Xoloescuela
Ensuring access to education has always been a priority for Imaginalco. With the pandemic, the risk of school dropout increased. The diagnosis we made through the Covid-19 affectation brigades showed us that 74% of the families were at risk of this occurring. The crisis began to make it more difficult for girls, boys, and young people to continue with their studies, since many of them cannot access their classes from home, given that they do not have internet access or computer equipment. For this reason, we started the project "Xoloescuela: young people training other young people", which has played a crucial role in the community during the health emergency.
Xoloescuela is a program led by young women from the Malinalco, who after years of training in Imaginalco, have become educators and provide pedagogical support and guidance to children and adolescents in vulnerable situations to help them to successfully continue with their studies.
At the end of the year, we evaluated the program and found that all participants know that they can ask for support with any school problem, and receive help with their work; we also found that for most, the schedules and material we offer help them to meet school requirements. In addition, students expressed that participating in the program has helped them to learn new things, improve their academic performance, and feel confident to express doubts and talk about their problems. Finally, we confirmed that at Xoloescuela, participants develop tools and individual skills that promote their access to quality education; that the families of the participants contribute to ensuring access to quality education, and that there are material conditions that contribute to access to quality education.
With Xoloescuela we won the Razón de Ser 2020 Award from Fundación Merced, in the Inclusive and Quality Education Category in Times of Crisis.
"I am proud to have joined Imaginalco at such an early age and to have had the desire and the drive to want to improve myself. Although growing up makes me nervous, I am happy and excited about the future, and the new ideas and goals to reach ahead. Teaching and supporting the younger participants in their academic passage through Xoloescuela motivates me, I feel supported and grateful to my community. And, more than anything, being here encourages me to know that even though I am a woman, I don't have to stay with the ways of thinking of others."
Estrella Landeros, operator, 22 years old
Xoloescuela
We contribute to guaranteeing access to quality education for children and young people through a scheme of school support, psychosocial support and pedagogical counseling, which helps to improve academic performance and reduce school dropouts among the population at greatest risk.
Impact
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We guaranteed that 22 girls and boys from vulnerable families in the community had access to online classes, by adapting our spaces to function as digital classrooms.
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Five young men who were finishing middle school prepared and entered high school.
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We provided school support to 12 middle and high school students, who were at risk of dropping out of school due to the economic crisis and will now continue their studies.
Recognition
We won the Razón de Ser 2020 Award from Fundación Merced, in the Inclusive and Quality Education Category in Times of Crisis!
“Being at the Xoloescuela makes me feel calmer because at home my family doesn't let me concentrate very well. They help me here, I understand my work and I can do my homework. I have improved in math and reading classes. At Imaginalco I also learned how to help at home. "
Ángel De Jesús Triste Medina, 14 years old
Thank you for helping us make this program possible!
