At the beginning of the program, Evelin, a second grader, was a very shy girl and she did not like working in groups and interacting with other students. It was very difficult for her to identify numbers and write them, and the tutors had to work about three cycles on the same skill. But, by adding fun group activities, games, and talking with her tutor during breaks, she was able to feel more confident in class. Now she interacts with her classmates and enjoys coming to school. “When I started studying, it was difficult for me to learn. But during my tutoring sessions, I started to form numbers with my fingers, and with straws and stones. Now, I know the numbers and I can write them. I am happy because I have learned a lot and I always review at home with my mother and uncle. I also help my schoolmates with their homework”

At the beginning of the year, Maximiliano, an 11-year-old boy, was in the same grade as his older brother Miguel, who is 12. Both boys are repeating third grade because last year they didn’t attend school regularly. The tutors worked with Maximiliano at a first-grade level because he barely recognized vowels and in math, he didn’t even know the numbers from 1 to 10. When the tutors found out that Maximiliano really enjoys drawing, they began to work on activities that included art to engage him. That’s when he started making real progress in math and now, he can count, write, and form numbers up to 100 and write clear, concise sentences. “I feel very happy because now I can read and write words and sentences. Earlier, my classmates used to make fun of me because I couldn’t do that, but now I can do it and that makes me happy".

One little boy named Mario did not return to school post-COVID until 2023. He was 11 years old in third grade and not able to recognize all numbers between 0 and 10. But just half-way into the tutoring in 2023, he was able to count to 100, complete complex arithmetic with multiple digits and had memorized multiplication tables through five! “I was really sad when the other kids made fun of me for not knowing enough, but now I feel proud and happy because I’m good at math”.

“Before School the World came to our school, we didn’t have any books to read. I talked to my students about animals, letters, colors, numbers and other countries, but it was difficult to describe them in words. There was no teaching material to teach them. When STW gave us the option to buy books with their matching funds, we were thrilled. The system with STW is incredible. The community raises the funds for purchasing books, and for five consecutive years, STW matches the amount. It’s amazing to see our students read and enjoy new books every year. It’s a great way for them to identify with different characters and cultures, and improve their vocabulary”.