Service Project Description
Andres Castro School Build
Site and Collaborative Partners – where's the need and context?
Andres Castro (Named after a national hero – Batalla de San Jacinto) is a public elementary and high school located in Haulover, near Pearl Lagoon on the east coast of Nicaragua. It is run by the Ministry of Education (MINED) and serves 373 students from pre-school to Grade 6 and 185 students from grade 7-10. There is also an after-hours adult education program.
The school is open from Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Adult education classes are on weekends. It has 8 classrooms that are used by elementary students (pre-school to Grade 4) during the morning (7 am-12 noon). Grades 5-6 plus Grades 7-10 use the same 8 classrooms during the afternoon (12:30- 5:00 pm).
Providing educational opportunities to 558 students of widely varying ages and abilities with only 8 classrooms is difficult. The school requires room to grow in order to make education more convenient and attractive to youth. (Currently some high school students attend in Pearl Lagoon).
Service Project – what work will volunteers do?
Our service project will involve constructing two classrooms (54’ long x 20’ wide): (1) assembling wood structure for the roof ; (2) mixing cement; (3) helping clean school property; (4) moving LOTS of sand; (5) building 5 concrete walls; (6) building book shelves (maybe).
Benefits – who would benefit?
More classrooms means less students per class and hence better quality of education. The service project would primarily benefit the Haulover community by: (1) adding two more much-needed classrooms to their overall goal of adding 7; and (2) making more space for the growing high school population (increasing by 33 in 2010).
Secondary beneficiaries of this program include the 1 locally hired contractor and 1 skilled assistant who will direct the project; a number of local vendors from whom materials will be purchased; a group of 3 local women who will be contracted and trained to provide lunch for the volunteers.
Indirectly, the municipality of Pearl Lagoon (of which Haulover is part of) will benefit. At this moment The "Las Perlas Institute" located in Pearl Lagoon (15 minutes walk from Haulover) is the only complete secondary school in all of the 7 nearby communities. More space at Andres Castro School will relieve pressure on "Las Perlas Institute."
Budget – how much?
US$4000-$7000 for locally hired labour (up to 6 people), locally purchased materials, and on-site meals for the volunteer crew. Amount range depends on number of project elements undertaken, which is related to the number of volunteers and groups allocated to this project.
This project is being undertaken in partnership with the municipal office and communal board, as well as the Peace & Hope Trust (in-kind contribution of US$2475).
Other Information
A Casa Canadiense group from Robert F. Hall Secondary School in Brampton, ON built two classrooms here in 2009. After the Algonquin College CYW Program builds two more in 2010 we hope they or others will return and build the final two or three classrooms in 2011.
rev. Jan 03/10