Naranjo de Laurel is a community of around 850
people close to the border of Panama.
The town’s economy is based on the processing of palm oil. Community
members see a high school diploma as a key to greater work
opportunities. They especially value the high school because it is new, having
opened in 2007. Since travel to other schools was difficult before then, many
of the parents of the current high school students did not attend high school.
While these new educational opportunities exist for
youth in Naranjo, many are not prepared for the social and academic challenges
of high school, and drop out. Two thirds of the students who started at the
Naranjo High School are not graduating from this school. Many students
specifically cite challenges with their English classes. Another difficulty is
that the majority of students in the high school come from small rural
communities. They struggle transitioning to a high school of 500 students – 10
times the size of many nearby elementary schools.
Now in its second year, Jumpstart Naranjo 2015 will
include students from three local elementary schools. The majority of the
students come from small schools and never studied English before. This means they are at a disadvantage
compared with their peers in high school who have received English classes
since first grade.
Students, parents and teachers are highly interested
in this intensive English camp. They understand how challenging the transition
to high school can be, and they are motivated to participate in a program that
will support the students.
Pictured below:
Families at the information session in Bella
Luz. Two parents talked about how they struggled with English classes in high
school. They felt like they didn’t understand what the teacher was saying, and
they felt embarrassed. They said they wanted things to be different for their
kids.
