As part of ongoing efforts to develop our holistic education further, we have long incorporated Environmental Awareness & Social Responsibility into our curriculum, as well as Human Rights and Gender Rights. This program aims to develop our students into socially-conscious and responsible individuals with a strong environmental consciousness.
The program is a combination of education and community events allowing students to pay it forward. In past years, our seniors were required to teach literacy to one person as a graduation requirement. They were the only high school students to do so. When San Juan was declared “Free of Illiteracy” a few years ago, the Ministry of Education said this accomplishment was owed in good part to the work of our students. In this way, many of our 1100 graduates have already helped transform their society.
Lisbeth Guzman Perez is a recent graduate of the Free High School who received a scholarship in Tourism from the Brugger Foundation, paid by the Newton Highlands Congregational Church of Newton (MA). Here she discusses her social-outreach project (a condition of the scholarship), teaching English to young children.
The Technical Graduation 2013. Students marched across the city on the arm of the person most responsible for their academic success.
Our first students were not quite sure what education would bring them, so we asked them to write “My Dream.” This woman says she wants to become a high-school graduate in order to study law. Another woman said she wanted to become a professional to be an example to her child and her community.