El Aulo Trains Kiwaska Community to Launch a Second After-School Club
Early this year, our team met with the local school board in the community of Kiwaska to explore expanding programming and assess interest in launching a new After-School Club.
During the visit, our After-School Club Coordinator, Cristian, hosted a well-attended parents’ meeting and was encouraged by the strong volunteer interest from community members eager to help lead the program.
By March, we’d begun a new chapter in the Kiwaska: Volunteers from our still-thriving El Aulo After-School Club, now in its 6th year of operation, trained and mentored a new group of volunteers as they prepared to launch their own program.
Just a few days ago, our team on the ground delivered a much-needed resource: children’s books for their new mini library. Pictured here is our after-school program coordinator, Cristian, crossing the river by canoe (then continuing on by horseback) to deliver the books.
Kiwaska holds a special place in our hearts — it was the very first school built by Project Schoolhouse 20 years ago (the original 2007 school structure pictured on the right), and we’re proud to see how far it has come. Since its founding, the school has added an additional teacher and now offers Saturday high school classes so students can continue their high school education close to home, along with weekday adult literacy programs. It’s a powerful reminder of what these projects can accomplish in the long run and a testament to the care and dedication of the school board and the entire community’s lasting commitment to education.
Returning to launch a new program here feels especially meaningful to our team, and we were thrilled by the warm welcome and the excited volunteers from the community.
However, significant challenges remain. This community has never had direct access to safe water, and the nearest water source is a 20-minute walk from the school, a daily challenge for families and one we hope to change, step by step.
Stay tuned for more Club updates as we move into the second half of 2026!
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