Current Projects of the Igino Giordani-Foco Foundation
1. SPONSORING PROJECT
OBJECTIVE
To guarantee the continuity in the educational process of the Café con Leche school’s 8th grade graduating students, and of the young monitors who are former students of the school that have completed high school in other educational centers and want to attend college.
WAYS TO HELP
a) An amount is paid monthly for each young person, as a contribution to her /his studies. The young person will be identified and report cards will be sent.
b) Monthly, semester, or annual contributions are made to the scholarship fund, without waiting for a specific recipient. Semester or annual reports are sent about the use of the scholarship fund.
c) Material contributions: books, calculators, computers, or other items that will benefit one or more young people in a specific way.
2. SCHOOL CAFETERIA
OBJECTIVES
During the 2008-2009 academic year, 115 children will have lunch at the Café con Leche school thanks to donations in food and money.
For the 2009-2010 academic year the project is to increase the number of children to at least 150 who would fit in the present cafeteria in two shifts.
It would also be necessary to offer lunch to a group of volunteer young people and teachers so as to help them be more efficient at their job and remain at the school day without interruptions throughout the working day.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Pay for one or more food coupons
b) Pay for parents to be trained about aspects of nutrition
c) Donate dry foods for the families to use over the holidays
d) Donate a gas coupon
e) Educate the school children about nutrition-related topics
f) Give classes and workshops to volunteers
3. SPORTS AND RECREATION
OBJECTIVES
To promote sports activity as a means of release to counteract the violence that sometimes characterizes the environment of urban marginal communities such as El Café.
Use sports to promote fraternity inside the community.
Optimize the use of the sports court at the school as a meeting space for other recreational activities, such as cultural events.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Buy sports equipment
b) Pay sports coaches
c) Pay a certain amount for sports-related trips
d) Sports exchange with other schools
e) Sponsor sports competitions and games at the school
f) Organize recreational events for the community, at the sports court
4. CULTURAL EXPANSION
OBJECTIVES
As a first objective we propose the creation of an expansion program for the whole school year as well as cultural activities for the community on school grounds, especially on the covered sports court that will be ready by January 2009.
The aim is to make people aware of music, art, theatre as a means of offering the community a place of growth and cultural education.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Young volunteers to teach music, art, and theatre
b) Pay to publish materials on value education: Dado del amor and others
c) Sponsor cultural events
d) Cultural exchange with other organizations
e) Sponsor games and competitions at the school
5. YOUNG ENTREPENEURS
OBJECTIVES
In 2006 the Foco Foundation applied for and won a project with the World Bank to train 21 young people with the goal of starting a small-sized business.
Today we have the Jóvenes Creativos (Creative Youngsters) company where most of these youngsters work, in a workshop located near the Café con Leche school.
These young people have persevered for two years with this project and many of them can now make a little money selling the didactic material they make.
In 2009 the Foundation would like to start training another group of youngsters who have completed the 8th grade, in order to promote the possibility of their having in the future the ability to generate an income working at the present company, or creating new small-sized businesses.
Our aim is to create new human resources, encouraged by the fact that some of those first youngsters have already started college and also managed to find jobs outside the community.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Pay for the training of workshop leaders
b) Buy or donate materials: wood, plywood, paint, and others
c) Pay snacks given during courses
d) Donate the fees for one or more participants
e) Teach a course or give a talk on business topics
6. TEACHER TRAINING
OBJECTIVES
Promote with the utmost consistency the continuous training of the school’s teachers and principal.
Guarantee a higher level of teacher quality that might in turn promote a better teaching-learning process that is above the average level of a public school.
Help with the training of the Café community monitors and volunteers.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Buy support teaching materials
b) Pay teacher trainers
c) Sponsor to teacher-promotion events
d) Pay course trainers
e) Pay teacher scholarships
f) Donate incentives and prizes as motivation for the improvement of quality teaching at the school
7. INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CAFÉ CON LECHE SCHOOL
OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Foco Foundation is to complete the Café con Leche school as a basic education center that counts with all the necessary services.
For the year 2009 we have planned the construction of two classrooms, a center of technological resources, a workshop, the roofing of the sports court, and a remodeling in order to have an office for volunteers.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Resource Center: Library and Computer Lab.... U$A 30,000.00
b) Workshop...................................................... U$A 23,000.00
c) 2 Classrooms................................................. U$A 23,000.00
d) Volunteers’ Office........................................... U$A 4,000.00
e) Donation of construction materials
8. PROMOTION OF READING AND WRITING
OBJECTIVES
Guarantee an appropriate level of the school’s children reading skills with the goal of improving the levels of understanding and communication so that they could study better thus minimizing the gap that separates them from students at private schools. This would turn into an academic advantage for their professional future.
The project also contemplates the ongoing parents’ education through the adult literacy program in order to guarantee their involvement with their children’s homework.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Buy computer programs to improve reading and writing skills
b) Pay teachers in charge of extra support classes
c) Pay adult literacy teachers
d) Sponsor a children’s literature contest
e) Buy didactic material for classes
f) Pay computer lab teachers
g) Pay for teachers to be trained on the usage of computer resources
9. LIFESTYLE PROJECT
OBJECTIVE
Reduce vulnerability of a first group of 20 young girls, offering a formative program in interior decorating, personal care, human relations, value formation, developing some technical capacities, for providing some human, technical and vocational abilities to prepare them for their future before they leave the school.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Donating materials for the classes
b) Paying one or more scholarships. 175 dollars each.
c) Paying the teachers
d) Organization of special activities for the girls.
10. COMMUNITY HEALTH
OBJECTIVES
To promote a general improvement of health in the children and the community in order to optimize their quality of life and also their chances to do well in school.
Also the education to a better health accompanies the lunch program.
WAYS TO HELP
Doing medical missions in the school for the community of El Café
Paying for instructors for community health workshops
Volunteer on a medical mission (translation for example)
Paying for medicines, prosthesis, Wheel chairs. Glasses, etc.
11. YOUTH VOLUNTEERING
OBJECTIVE
This program tries to promote volunteer work for young people, in the community and out. It has been a tradition in Café con Leche to involve everyone as an active part of the work that is done. The first to offer help are always young people, first those who studied at the school and who did not but who live in El Café. Second other youngsters of private schools in the city, and finally young people from other countries. This promotes multiculturalism and exchange of ideas, and ways to see life that enriches everyone and also the students.
WAYS TO HELP
a) Paying for transportation for the volunteers
b) Paying for material for the work being done (English classes, sport classes, etc.)
c) Paying for outside activities for them
d) Paying a scholarship for a community volunteer.
e) Organizing a workshop for them