Tamar Alvarenga

October 17, 2014

Educaniños: An Internship in Teaching and Exploring Language Skills

Education should be a right for all. However, we know that access to education correlates, too many times, to socioeconomic status and living location. Educaniños, a US-based organization, serves in the outskirts of Otavalo, Ecuador to close the gap in education between children of the rural areas and urban areas. This is important because rural children are less likely to graduate or to receive scholarships toward higher education. Being a beneficiary of scholarships and a first generation college student, Educaniños inspired me to give back and to explore this social justice issue of inequality.  This presentation will examine the challenges of being a first time teacher, having past involvement in mentoring, as well as the opportunities to engage with the local community. Additionally, it will touch upon my role as a facilitator, bridging language barriers between American volunteers and the local administration.