Vuelta Grande Primary School Projects
In partnership with La Union and the village of Vuelta Grande, University of Dreams Foundation is committed to continuous support of the village's only school, "Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Cantones Vuelta Grande."
The school is situated on the side of a hill with breathtaking views of the community. It is partially funded by the Guatemalan government, but is lacking many resources to provide quality education to the children of Vuelta Grande. The school currently has three teachers serving grades K-6, with approximately 150 students. Once children in the community graduate from sixth grade, their options are to attend costly private schools in neighboring Antigua, or begin to work alongside their parents in the fields and at home. 99% of them opt for the latter.
Through financial and in-kind donations as well as quarterly volunteer trips, University of Dreams Foundation supports the school in various ways. Below you will find a brief description of some of the projects to which the foundation is committed.
School beautification
Painting the exterior of the building
Murals inside and outside the classrooms
Cleaning the grounds
School improvement
Built a retaining wall to prevent further erosion and protect school from sliding down the side of the mountain on which it sits
Created a library for the school by renovating a vacant classroom, building windows and doors to let in natural light and ensure the security of the library, built bookshelves, tables, chairs, and desks
Donations
Hundreds of books for the new library
Clothing for the students and their families
Sponsoring a teacher's salary. University of Dreams Foundation specifically chose a female to attract more girls to the school.
Creating a presence and relationship with the children and parents in the community. As the respect and trust is built, University of Dreams Foundation is able to instill a commitment to the value and importance of staying in school.
Distributing donated items (books and clothing) to the school quarterly
University of Dreams Foundation understands the need for more support and resources at the school. Some of the projects the foundation hopes to support in the future include:
Sponsoring additional teachers
Build and staff a secondary school in Vuelta Grande