October Newsletter 2023 GT

Evaluating and Celebrating Successful Schools

Adopt-A-School is more than school supplies! One of our Adopt-A-School activities is an end-of-year visit to every community which typically takes place at the end of October or beginning of November.

Accompanying the CONAPAC team on these visits are education specialists from GREL (Gerencia Regional de Educación de Loreto), UGEL Maynas (Unidad de Gestión Educativa Local-Maynas), and experienced school principals. GREL and UGEL agencies supervise all aspects of education our region of Peru. CONAPAC has an official working agreement with GREL, which allows CONAPAC to help choose teaching staff in our Partner Communities and permission to conduct education capacity-building workshops. Our partnership with GREL and UGEL is supremely important to ensuring a quality education by enthusiastic and dedicated teachers, especially environmental education. We also have environmental specialists who accompany CONAPAC for these visits.

This year, we divided into seven teams, each visited one or two communities daily. While the education specialists were in classrooms talking with principals, an environmental specialist met with the community’s authorities and members to learn more about the community and to tour the community’s projects.

Every teacher, principal, and community are is assessedusing a rubric. These evaluations, as well as the conversations in each community, help CONAPAC and the education authorities to plan for the future. For example, we may learn that a school needs structural revitalization, and the school principal needs to get support from the education agency. Or a community has had problems with its water treatment system and it needs repair,and because weare right there in the community, thesekinds of problems can be addressed and resolved.

Millions of people have come together to support and champion the causes they believe in. This global day of giving harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year’s #GivingTuesday will take place on November 28 and will kick off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.

For the last few years, a friend of CONAPAC has come forward to offer a matching $5000 donation for our Adopt-A-School program. Our generous donors met and surpassed this goal each year. Once again, this anonymous donor is ready to give for the 2024 school year. Help us kick off our fundraiser with your donations on Giving Tuesday, November 28th. We'll be updating you regularly as to our progress.

Donations for the Adopt-A-School program are welcome on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year. Books and classroom supplies are being ordered now for distribution next March. We serve 52 rainforest communities and over 3,000 students and teachers. Adopting a school costs just $450 per school or $55 per student. Thank you for all your past and ongoing support.