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Hope College

Publication Date

Spring 2013

Program Name

Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development

Abstract

This investigation aims to analyze the operation and overall results of Servicio País Educación, an intervention-based program of the non-profit organization, Fundación de la Superacíon, offered to primary, low-resource, municipal schools in Chile. Functioning from 2010-2012 as an after-school program, Servicio País Educación provided a non-formal educational environment which provided hands-on learning opportunities for students. Children selected to participate in the program came from especially poor socioeconomic situations and often underperformed academically in the classroom or exhibited behavioral issues. Students participated in small groups led by tutors where they received not only individualized academic help but practical education in the areas of self-esteem, social skills, and emotional health, in hopes it would serve a support for the harsh situations students faced outside school.

In this study, the operaction of SPE in two municipal schools in Valparaíso were chosen as cases to investigate the following question:¿Cómo pone en práctica un sistema de educación no formal, el enfoque del programa Servicio País Educación de Fundación de la Superación de la Pobreza, en las escuelas municipales, Juan José Latorre y Escuela Municipal del Pacífico en Valparaíso, Chile? To answer the question, interviews were conducted with the professionals of SPE, the directors and students of both schools, as well as one teacher to determine if and how non-formal education in conjunction with the formal environment of the classroom provides positive results for children attending vulnerable urban schools. In addition, primary documents held by both schools from the program were analyzed in attempt to identify differences in how the program was intended to function and how it was actually executed

Results from this investigation reached from interviews and an analysis of primary documents about the implication of the program in the two schools revealed that a relationship of trust and communication with the school is key in its success and the success of the student participants. In addition, multi- faceted development of student participants cannot be fully reached through a single program, but is dependent on various factors, both physical and emotional. Finally, the use of non-formal education methods is not isolated for sole use in extracurricular programs, but can also be used to create a more engaging learning experience for students in the classroom as well.

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Education | Educational Sociology | Education Policy | Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration | Inequality and Stratification | Student Counseling and Personnel Services

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