Education Workshops
One of the areas of improvement we are most proud of is our on-going teacher and community leader workshops. The ability to bring teachers and community leaders together for an opportunity to learn new techniques and teaching strategies, which focus on environmental education, is an invaluable tool to advance our broader goals of environmental awareness. - Each year, four 3-day workshops are rotated in the communities that participate in the Adopt-A-School program. Topics for teachers include development of productive lesson plans, inclusive education for all students, health and nutrition in the rainforest, the importance of including parent participation in the educational process, and much more.
Workshops for community leaders from all of the Adopt-A-School communities include topics on the role of community leaders in the village, health and nutrition as the basis for a prosperous community, sustainable use of natural resources, productive soil strategies, and the exchange of experiences among leaders of neighboring villages.- Often the excitement of the Adopt-A-School delivery of books and school supplies overshadows the important influence workshops have on teachers and parents of a community. The importance of the quiet behind the scenes education accomplished during workshops and the support they offer the adults involved cannot be underestimated.
- As part of the inauguration of each new water plant, CONAPAC hosts a community-wide education workshop for all residents, young and old.
Adults attend meetings with themes such as global water issues, sources of contamination, the water situation in Perú, microbial organisms and consequences of contaminated water consumption, maintenance of the water plant and household water containers, and basic financial management strategies. In a separate area, children create murals with clean water themes. They take a trip to the water plant to learn how it operates. And they hear important messages about the value of drinking clean water, presented in an age-appropriate manner. The community democratically elects a "Water Board" which oversees the daily operation schedule, maintenance, and monthly collection of fees for service. This education component is critical to the long-term sustainability of community water plants.
