We have worked with Ada Stevenson for several years at her boarding home for orphans and children whose parents cannot care for them.
It is in the very poor neighbourhood of Ccotohuincho outside of Urubamba, two hours from Cusco. Last year we developed a home tutoring program for the kids but this year Ada has bigger plans.
Ada is head of the local parents association but laments that the quality of education at the Ccotohuincho school is so poor. She wants to offer tutoring, through a homework club format that has worked so well for us in Cusco and Tuksa, to the entire local school.
We have found at our other homework clubs that children often learn more in two hours of focused learning after school than they do all day in school. Through the homework club we expect to dramatically improve students grades, attendance in school and enthusiasm. Her long term goal is to motivate the school to improve the quality of teaching so that one day the homework club can provide “extra” help rather the curriculum students should be learning in school.
The project began in March 2014 with renovations to the current school building. The school will be paying for two teachers and the Alma Foundation will be paying for two teachers. We will be measuring attendance, grades, interest in learning and involvement of parents.
