Translated from original article in La Prensa Grafica, El Salvador

Center for Integrated Development Amún Shéa in Perquín, Morazán, achieved a global score of 7.88 in the 2017 national standardized test of learning and skills, PAES. This is the Salvadoran standardized test for high school students and 2017 was our first year of participation. As the results were made known, it was very gratifying to receive the news and the recognition of friends and colleagues. With all its imperfections, PAES is still the only measuring instrument to compare the effectiveness of educational institutions and programs at the national level, creating healthy competition.

The important result for us however, is the validation that a non-traditional program such as ours can “compete on the same playing field” with traditional programs and succeed. Although it is true that throughout its nine years of existence the program has aroused much interest in its educational innovations, it is also true that doubts were raised regarding the soundness of its academic foundation and ability to cover basic subject material.

Amún Shéa is a program of Perkin Educational Opportunities Foundation, PEOF and was created with the aim of supporting the socioeconomic development of northern Morazán through human capacity building, and has adopted a methodology of Problem Based Learning (PBL) through developing applications that offer answers to the needs of the local surroundings.

It was designed as an “educational laboratory” to develop methodology and applications for the official curriculum, with the confidence that this would contribute to the improvement of public and rural education in El Salvador. In 2016 PEOF signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Salvadoran Ministry of Education, MINED, as a pilot project to share the PBL methodology with seven public schools in the municipality of Perquín.

Who attends our school? Our educational program is open to all families who want a comprehensive and non-traditional education for their children. We do not reject any student for economic reasons. PEOF subsidizes on average 75% of students’ tuition.

The financing for the operation of the educational program comes mainly from individuals in the USA, El Salvador, Ireland, Portugal, England, Spain and Germany. It is not an easy task. The growth of the program requires greater financing and a sustained flow of funding. We are looking for partners, both individuals, businesses and organizations to convert the north of Morazán into a true hub of development. We are convinced that human capacity building allows us to create and take advantage of opportunities, and gives positive impulse to socio-economic and cultural changes.

The PEOF program is, in fact, a public-private partnership, where the parties act with respect and obtain mutual benefits. It is part of an effort by MINED to improve and make rural education relevant, in coordination with the private sector and organizations dedicated to development. It is a sign that it is possible to build proposals and solutions from the territory to complement and enrich the national study program.

A single swallow doesn’t make summer. The space created by the PEOF-MINED agreement has allowed a concerted effort enriched by the experience and participation of organizations such as ConTextos, Glasswing, TECHO, Pestalozzi Foundation, Naturaleza El Salvador Foundation, Fe y Alegría Association, CLUSA, the Vice Ministry of Science and Technology and the Foundation for Higher Education (FES).

Our achievements, however modest, have been influenced by the environment. The department of Morazán has been showing a marked educational advance over the national average, for which it is necessary to congratulate Lic. Luis Méndez, departmental director of MINED, and his entire team.

The north of Morazán surprises, and will continue to surprise you. We invite you to come and visit, you will see that it is not as far away as you think.

Ron Brenneman