MPP Program Photo Archive
MPP in Belize - After two workshops in this Belize orphanage, the sponsor became inspired to continue the program on her own. Originally, plans had been laid for MPP to meet with Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Services to help establish a countrywide child-centered learning program. But, the sponsor decided to give MPP's strategies a whirl by herself. The experience allowed MPP to design a caregiver program specifically for orphanage workers. We wish Liberty Foundation all the best and hope we gave them all the information they need to bring compassionate and child-centered practices to orphanages in the countries and communities they serve.
MPP in Nicaragua - These children live in a rural farm with no available school. The oldest sister (9 years old) provides childcare and informal early childhood education for her sisters. They are quite responsible, tending to household chores and caring for the animals (cows, chickens, and pigs). Xochil says she is not interested in going to school because they don't do anything there and she has too much work at home that needs to be done. One of the benefits of a fully functioning Montessori classroom is that most children with consistent access to the classroom materials and with a conscientious Montessori guide teach themselves to read, write, and calculate numbers before their sixth birthday. Why this matters is that Xocil's life is typical of most opportunity-deprived and resource-limited communities. Mainly due to economic impoverishment, families simply cannot afford to lose their able-bodied children to school. But, often, even if children were able to attend, classrooms have nothing to offer and teachers are scarce, like in Xochil's situation, where one teacher serves ten villages and can only hold class one day a week. Luckily for Xochil's younger siblings, one of their neighbors, only half an hour's walk away, is a participant in MPP's teacher education course and will before long establish a Practicum Center. We hope that Xochil becomes intrigued enough with the new Practicum Center that she becomes a MPP course participant. The task of ensuring each child a primary education (MDG-2) by 2015 must include providing a solution for children living in remote rural areas.
School site challenges - These palm frond roof structures may be as close to school buildings as many rural jungle communities are going to have. Since teachers often live far from their classrooms, the problem of having safe and dry storage for teaching aids and classroom materials needs to be resolved. For now, MPP participants take as much as they can carry to and from the classroom.
MPP in Mexico - MPP participants practice presenting the Dressing Frames in their outdoor Practicum Center. Practicing is important for more than the obvious reason of being able to make smooth and graceful presentations to children: participants begin to notice the often overlooked details that accompany each activity. Thus, they are more likely to identify a child's stumbling block to comprehension. Note: Soon after this photo was taken, local community members felt the benefits of the course were important enough that they pooled resources to make available an entire home for use as a community center and school. This response is fairly typical. In Nicaragua, Save the Children designated one of their buildings for use as a Practicum Center. Due to the quantity and quality of materials left in Practicum Centers, this support is very much appreciated. Before MPP began working in Mexico, the concern was great for providing Indigenous communities with language curriculum that would leave children proud of their heritage. MPP engaged with Paipai and Kumayaa villages in Mexico, showing MPP participants how to create Indigenous language curriculum - even when the language is not yet a written language. To our delight, participants have since helped Indigeous communities with their language educational needs.
