragua that serve approximately one hundred adults, teenagers, and children. Three programs meet in Cedro Galan, two in Chiquilistagua, and one in La Chureca. The classes range in level from beginner to advanced. During class, we combine standard exercises of reading, writing, and speaking with games and various group activities. These classes are one of the cornerstones of our volunteers’ relationships with local community members. Through these friendships, we are constantly establishing a greater presence and greater trust within the community.
Creative Arts
In the Nicaraguan education system, children too often become dependent on the instructor – copying from the board, memorizing, and rarely thinking critically. We seek to provide an alternative to this type of learning, which is detrimental to a child’s creative mental development. Our goal in the Manna Creative Arts Program is to expose students to different forms of expression and ways of thinking. Creative arts are a vehicle to this end, and a discipline seldom taught in either private or public schools.
MPI currently offers creative arts classes twice per week for an hour in Cedro Galán. This program reaches students from six to fourteen years old through various forms of art. The Creative Arts Program additionally addresses map illiteracy and introduces other cultures by organizing the class into country units.
