By Mariela Rodriguez – Communications Coordinator
Dear Donor,We are in awe of how quickly another school year has come to a close and with it a reflection of many successes in our team’s work. Alongside teachers, the Intibuca Education department and local mayors, we have accomplished so much and cannot wait for what 2023 will bring.
At the Education Department level, we expanded our Reading Contest Program for the first time to all 17 municipalities. A competition event took place where 100 schools and 7,000 students participated. Students entered written essays and the final contestants presented an oral summary of one book at the event. A live Kolibri evaluation was also projected during the event to demonstrate the platform’s potential, intriguing non-Kolibri teachers present. There was even a commitment from the Department Director to continue the Reading Contest Program yearly.
We have had success in meeting with 16 of the 17 municipal mayors of Intibuca to seek their commitment in providing an IT support for their Kolibri schools for the coming year. Moreover, another mayor has purchased TVs for their Kolibri schools. And another sent tablets, gifted from multiple non-profits, to be loaded with Kolibri by Shoulder to Shoulder FOR A PROFIT. After several years focusing on content development we are proud of our on-the-ground team’s potential to bring in funds and help itself out. We look forward to finding even more ways to create sustainability.
Finally, we are filled with hope for 2023 as we have received funding once more from the U.S. Embassy, $30,000, to support our team’s work. Our partnership with the U.S. Embassy has been ongoing for several years now and we hope to continue being recognized for the work we do in our communities and the impact it is having year after year.
Look for more reports in the coming year of what our team is up to and how we are continuing to bring change and innovation to our children’s education.
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from Shoulder to Shoulder!
