Teacher Workshops 2024 a big success!

Aug 29

A new volunteer opportunity has just opened up! Fruit Tree Planting | Dec. 1-7, 2024 Join us as we travel the Amazon and Napo Rivers, in the heart of the Peruvian Rainforest, to plant native trees in multiple communities. See more

In this August 2024 issue we share a report on our annual teacher workshops facilitated by CONAPAC and taught by local experts

Did you know our Adopt-A-School program includes workshops for teachers in our partner communities?
From August 11 to 17, teachers across 50 CONAPAC partner communities attended our annual environmental education workshop.

We hosted teachers and directors from inicial (kindergarten, ages 3-5) and early grades of primaria (elementary) in our workshop titled:
“Explorando el valor de la naturaleza amazónica con la niñez a través de estrategias educativas y las ciencias ambientales”
(“Exploring the value of Amazonian nature with children through educational strategies and environmental sciences”).
Presenters included specialists from UGEL, the local education authority, Amigos de la Naturaleza, who shared their knowledge on how birds can be an integral part of environmental education, and instructors specializing in outdoor school spaces called BoNi (Bosque de niñas, niños y jóvenes) and TiNi (Tierra de niñas, niños y jóvenes).

The workshop was held in two blocks, Amazonas and Napo, with accommodations at Explorama Lodge and ACTS Lodge. Each block consisted of six hours in each theme area, with approximately three hours of theory and three hours of technical practice and discussion.

This year’s workshop was particularly important, especially for the teachers of inicial. Most of them are new to CONAPAC and the community in which they teach. The workshop provided them with a significant opportunity to better understand the CONAPAC partnership and work alongside colleagues from other communities.

As our co-founder and Board President Pam Arévalo says of the annual teacher workshop: “It is one of the, if not the most, important things CONAPAC does.” All of CONAPAC’s work is for the communities' children, now and in the future, whether learning and understanding the rainforest differently through environmental education, gaining access to clean drinking water to help diminish childhood water-borne illness, or planting a fruit tree for nutrients. When CONAPAC engages with communities about conservation and sustainability, it is to ensure the children of that community have the same, if not more, opportunities as the adults do now. One of our long-time donors and supporters, Pachita, always says, “It’s for the children!”

So what happens after the workshop? Teachers return to their communities and classrooms with a refreshed mindset on incorporating activities that engage young children in their own environment. For example, a school that builds and maintains a BoNi with its community has a location where classes can be held directly in the forest. It combines a sense of play with nature and observation. An open spot under the shade of tall trees a short distance from the school building, a BoNi can also be a pleasant location to complete lessons in the heat of the day. Most of the CONAPAC communities already have a BoNi location; however, new teachers may need an understanding of the methodology, the how and why of these locations, and their importance. In addition, creating and managing these spaces are among the many examples of the importance of teachers working with the community and the community working with teachers. This two-way relationship makes all the difference in the ability of a community (and its children) to thrive.

Does this sound like something you want to support? When you contribute to Adopt-A-School, part of your donation goes toward funding these workshops.