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Ever thought of being part of something bigger and working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children in developing countries? At Outreach360, our vision is a transformed world in which every child is able to pursue a college degree or be gainfully employed upon reaching adulthood, and ultimately have the opportunity to live a life of choice. We envision every child we work with becoming an active citizen in their communities and being committed to serving those less fortunate. Sadly, the areas we serve in Latin America suffer from some of the most extreme cases of poverty and some of the greatest social inequality in the world. Children are born in disadvantaged neighborhoods where day-to-day life can often be a simple matter of survival. When families lack the resources for the most basic necessities, they are left with | few options except to send their children to beg for money in the streets where they ultimately turn to crime or prostitution to survive. With limited education opportunities, as children reach adulthood they lack the necessary education to be accepted into a university program or the critical vocational training to obtain a skilled job. Once again, without knowing what else to do, they are left with few options as adults and the endless cycle of poverty continues. At Outreach360 we believe education is the best sustainable solution to combat poverty and provide the children we serve with long-term opportunities to transform their own lives. Through our innovative education programs at our Learning Centers, we focus on the steps we can take now to develop the enormous talents of these children. With English Language Learning and | Spanish Literacy at the heart of our education programs, we are able to provide disadvantaged children with opportunities for progress. In the Dominican Republic where more than a third of the population lives on a few dollars a day, learning English provides young people looking at college,professional careers,or work in the ever-growing tourist industry, with a tool necessary to compete in the job market. In Nicaragua, where an estimated 33% of the population is illiterate, learning to read and write correctly is vital to providing opportunities for a life of choice. Fueled by creative and passionate volunteers that come to serve in our Learning Centers, Outreach360 strives to transform these statistics and provide the children we serve with a life of choice. A life where they are no longer a statistic, but a symbol of human potential! |
A Cross-Curricular Approach We know that all kids learn differently, yet education is often bottled up into a single teaching style or a singular curricular approach. At Outreach360 we strive to approach our core subjects of Spanish Literacy and English Learning not only by more traditional means, but also through music, art and drama. We know that these areas help kids learn, and by incorporating them into our curriculum we encourage our students to explore learning through their creativity, which ultimately helps keep kids engaged and enrolled in our programs.  |  |
The 360 Education PhilosophyWhen Classical Greek philosopher and Academic Plato expressed his views
about higher learning, he is remembered as saying, “Do not train a child to learn by
force and harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you
may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of
each.” We agree with Plato and many other iconic historical figures like him that
influenced learning and transformed education. We too believe in “leading students
by what amuses them” and that learning can and should be fun. That’s why our
education philosophy at our Learning Centers focuses on creating an education
program with interesting, relative, diverse, and interactive learning activities. When
we take a closer look at this concept, we see how powerful education can be when
we appeal to student interests and foster a dynamic learning environment where
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation come together to create the perspective that learning
is fun. Suddenly we see students become engaged in learning because they naturally
pursue what is interesting to them. We see students take ownership of learning that is
relevant to them because it is meaningful and involves them personally in the process.
We see students learn at higher levels when there is a variety of teaching techniques
and strategies in the classroom that keep them focused. We see positive social
collaboration and shared success with an interactive learning approach that fosters
creativity. Ultimately, a fun learning environment is an effective learning environment,
and our volunteers continually strive to embody our philosophy through their
imaginative teaching.
Outreach360 seeks a transformed world in which every child we serve is able to pursue a college degree or to be gainfully employed upon reaching adulthood, and ultimately being able to live a life of choice. Focusing primarily on Spanish Literacy and English Language Learning, Outreach360 sees education as a sustainable solution to poverty in Latin America and a powerful means for achieving our mission. This is a short video overviewing an Outreach360 Learning Center in Nicaragua.