Picture 1: In the launch event at the School
This week we held the English Summer Camp launch event and invited all the staff, teachers and the 120 students who will be participating in this amazing program. In my opening remarks, I highlighted the commitment and dedication of all the students who chose to participate in our program during their school vacations. In fact, as a team, we are proud and happy because of the great reception of the English Summer Camp and the amazing response from the people of Cali. I also encourage the children and teenagers who will participate in this program to follow their dreams and discover the importance of English as a second language, which can open many doors and opportunities for all of us.
Picture 2: Fabian Polanco, Academic Coordinator of the English Summer Camp.
On June 26th, during the inauguration event, teacher Fabian Polanco, who is the academic coordinator of the English Summer Camp, talked about the innovative educational program we have and how we want to connect English with the everyday life of the students. Our goal is for them to connect with this language in a very practical way, so they can discover this new tool and love this language. After this experience, we hope to contribute to the new skills acquired by these young people and make an impact on their lives. In this sense, they can get more opportunities and aspirations to transform their lives and their surrounding communities.
Picture 3: Launch Event of the English Summer Camp.
Furthermore, in this inaugural event, we had the participation of two students from the Politecnico Municipal School who shared their talent and sang songs in English, as well as a Colombian English teacher who led activities with the students who will participate in the program. We offered some dynamic games so they could participate in different teams and follow some instructions given by the English teacher. This was our first opportunity to play with them in another language and the starting point for getting to know each other better. The students who won each competition received a special gift from International House–swag we brought from the U.S.–and each student also received some I-House souvenirs at the end of the event. During the break, we gave the students some snacks to share in the school cafeteria.
Picture 4: Photo 4: Getting ready to start the English Summer Camp with the team at our first face-to-face meeting.
Before this big and important event, Ximena Valenzuela Cabrera, who is our summer associate sponsored by the Pearson Institute at the University of Chicago, arrived in Cali from Chicago on June 25th. On the same day, we had a welcome dinner with all the team and our first face-to-face meeting. In this dinner we gave each of our team members a welcome package. It included a tote bag branded with our summer camp and Proyecto 2E logo, I-House souvenirs, and a thank you letter. We had a great opportunity to get to know each other better and share our experiences and goals for this summer program. Ximena brought some extra things from the States we needed for the opening ceremony and helped us set up everything we needed to start the English Summer Camp classes. We appreciate all your support and commitment, Ximena!
Picture 5: Proyecto2E: Educacion + Empleo (Project2E: Education + Employment)
As the leader of this amazing team, composed of people from different disciplines and areas of expertise, I can say that I am more than happy to bring education and new opportunities to 120 students in Cali, Colombia. I felt very grateful with the work of each member of the team and the dedication they put into this. We hope that the Summer English Camp is just one stage of all the great activities we want to carry out with my organization, Proyecto2E: Educacion + Empleo (Project2E: Education + Employment). We all have the commitment to work for a better world, where all people have access to a better education, and with that, better aspirations that will lead them to transform the city where they live.