The goal of Centro Hogar is to love and care for children in an integral way so that
they can develop their own abilities, strengthen their values, enrich
their academic knowledge and gain self-confidence.
About Centro Hogar
Centro Hogar Alfonso Acevedo (Home Center) is one of five pre-schools run by Asociacion Nuevo Amanecer de El Salvador (New Dawn Association of El Salvador, ANADES). ANADES and Centro Hogar are located in San Ramon, Mejicanos on the outskirts of El Salvador’s capital city, San Salvador. In 1990, ANADES became a legally recognized non-for-profit organization and began its first project of serving the needs of children in San Ramon with a special emphasis on those orphaned by the civil war. During the early years of the war, Alfonso Acevedo worked as a catechist and community leader in San Ramon. He held a special interest in the well-being and education of the children. The Salvadoran army killed Alfonso in 1982 for his beliefs, dedication to the poor and his Christian faith. The San Ramon community remembers him as a martyr and continues to live out his spirit of love by serving the needs of the poor. In honor of his life dedicated to children and the community, ANADES named Centro Hogar after Alfonso.
Educational Methods
Over 100 families send their children to Centro Hogar where they receive a pre-school education and care. Two teachers, with the occasional help of volunteers, manage four classrooms: Materno (youngest children 18 months- 3 1/2 yrs), Pre-Kinder (3 1/2 yrs -4 1/2 yrs, Kinder (4 1/2 yrs - 5 1/2 yrs), and Preparatoria (children preparing to enter grade school 5 1/2 yrs- 6 1/2 yrs).
Each Monday morning, the students gather for an assembly where the students may perform a short play or dance which relates to the educational theme chosen for the week. Educators follow Popular Education and Montessori Education Methods, in which children are encouraged to ask questions and explain particular topics, tap into their own creativity through using and playing with a diverse collection of educational materials, create their unique arts and crafts, and express themselves through through art, dance and drama. Much of a child’s education is self-directed as the educator creates an enriching environment for learning to take place. Each week, new activities, workshops and small group work are established based around the theme. As a result, children develop more social skills, self-confidence and knowledge.
Integral Care
The staff at Centro Hogar believe in an integral education experience where teachers, support staff, the principal, the social worker, guardians, family and community members all play an important role in the up-bringing and education of a child.
In order to create supportive bonds between Centro Hogar and the families, the principal and social worker meet on a daily basis with families and accompany them through economic concerns, marital issues, their child’s behavior, special needs of children, and emotional stress. The Centro Hogar staff hosts an informative and interactive monthly meeting for all parents and guardians. During the meetings, educators and guardians have an opportunity to discuss what kinds of activities the children participate in and what is going well and not so well in the classroom. Besides just checking in, teachers and support staff also facilitate activities and provide information on parenting skills, healthy discipline practices, establishment of rules, and how to best foster a nurturing, healthy space for their children. The focus of the meetings always connects to ensuring the rights of children: their right to quality education, safe spaces, creativity and nurturing environments.
Nuevo Amanecer also recognizes the value of good nutrition and adequate health care for children’s development. Every child receives a balanced lunch and two snacks a day (a glass of milk, fruit, etc.), mostly made from food produced at Nuevo Amanecer’s own organic farm, located a few hours away from San Salvador in the department of Sonsonate. Sustainability is an important value, and everything produced at Nuevo Amanecer’s farm - from the fruits and vegetables to the coffee to the animals and eggs - is sustainable and organic. This food feeds children at all of Nuevo Amanecer’s five pre-schools around El Salvador. Other products sold to the local and international communities as well as revenue from the eco-tourism initatives support the sustainability of the five pre-schools.
Centro Hogar also requires that each child has two medical check-ups a year, which can be done at Nuevo Amanecer’s own clinic in San Ramon. The clinic emphasises taking natural medicine whenever appropriate and has a pharmacy with a variety of natural medicine. When possible, Programa Velasco and other scholarship programs help pay for these check-ups.
Sponsoring a Child's Scholarship
Truly, many of the children would not receive this kind of education and care without the support of our sponsors.To learn more about how you can support this integral education at Centro Hogar, please click:
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