"Miracles" Makes It To The Top 25 American Express Member Projects

Opening day of School #9 Dr. Subczynski (donor) with La Pila students


Miracles in Action's grant project made it to the Top 25 by American Express - 513 votes.

Here is what some of our supporters are doing to get the VOTE:

* Clark Tours sent an email blast to 5,000 of their customers and email routing. Their website has a new page on SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, and how they can help Miracles with votes.
http://www.clarktours.com.gt/index.php?showPage=1530&Op=&parentId=933

* Friends Through Guatemalan Adoptions has put us on their homepage. http://www.ftga.net/joomla/ and blasted all the parents with an email for votes.

* The Joseph Family, who built School #11, sent out a blast to over 1,000 AFS Wheels customers.

* American Airlines Flight Services posted the votes for Miracles as a home page link.

* Ann Fron, who sponsored School #12, made a flyer and blasted it to her many contacts and friends. Ann talks so much about her school and kids, that her list of contacts who know about Miracles is looong.

* Londa's creative Threads added us to their BLOG.

* Each of our partner charities has sent out email blasts to their donors, board members and friends.

If we make it to the Top 5 - we will get between $100,000 to 1.5 million to go to teacher training and vocational schools. That money would go a long way for our little grassroots charity.

To view the project and vote you can go here:
http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/IH4YNF

Let's get out there and win this $$$$$

Penny



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News From Amigos de Patzún (ADP)

Dear Friends of Miracles,

Below is Amigo de Patzun's recent newsletter about ADP/Miracle's teacher training program. Their website provides a bit more info. Cute photo of Angie Torres, our Naples, FL volunteer teacher who was a big hit with the kids and teachers. Coming soon.... Skype live teacher training from Naples, FL to Patzun, Guatemala.

Naples teacher, Xenia, with Cojobal students

September 7, 2007
Dear Penny,
Amigos de Patzún (ADP) started the summer with some exciting news. This June, ADP partnered with Miracles in Action, a NGO active in Guatemala, to expand the scope of activities to support education for rural students. This collaboration has allowed us to bring on our local director, Anacleto Catu, on board full-time. Anacleto is the key to ADP's success in many ways, and we have no doubt that by fully dedicating his efforts to the organization, ADP scholars and aspirants will benefit exponentially .

Anacleto is helping to develop the training program, in collaboration with US experts from Miracles in Action, to provide in-service training on reading and other key skill in some of Patzún's rural primary schools. Anacleto will provide follow-up, management, and oversight of the program and be instrumental in adapting materials to the local context. Visit http://www.amigosdepatzun.org/

Salud, The Amigos de Patzún Board

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New Projects in Patzun, Guatemala

Hi Everyone,

I had a good visit with Anacleto and family in Patzun, Guatemala. Fred took these 3 photos. One is Anacleto's adorable kids. His daughter has been terrified of me, but when I put together the little Winnie the Pooh airplane that my neighbor Rod gave me, she is now coming around to kind-of liking me. I got a big hug when I left.

The two photos on the bottom are a building and large piece of land that may be available to create a vocational school/workshops. It was built for that purpose but never finished.

It is 1 km from the center of Patzun. The building belongs to the Muni. Anacleto will do more research to find out about turning it in to a vocational center.

Our Naples teachers had the idea of creating a teacher resource center in Patzun so teachers can borrow teaching materials, equipment, CDs and books. It fits so well as part of a Riecken library, which is more a community learning center than a book lending library.

Fred too had a great idea about starting an "adopt a pre-school" program. As many as 40% of 1st graders either fail or drop out of 1st grade. Many schools do not offer kindergarden, and the children enter school without even speaking Spanish.

He suggests using an existing building, and hiring new grad teachers who can not get jobs, plus volunteer teachers, and then offering educational activities, books and toys at pre-school... then you will have a greater chance of a 1st grader being successful in primary school. He is developing a package on how someone can adopt a preschool, and what that would include. Cool idea.

Take care, Penny

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A "Miracles" Supported Project For Adolescent Girls In Xela, Guatmala

Here is a report from Casey Weimer who implemented the adolescent girls project in Xela, Guatemala:

Dear Penny and "Miracles",
I wanted to send you a quick update on the progress of the project Lauren and I worked on this summer in Guatemala. We ended up with a group of 19 girls, ages 13-19, that attend the courses three times a week for 2 hours in the afternoon. These are girls that, for the most part, don't have the opportunity to study (very few have even completed 6th grade - and none have gone on past 6th grade).

We focused a lot of our time on establishing a safe space where the girls feel comfortable opening up in front of their peers. We opened with a self-portrait project (now and in ten years) and followed up with a day-in-my-life photography project. We were especially able to see a growth in their self-confidence when the girls shared their favorite photographs.

Lessons that followed included self-esteem, gender roles, nutrition, hygiene, and "our bodies". The group has continued meeting since our departures and classes have included family planning, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, and more.

A highlight of our time there was a field trip with all of the girls, Armida (the health promotor -who has been extremely helpful), Alirio and Alexa. We had a conference with a doctor who works mostly with indigenous people and then did some touristy activities at Lake Atitlan. The girls also painted a mural in the Puesto de Salud.

As far as sustainability is concerned, we have 3 peer leaders selected who are supposed to be leading the courses (although it sounds like Armida has mostly taken over) and 2 members of a junta directiva. All 5 of these girls will be meeting weekly in Xela with volunteers to learn about computers and establish communication between us and them.

An additional objective of the meetings will be to become more familiar with the course material so they feel comfortable facilitating the courses. Their next task will be tackling how they would like to pass on the information (community fair, new group, nearby communities, etc.) and how they can raise funding themselves to sustain the program.

We are very excited about the progress made and anxious to see where the program goes.

I am required to do a research project for school so my plan is to head back to Guatemala next summer to continue working with the project - if I don't make it out sooner.

Thank you so much for your support.

Regards, Casey

girls enrolled in the Xela Project

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