The acronyms are only slightly less confusing here than when you are trying to find your way around the campus of Calvin College (go from the CFAC past the SLC in the CA to BV by way of SE, for example). Nicaragua Christian Academy (NCA) is composed of three distinct campuses--NCA International, NCA Nejapa, and NCA Matagalpa--with hopes to continue to expand within many major cities throughout Nicaragua. I teach at the English-speaking International campus in Managua, Nicaragua. I had the privilege last week to spend a school day at each of the other two campuses, which was one of my goals for this school year. I love the mission of NCAI, but I also love that NCA is bigger than my campus, and that the work we do at NCAI is linked into the bigger picture of God's transformational work in education in Nicaragua.
NCA Nejapa:
Only 5 minutes from NCAI, and located on the same campus as the Nehemiah Center since being established in 2005, NCAN has enrollment that now surpasses the original campus. It provides a Christian education in the Spanish language for students at about $60 per month for tuition. The preschool department at our school is currently participating in a "cooperative learning exchange" with the preschool teachers at Nejapa--a pilot program of sorts to see how these two distinct campuses can share resources and talent with one another. So far, I've enjoyed two days at their school, and they observed in our classrooms for two days. Following our visit, we've enjoyed food and conversation about our observations--offering suggestions bundled with affirmations. I am the only non-Spanish speaker in the group, which made the process a bit tough, but it was great practice for me! Throughout the process, Carla, the PreK2 teacher at Nejapa, has done an incredible job of transforming her classroom into a place of active learning, songs, centers, thematic units, and hands-on activities. The parents of her students now complain that the kids are coming home dirty, which I think is a huge compliment about the quality of education those preschoolers are getting. I was able to get ideas from Carla as well--she did a remarkable job of tying her academic goals into activities throughout the entire school day. Kids were bombarded with the stuff they were learning, and that is something I want to develop more within my classroom. I hope these teacher exchanges continue at other grade levels, for though we are only a few kilometers away, the gap that exists between our two schools is very, very wide. It has been a privilege to be a part of the beginning of narrowing that gap.
NCA Matagalpa:
Matagalpa is a town in the foothills of Nicaragua, about 2 and 1/2 hours away from Managua. It's cool coffee country up there. . . it is impossible to miss all of the bright red berries laying out on large blankets in fields to dry before processing as you drive up to the hills to Matagalpa. (On a side note, Dexter the monkey was purchased along the road in this region). NCAM began two years ago; they saw their student population triple in size this year! I went on an overnight adventure to NCAM as part of a team of folks from Tesoros de Dios (the organization that works with kids with disabilities), with the purpose to assist teachers of students who are experiencing difficulties within the classroom. Our work consisted of a school tour (a BEAUTIFUL new building set along a river in the hills), a morning of brief 20-minute observations of 8 identified students, followed up by a time to write ideas/suggestions for the teachers to use as they attempt to include these children within their classroom. In the afternoon, we spent time talking as a group about the need for a more developed program for students with disabilities in the Matagalpa area. The dreams are big and seem distant, but the reality is that there are MANY kids with special needs that are not receiving the services that they need to be successful within the general education classroom in the Matagalpa community. Disability can be a taboo for Nicaraguan parents; many are in denial that their child is "different." In addition, Nicaraguan-trained teachers receive little to no training as to how to assist diverse learners. These two issues combined make this a complicated process! It was so fun for me to be back in the "special education world" again, even if only for a day, and I hope to continue to be able to assist all three NCA schools in this area in the future.
Each school is distinct--culturally, geographically, and even educationally. The challenge is to keep us united in the work we do. I'm thankful for Mission statement that unites all of the schools in common purpose: all 3 schools exist to "equip children of Christian parents with the spiritual discernment, the moral courage, and the academic excellence to impact society through Christian living motivated by a heartfelt love for God." The entire staff at NCAI, from the teachers and janitors to the administration and cleaning ladies, just memorized our mission statement. . .keeping us focused on why we do what we do. Thank you for supporting the mission of NCAI, N, and M!
No comments:
Post a Comment