El Hato Literacy Center
​El Hato is an underserved, largely Maya community overlooking Antigua. The people there are hardworking and welcoming, but unfortunately a good education is not always readily obtained.
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At Together We Can Guatemala, we want to give El Hato's children the opportunity to succeed in their studies. For that reason, we have rented a house near the local public school so that we can offer a variety of literacy services, including:
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Tutoring: The Literacy Center has two tutors who work daily to provide El Hato's children with help in understanding the concepts they need to learn for school. Our local partner Las Manos de Christine donates money to support one of those tutors.
Library: We have a nice collection of books that children and other El Hato residents can borrow.
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Computer Lab: The Literacy Center has a small computer lab where middle school students take computer classes and primary school students play educational games. We have an internet connection so that students can do the research needed for their school work.
Vacation Camp: Our work doesn't stop when the school year ends each October. That's when we start our annual Vacation Camp, where children participate in fun, daily educational activities for the following six weeks.
Humane Education Approach
Our two projects, the Garden of Hope and the El Hato Literacy Center, share a common approach to teaching: the use of humane education. Humane education is an "approach to teaching that draws connections between human rights, animal protection, and environmental sustainability with the goal of preparing people to be compassionate ...". When students struggle with relationships, we encourage them to strive to understand others and engage in peaceful discourse. We incorporate readings, videos, and games that reinforce the benefit of this compassionate approach to interacting with the environment, animals and other people.
