| Summer 2008 |
We hope this newsletter finds you enjoying your summer! A few weeks ago the scholars had a holiday
and each home decided how they wanted to spend the day as a group. The older boys decided to climb the 12,300 foot volcano, Volcan de Agua. They left the City at 4am, started their climb at 8am and reached the summit at 1pm. The boys said the climb was exhausting but well worth the amazing view and “being above the clouds."In March, Esperanza Juvenil was approached by the Guatemalan Baseball Federation whose mission is to promote baseball in Guatemala and hopefully to form a future Olympic team. They offered to provide Esperanza Juvenil with two professional coaches to train with all of the 6 to 12
year old boys and girls for three hours each week. After three months of training, the coaches formed two Esperanza Juvenil teams that are now competing with other teams in the league. Many of the kids have developed a strong passion for the sport, which they didn’t know of a few months ago. They are now following the Major League teams in the US and studying some books about baseball that were recently donated to the Esperanza Juvenil library. Adding an air of professionalism to the baseball experience, Esperanza Juvenil received a wonderful donation of uniforms, bats, gloves, helmets and balls from the Serra Little League in Cupertino, California last month. The young players were thrilled!The Esperanza Juvenil Elementary School continues in its first year and the academic team is learning from daily experiences and making ongoing adjustments. One of the challenges the teachers faced in January was classroom behavior, especially with the 15 new community-based scholars who come to Esperanza Juvenil on a daily basis, each with his or her own culture at home. The academic team asked Dr. Phyllis Kaplan, a friend with many years of creative classroom innovations for advice on how to promote positive behavior and came up with two ides that have worked very well.
First, at the end of the week, each young scholar receives between 0 and 2 points for their behavior in 8 areas including participating with a good attitude, helping classmates who need assistance and doing their chores with a good attitude. When the points are accumulated each week, the scholars receive Esperanza Juvenil money in exchange for their points and are able to buy things like stickers, pencils and snacks at the Esperanza Juvenil store. The scholars can also put their money into their savings accounts and accumulate money for larger items like stuffed animals. The sixth 
graders, who manage the store, named it “Tienda La Bendicion” or the Blessing Store. One of the blessings has been watching the scholars pool their money to buy items that benefit all of them, such as a soccer ball. Many scholars have also used their money for gifts for their siblings or parents. They enjoy bringing gifts home on their monthly weekend visits. The greatest blessing, according to the teachers, is the dramatic improvement in classroom behavior!The teachers also wanted to emphasize group goals for each grade. Upon the advice of Dr. Kaplan, the teachers created a large cardboard slice of pizza divided into 180 squares for each grade level. At the end of each class, the teacher colored in the square if the entire group worked well together and had a productive class
session. Once the 180 squares were filled in, each group received a pizza lunch. The staff could not have imagined how big of a motivator pizza could be! The behavior of the scholars, across the board, improved measurably with the launch of the program and has continued since. At times, scholars will reflect after class on why they did or didn’t gain the square. “We should stop whispering and pay more attention next class,” for example. The new goal, which has just been launched, is the fried chicken challenge. The scholars are now working hard towards an outing to Pollo Campero, a popular fried chicken restaurant that provides Esperanza Juvenil with gift certificates. Though the scholars are in class, summer is a special time at Esperanza Juvenil because of the fun volunteers
and interns who come during their US summer breaks. Rony Enriquez, a JK Watson Fellow from New York, whose parents are Guatemalan, is spending his summer creating engaging discussions for the junior high and high school level scholars. Rony is running the discussions like college classes, which the scholars have loved. Recent discussions included the difference in capitalism and communism, the Civil War in Guatemala, and racism. Esperanza Juvenil also had its second annual visit from Father Paul Sheridan, the founder of Boys Hope Girls Hope and President of Bellarmine College Prep in San
Jose, California, a Bellarmine Spanish teacher and 12 Bellarmine students. The students
spent their week at Esperanza Juvenil painting the younger boys home, conducting English classes with the scholars and playing lots of soccer and baseball. The Esperanza Juvenil boys were gleeful one morning coming to school and sharing with the teachers that they had "played soccer in the pouring rain and mud with the gringos all night.” In truth, the boys were asleep by 9pm but the muddy evening left a memory they’ll never forget. We appreciate your continued support of our incredible scholars and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kristin & Lucas
Kristin Ostby de Barillas Lucas Pinzón
Director of Latin American Executive Director
Operations Esperanza Juvenil
Boys Hope Girls Hope
| Esperanza Juvenil helps academically capable and motivated children-in-need to meet their full potential and become men and women for others by providing value-centered, family-like homes, opportunities and education through college. |
| Esperanza Juvenil 12 Avenida 16-32 Zona 2, Ciudad Nueva Guatemala City Guatemala (011) 502-2254-9911 www.esperanzajuvenil.org |
| We appreciate your continued support of Esperanza Juvenil. To donate, please visit www.esperanzajuvenil.org. |