Enrollment Campaigns Kick-off School Year 4,664 children gain increased access to higher quality education focused on basic language and math skills. Kélinton is a six-year-old boy who lives in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Like many children there, he lives with his mother because his father left for the United States in search of work. In his village, the prospects of formal work are slim and the average daily wage is less than $5. Kélinton (right) working with a classmate on a language activity. In rural Guatemala, young children have little chance at an education. Decades of civil war have left many of the country's residents in chronic poverty. In fact, Guatemala has Latin America's highest percentage (48.7 percent) of children under the age of 5 who suffer from chronic malnutrition. Of this group, 70 percent are located in the western highlands area that includes Huehuetenango. Many of the indigenous Mayan children there do not complete more than a few years of primary school. Kélinton excels in his class particularly because of his enthusiasm and willingness to help his friends and classmates. "From a very young age Kélinton showed interest in learning new things," says his mother. "Every time we passed by the school he asked me when we were going to enroll him. When he turned six, we enrolled him and bought him a notebook, pencils and a backpack. A week before classes started he was already walking around in the house with his backpack and school supplies." A Sustainable Plan for the School Year In the first days of school, Kélinton was a little shy, but his teacher who speaks Mam, his native language, as well as Spanish, helped him through this transition. To kick-off the school year in a positive way, 'Welcome to School" activities were aimed at ensuring that children and their families felt good about school, particularly those families who were entering school for the first time. In general, these activities consisted of social events where children, parents and school staff were able to meet and get to know each other outside of the classroom context. 4,664 children across Guatemala, including Kélinton, were enrolled for the current school year. Save the Children's technical team and school staff worked together to consolidate work plans. This ensured that the activities which Save the Children supports were integrated and institutionalized in a way that promoted sustainability. Enrollment campaigns were started in four different communities in the department of Huehuetenango. Technical Support for Teachers Pays Off Early in the year, Save the Children staff began providing technical support to teachers both in their classrooms and through workshops. The first workshop focused on the overall methodology of working with traditional Mayan legends as the basis for learning objectives in the different school subjects. A reading and writing workshop was held for preschool, kindergarten, first and second grade teachers, while the upper grade teachers participated in a workshop that concentrated on language, math and active teaching methodologies. Additional support in math instruction was provided for all basic education staff. The teacher workshops were accompanied by monthly classroom follow-up visits, which allowed Save the Children staff to model and coach teachers on new strategies being implemented. This on-site follow-up was essential in confirming and consolidating new techniques, and encouraging teachers to try new things. As a result of these efforts in technical assistance, 197 teachers are implementing more effective teaching strategies that help 4,664 children learn basic language and math competencies. Scaling Up to Regional Levels To promote systemic change in policies at local, regional and national levels, Save the Children staff has worked closely with Ministry of Education officials at the municipal and regional levels while working closely with a network of education professionals to extend the reach of successful practices and learn from external experiences. The impact of these activities means higher quality education for more children not only in additional schools and municipalities but also in years to come. Learn More about Early Childhood Education Programs. Give children in the U.S. and around the world the gift of education by donating to Save the Children's 2008 Education Campaign. Your gift today is vital to creating lasting, positive change in children's lives. Last Updated August, 2008 See more Back-to-School Success Stories.