Introducing the MASTER schools!

In an earlier post, we said that in the 2021 school year TINFA would be working with eight “new” schools in addition to the four schools who started with the program in 2020. Alert readers may have noted the quotation marks around the word, “new.” To understand why, continue reading (hint: a clue is in the title).

One of TINFA’s core missions is motivating kids to continue their education into middle school and beyond. Now, as schools in Guatemala begin to reopen, educators are facing the additional challenge of getting the kids whose education was interrupted or postponed by the pandemic back on track to finish their primary school education.

The COVID crisis has highlighted the value of the collaborative tools that TINFA’s technology and training provides. Throughout 2020, teachers were sharing strategies and coordinating efforts across networks facilitated by their TINFA training. TINFA made the decision that for 2021, in lieu of bringing any new schools into the program, it would facilitate and amplify these spontaneous collaborations by inviting back into the program eight of its most successful partner schools. These eight “master schools” will work alongside the four second year schools with TINFA as intermediary and facilitator.

The foundation of the TINFA program remains the same, but this year TINFA will be working with well-established and trusted friends, such as Ruth Sales, the director at Escuela Nueva Esperanza in Asintal, Retalhuleu, who will be the subject of a future post. Each of the master schools have already received (or will be receiving shortly) one additional computer and a booster program of advanced training in skills such as workbook creation, online collaboration, and hosting virtual classrooms.

For our armchair travelers, here’s a list of the eight master schools along with their locations:

  1. Escuela Lotificación San Marcos, El Palmar, Quetzaltenango (2013 to 2015)

  2. Escuela Corcho Sur, El Asintal, Retalhuleu (2013 to 2015)

  3. Escuela Rangel Galindo, Asintal, Retalhuleu (2015 to 2017)

  4. Escuela Santa Cruz Mulua, Santa Cruz Mulua, Retalhuleu (2015 to 2017)

  5. Escuela Lotificación San Rafael, Asintal, Retalhuleu (2016 to 2018)

  6. Escuela Colonia San Carlos, Asintal, Retalhuleu (2016 to 2018)

  7. Escuela Siglo II, Santa Cruz Mulua, Retalhuleu (2016 to 2018)

  8. Escuela Nueva Esperanza, Asintal, Retalhuleu (2016 to 2018)