Escuela Numero Quatro y Alumni Collaboration

June 28 - Peruvian Fulbright Alumni Collaborative discussion & STEM school

Today, we were joined by 8 Peruvian teachers who are alumni of other Fulbright programs. We had a full morning of sharing experiences, difficulties, and solutions to common problems together in the hotel conference room. One activity that was beneficial to continuity of learning and collaborating was a gallery walk with our essential questions. Teachers had the opportunity to comment, add advice, or share strategies on each of the 17 TGC Fulbrighters’ essential questions. My question, “What measures/actions does the Ministry of Education (and individual schools) take to accommodate students with special needs, or for those from marginalized populations? The two responses I received are:

1. Given the extreme need and the level of resources, this is an underserved area in all of Peru.

2. There is a law in Peru to protect them, but most teachers can’t help much because they weren’t educated in these areas and don’t have resources to help these types of students.

From the three school observations, as well as the conversations I’ve had with various teachers, these answers did not come as a surprise to me. Even in the metropolis of Lima, where resources are greater than other rural areas in Peru, there is a lack of funding, staffing, and overall knowledge of special education services. When teachers heard that Sara and I work with these student populations, they were eager to work with us and get training/strategies/resources that can help them in the classroom. Though I cannot fix this major deficit in their educational system, I’m happy to work together with the teachers that I met on this trip to give advice and strategies that I have found to be beneficial for both students and teachers.

Escuela Numero Quatro - Escuela de Talentos

The visit to this STEM school was bitter-sweet. On one hand, it was incredible to see the innovation and creativity students have towards designing and creating inventions to help solve problems in this world; however, it only exemplified the discrepancies and inequitable distribution of funds and resources in the public school system of Peru. We went from a school of 900 students with only one working computer, to a school where students’ had 1-to-1 laptops, SMART boards in every classroom, resources for scientific and technological experimentation, among many other resources. Yet both schools are publicly funded by the Ministry of Education. Our system in America has many flaws, but the distribution of funds is dependent on student enrollment, which seems like a much more equitable practice.

Though I had acknowledged this obvious injustice, I still thoroughly enjoyed the visit to this school. It was absolutely a special place of learning for both students and teachers. We were greeted by the school orchestra playing in the courtyard, then taken to tour classrooms. I was scheduled to present at this school, though I was worried that my lesson would be too elementary for such advanced students. It turned out great. The first classroom was 15-16 year old students in a physics class. I read my picture book “My Life, My School, My Town” and introduced the Sustainable Development Goals to the students. In my story, I discuss how my town, Jupiter, Florida, takes marine conservation seriously, and we focus on protecting sea turtles and manatees. I asked students to think about their own town and what problems they see. Once they identified a problem, they were asked to write it on a post-it and place it on the SDG poster to identify which Goal it would fall under. Students did such a great job utilizing their technology to translate the SDGs and their problems, and categorize problems into one of the 17 SDGs. Many issues included equal rights, pollution, and poverty. I ended the lesson by reminding students that they’re never too young to start making a difference in the world. I encouraged them to find volunteer opportunities to help make their community a better place, and to always treat others with dignity and respect. At the conclusion of the lesson, I had goodie bags with JMS swag for each student and a larger bag with Florida and JMS swag for the teacher. Overall, I think the lesson went great and was well-received by students and the teacher.

From that classroom, I was quickly whisked away to another class, and was told I only had ten minutes to present. I shortened the lesson to only reading the book and giving swag bags at the end. These students didn’t seem as invested in the lesson, but I attribute that to the rushed pace. In ten minutes, there was no time to visit with students or have them get to know me at all. I was essentially a stranger that came, read a book, and left. In hindsight, it was much more beneficial for both myself and students to have time to teach the lesson and commingle with students afterwards. Regardless, it was an opportunity to see students in action, network with teachers, and see a school where creativity and innovation were at its finest. The school motto is: “forming students with a vision for the future without borders,” and it seemed we achieved that today during our visit.

As the time nearly approached 6pm, 3 hours after the final school-bell rang, students presented their innovative projects to us. They included: an underwater microplastic collection vehicle, a remote-controlled UV sanitation robot, an app that scans a body for missing limbs then creates a prosthetic using a 3-d printer, and a device that uses natural magnetic waves to charge devices in remote places. Talk about SDGs in action! These students went through the entire process of identifying a problem, brainstorming solutions, scientific inquiry, inventing and creating something to help solve the problem, and trial & error in creating a product that works. What an inspiration to see young people being such incredible agents for change.

One of the teachers at EDT, Juan, spent several years in the States; and was able to give us some really good insight to the school, students, and families. He told us that many students are from impoverished families, and several travel more than an hour to get to school. Being a STEM Magnet school, enrollment is chosen based on applications and interviews, but students are motivated and take charge of their learning. That was evident in the student presentations, and the respect and honor shown towards the teachers and staff (all students stand when a teacher enters the room….WOW). We know that most teachers have struggled the last several years to get students to do any work, and here students are hungry to learn more and are self-motivated. They understand the privilege of being at such a special school, and take advantage of all opportunities. Juan told us that students come to him seeking help getting scholarships and grants to go to schools like MIT and Ivy League schools in the States and abroad. Having the experience and privilege of attending this school opens doors to their futures that they never would have thought possible before.