• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Project Schoolhouse

Improving Nicaraguan lives by building new, community water systems, and improving sanitation.

  • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • Financials
    • Careers & Volunteer
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
  • Progress
    • Stories
    • Newsletter
  • Get Involved
    • Agua For All
    • Info Sessions & Events
    • Fundraise
    • Partner With Us
    • Travel
    • Cien Amigos 2023
  • Donate

Community Engagement

Building Hope: Meet Galer and Oscar, Finding Promise in Ponsoña’s New School and Water Project

October 19, 2024 by Project Schoolhouse

By Adriana Banchs

With construction in La Ponsoñita in full swing, the air is filled with energy and excitement as community members anticipate the opportunities that lie ahead. Whether it’s the books in the soon-to-be library or the drinking water available just steps away from their classrooms, students are eager to share how this project will shape their daily lives and futures. Among those I had the privilege of speaking with were Oscar, a 4th-grade student, and his dedicated teacher, Geler.

From the moment I sat down virtually with Geler, it was clear how much love and togetherness permeates this rural, lush community. With over 20 years of experience as a primary school teacher, Geler reflected on his decision to trade teaching in his city for the long commute to La Ponsoñita. “I like it a lot more,” he said, as he painted a vivid picture of a tight-knit, supportive network of families and students. When he was hospitalized recently, Geler recounted how families visited him, bringing food and thoughtful offerings. It was a testament to the deep bonds he shares with the community—a place he clearly holds close to his heart.

While Geler spoke with immense gratitude for his school family, he also shed light on the significant challenges the community faces. As a teacher responsible for teaching 54 students from 1st to 6th grade, he balances an incredible workload. Teaching such a wide range of ages is demanding, especially when trying to meet the diverse academic needs of each student. The cramped conditions in the current school make this even more difficult.

Due to limited space, many students are taught outside, which becomes particularly problematic during Nicaragua’s rainy season. When rain forces the children inside, the small, overcrowded classroom makes it nearly impossible for them to focus. “Keeping all the students engaged becomes an issue, and the students get restless,” Geler explained.

He also shared insights into why students sometimes drop out, citing a lack of educational materials, long walks to school, and parents’ concerns about their children walking alone. One point that stood out was how quickly students’ backpacks and notebooks wear out, often damaged by the rain during their daily commutes.

Despite the current challenges, Geler remains hopeful and excited about the future for his students. He knows that the school will improve attendance, help the kids feel more welcome and comfortable in the space, and spark a greater love for learning in the community. “The community will have another vision for the future in both the children’s and parents’ lives” he told me. “The parents will see an environment that fosters learning,” referencing not only how the new school will satisfy functional necessity, but also boost morale throughout the community. 

One student who shares this optimism is 13-year-old Oscar. He eagerly agreed with his teacher about the positive changes ahead. Oscar described his typical day as a student at La Ponsoñita, which includes a 30-minute walk through the mountains—sometimes alone, other times with friends. He brings water from a creek close to his house and hopes it will last him the full day. If it doesn’t he has to wait until he gets home to quench his thirst. 

With dreams of his own, Oscar hopes to become an engineer, envisioning a future where he’s the one working on construction projects like the one transforming his community. Envisioning his school, Oscar is the most excited for the ample room, new books, and clean water. With all of these needs met, Oscar says it will be easier to pay attention at school and really dive into the lesson plans. Students will no longer be cramped, thirsty, and overwhelmed by the constant movement and noise. Oscar stated that the new school already looks beautiful, and he is proud to be a part of La Ponsoñita.

After hearing Geler and Oscar’s testimonies about being a part of this community, it is clear that La Ponsoña and its surrounding areas feel a sense of ownership and pride over the work that’s taking place throughout the region. They are not only looking forward to the completion of La Ponsoñita, but also to lasting change and growing opportunity in the lives of those around them, and those to come. 

Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter here!

Filed Under: Clean Water, Community Engagement, Education, Meet Stories, News From the Field, People Driven Development, Water Tagged With: October 2024 Newsletter

New Project Update: Ponsoña Multi Community Project

October 19, 2024 by Project Schoolhouse

Community Meeting with beneficiary families of the La Ponsoña Water and School Project

Last month we broke ground on the multi-community water, sanitation and school project in the region of La Ponsoña, Matagalpa. This first stage of the project will build the spring capture, water tanks and distribution lines that will ultimately provide safe, potable water to the homes and schools in 7 communities, as well as build sanitary latrines, handwashing stations and schools in each community. 

The water project started by hauling equipment up the mountain and hand-clearing the work site. Shortly after, the task began of collecting boulders from the river that will be used to form the first stage of the water filtration process. 

Coordinating 7 communities of workgroups is a monumental task in itself, and in this photo are community leaders meeting with Project Schoolhouse staff in our offices in Rio Blanco. 

The first school we tackled in this multi-community project is La Ponsoñita. I’ve been visiting this school for years now, and I am relieved that we finally secured the funding to renovate the existing building and add 2 additional classrooms. The student body of 54 students has outgrown this small classroom, and sadly, a colony of bats has taken up residence in the ceiling, leaving children vulnerable to possible contagious and respiratory health risks. 

We’re happy and relieved to share that we have torn out the old ceiling to be replaced with a new one. These students should have a beautiful new school by early 2025!

Photos of the new classrooms for the La Ponsoñita School

Stay tuned for upcoming updates on this new project through the year!

Filed Under: Community Engagement, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: October 2024 Newsletter

2024 Project Update: Rosario Schoolhouse

April 30, 2024 by Renata

We are so excited for the opportunity to continue working in this community by building our 17th schoolhouse! 

Thanks to the incredible volunteer efforts of the Rosario community and our team on the ground, the building of this school has progressed rapidly since its groundbreaking in early January. With the school’s frame and walls almost complete, community members will move to painting and building doors next.

As we near the final strides of this school, we highlight the difference between learning and not learning: having a dry and well-ventilated functional schoolhouse where the floors don’t turn to mud every time it rains and where school materials can be kept safe and dry really makes a difference. 

We expect this project to be finished in mid-May. The Rosario students are eager to start learning in their new classrooms!

Inside of School
Foundation of School

Filed Under: Community Engagement, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: April 2024 Newsletter

2024 Program Update: New After-School Club in Bilampi

April 30, 2024 by Renata

With the success of our After-School Club in El Aulo, we are excited to announce the expansion of the After-School program to the new Bilampi community school!

We’ve had amazing success partnering with this community, as the parents are very motivated and driven to provide a better future for their children. 

In preparation for this expansion, our staff trained local volunteers, who have been working hard to create fun learning opportunities for the students. The program will benefit 40 students with homework help, a reading club, math tutoring, and a mini-library to encourage a love of reading. Students from 4th to 6th grade are in the process of learning multiplication tables. Students from 1st to 3rd grades focus on literacy, alphabet, and art projects. 

After-School Club Volunteer

We’re thrilled to be fostering a love for learning and are eager to see how the after-school club helps them grow their skills. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 17-2.png
New School
Old School

We want to thank The Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation for their support in building this school.

Filed Under: Community Engagement, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: April 2024 Newsletter

A Successful Giving Tuesday

December 21, 2023 by Renata

How One Family Came Together to Help Us ‘Stuff the Shelves’

As we neared the end of the construction of the Bilampi school, we dedicated the special Day of Giving to fundraise for a new mini-library so students could have access to books, coloring pencils, and other supplies. 

We are thrilled to report the success of our #GivingTuesday initiative to ‘Stuff the Shelves’ for the new Bilampi school, thanks in large part to one of our sustaining donors.

They have a beautiful family tradition of coming together each holiday season to dedicate their gifts to one organization. We were touched to learn that this year, Project Schoolhouse was the chosen nonprofit. 

“Our family chooses one charity every holiday season. We were excited to see exactly where our family contributions would go. Not a lot of people can say that they know exactly where their donations go, and to be able to build an entire library makes us so happy.”

We are excited to share new photos once the school is inaugurated and opens to the children next February for the new school year with their new library. Thank you to all of you who donated to Bilampi’s mini-library campaign.

Outside view of the new Bilampi School

Furniture and shelves ready to be moved in in the new school.

Filed Under: Community Engagement, December 2022 Newletter, Education Tagged With: December 2023 Newsletter

El Aulo After-School Club Program Update

December 21, 2023 by Project Schoolhouse

A successful year for the Club!

We received this update from Cristian, who leads the volunteer effort of the After-School Club program:

“As the program coordinator, I am proud to call this school year a huge success. With the help of volunteers and the teacher at the El Aulo School, we have accomplished the goal of instilling and helping reinforce literature and language, math, and storybook hours. We have worked hand in hand with the volunteers and the teachers to come together and help the students with their struggles academically. 

We utilized a lot of learning and teaching strategies to do this work with the help of the UT Global Health group led by Dr. Felkner, a professor in the program. These activities have led the students to become more motivated to learn, write, and read. It has helped the students enrich their vocabulary and their writing skills. 

We have seen the change in the students; they are more sociable, they participate, and are more sure of themselves. They also enjoy the benefits of extracurricular activities, education, and a hot lunch, which has increased school attendance.”

We are excited to expand this program into new community schools in 2024.

Thank you for your support of the afterschool program in the Aulo school!

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Education, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: December 2023 Newsletter

Bilampi Schoolhouse Project Update

December 21, 2023 by Project Schoolhouse

We are pleased to announce the completion of the new school in Bilampi! Keys to the school will be given to the school board in early January, just in time for the new school year to begin! 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 17-2.png
New School
Old School

The road to life-saving infrastructure in the community of Bilampi has been a long one. The Bilampi community first approached us wanting to build a school; the parents and teachers were eager to give their children more opportunities with access to education; they were also in dire need of safe water. We were excited to partner with this community due to the high level of motivation and persistence they showed as they advocated for support, and we began to work with this wonderful community 3 years ago. In 2021-22, the community members worked very hard to build the most extensive water system to date in Project Schoolhouse’s history, stretching 22 kilometers of trenching to bring water into each home. This year, they have finally made their dream a reality by building a new school in their community that is safe for the children to learn in!

Because of the new facilities, 3 new grades will be added to the curriculum. Students in the community can now study through the 3rd year of secondary school! This expansion of grades is a great opportunity for the community and especially for young girls whose parents thought sending them to the neighboring community to continue their studies was unsafe. This has been a dream of the community members, and now it will be a reality starting in 2024!

A few words of gratitude from a teacher and a student at the Bilampi school:

A big thanks to Project Schoolhouse for having made our school possible. With effort and dedication, they have built this for us, where boys and girls today will study with dignity. May God continue strengthening each of you a thousand thanks and blessings.

EVELING, teacher

On behalf of all of the students at the Bilampi school, we want to thank you and God for building this school. We will now study in a school that is dignified, clean, safe and secure. We promise to keep it clean and take care of it really well. GRACIAS!

EVA, sTUDENt

We would like to thank The Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation for their support in building this school.

The last finishing touches
Shelves and furniture being brought in

Filed Under: Community Engagement, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: December 2023 Newsletter

Bilampi Schoolhouse Project Update:

October 9, 2023 by Renata

This year we started constructing a new school for the community of Bilampi. Community members have finished the foundation of the school, they continue to build the frame of the structure and work continues amid the rain.

We hope to have this school completed by the end of the year. We’re excited to report that thanks to the new facilities, 3 new grades will be added to the curriculum! Students in the community can now study through the 3rd year of secondary school. This expanded opportunity is huge, particularly for young girls whose parents thought sending them to the neighboring community to continue their studies was unsafe.

We would like to thank The Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation for their support in building this school.

School Frame
Handwashing station at school

Filed Under: Community Engagement, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: October 2023 Newsletter

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Go to Next Page »
  • About Us
  • Our Work
  • Progress
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Vimeo