Current Status

When we first began our collaboration with Arte Accion, none of us had any idea the success the program would have within less than two years. The minor struggles encountered by Londin, Moises and director Carin Steen during 2007 have been overcome leaving, in their place, a dynamic and exciting program for children. Londin and Moises are more dedicated than ever to the Maya workshops and they have created new ways of approaching classes using visuals and asking questions rather than teaching directly from the workbooks. Londin has also begun to take on a more administrative role for the Maya project, assisting in organizing workshops and field trips, working with Moises on improving classroom performance, and generating new ideas for the future such as a youth theater group with a Maya theme. The children and primary school teachers are also enthusiastic about the program. Whereas last year most children knew nothing about the ancient Maya, their ancestors, this year they entered the program with basic knowledge about the past and a yearning to learn more. Teachers, too, are more involved, participating in the classes with their students and assisting with art activities and games. Carin continues to think big about improving and expanding the program. Ideas for 2009 include bringing on a third facilitator and increasing the number of villages receiving workshops from 18 to 24, putting together a youth coalition to assist in teaching workshops in their own communities, bringing back Cine Campesino (movie night) in the villages, and making the year-end cultural fair more participatory and dynamic.