New during the past year:
1. 80 children are now sponsored by individuals, families, and schools from around the world.
2. Classes now follow a curriculum and our children have textbooks, workbooks, and other learning resources for the subjects they study with us.
3. The preschool program has been expanded from two to three classes.
4. Quarterly report cards based on three main criteria: Academic performance (a number grade), behavior inside and outside of the classroom (a letter grade), and attendance.
5. Smaller class sizes.
6. We test and track student performance using internationally standardized tests (we have been testing
since 2015, but now have over a year’s worth of comparative data).
7. Huge expansion
of the property – including a completed sports court, a completed memorial garden,
and room for a fourth classroom – bringing our community facility “Casa de los Sueños” to 10,000
square feet of space.
8. Monthly student assemblies, monthly dance performances, and semi-annual parents’ meetings.
9. Addition of Program Administrator and increase in teaching staff from three to four.
10. Adult Literacy Classes (in partnership with Neighbors to Nicaragua).
11. Increased home visits and psychological testing (in partnership with Corazon Contento).
Statistics:
- Ages served: 3- 17
- 12 Permanent staff: 7 local and 5 foreign.
- 37 active students are from our original group in 2012.
- Volunteers since 2012: 393
- Visitors since 2012: 513
- Backpacks, uniforms, notebooks, pencils, pens, pencil sharpeners and erasers given out per year: 11,200
We have provided 200 meals per day every day since we opened Casa de los Sueños in 2014 – over 45,000 meals, 40,000 bananas, and 45,000 glasses of milk or juice per year. This means every child we serve receives at least one meal per day and children who receive no food at home are able to have seconds.
