History of El Camino
In 2000 the Mckenneys came prepared to home school their children in the remote Jungle town of Balfate. After a year of home schooling in this pristine setting in the little village of Balfate, Gabe and Nate Mckenney 8 and 9 yrs of age, asked if they could attend to the local village school which did not posses a single book for the students. All of the Mckenney kids attended for 2 years (Hannah attended 1 year of Kindergarten) while Rosanne volunteered in the same school, helped them form a library and set up a remedial reading class for non readers in the 3rd grade. At home, the Mckenneys were schooled in the 3 R’s; in the village school the Mckenneys learned the four S’s, (Spanish, Soccer, Spitting and Self defense).
This is where the idea developed to home school the Mckenney kids with some poor but gifted Honduran children from the area. They built a small school building in 2003 near the village of Lucinda, to home school Nate, 11, Gabe, 9, and Hannah, 4, and five Honduran students close in age to the boys.
That is how it started. Today we teach English as a Foreign Language to 20 Honduran elementary children, there are 5 missionary kids in Junior high and 5 Honduran children in the same age range.
(Nate successfully transitioned to the University of Mississippi in the fall of 2010 and Gabe began his studies there in the fall of 2011.)
Heading home after a productive school day 2004.
A note about why we are heading in this direction.
It is our belief at Loma de Luz Hospital, that we should invest in Honduran children who will be the future leaders that will one day staff the Hospital, schools, and political offices in our area.
We believe El Camino should, as it has in the past, continue to support the local public schools with supplies, books and volunteering our time training the teachers and teaching in the schools.
The educational system in this country is poor. Having taken several kids from the school system around the age of 10, we have found that they have a weak foundation.
With low adult literacy and no access to books, it is difficult for these students to succeed.
This year (beginning Feb) we will open a bilingual kindergarten for 3-5 year olds. We hope that getting the children at a younger age, and beginning with parents who value working and have positive attitudes toward a more demanding educational style, would give these poor country kids a better chance at attending university or competing in the job market. Our desire is that the parents who send kids to El Camino would share with El Camino, the goal of a higher education for their children.
Finally, from beginning to end our goal and our reason for reaching out in these various ways, is that we want to see these children come to Christ each in their own way and to come to their full potential in the gifts which God gave them. We want them to become the next generation of Honduran leaders; leaders who learned from “the ABCs” to “Advanced Composition” from “sharing crayons & “saying please and thank you” to the origins of Western Civilization and learned it from Christians who shared the best they had.
Angela and Lindsy with three El Camino students in 2004
Help Wanted
We are basically looking for 3 positions beginning in the Fall of 2011.
Volunteer teacher/tutor –1 (1.) helping particularly with MKs who’s parents (work ( at the hospital or children’s ctr) and so can’t be there to answer the moment by moment questions or to help their students stay on task. Currently there are 3 that fit in this category. (2.) Teach an ESL class to about 24 kids ages 8-13 two afternoons each week (about 4 hours of teaching and 4 hours of prepping). (3.) If this person were supported by another volunteer they could teach the Honduran Jr High kids English conversation/writing/grammar
Volunteer teacher/tutor-2 (early education or elementary education a plus), who can (1.) help with Jr high MKs, (2.) assist in developing a pre-k to Kindergarten bilingual school, that we will seek to get accredited. (We would build another building for about 15 pre-K Honduran children.) (3.) Offer a class on English writing, grammar and conversation to Jr High Honduran kids (3).
Admin/teacher volunteer with long term commitment,
(This person is needed for starting the Pre K –K program and getting the school accredited)
(1.) Be able to administrate the school, work with Honduran parents, fill out Gvt paper work and make trips to offices. Seek accreditation for a new grade each year. (2.) Help in teaching subjects
Teachers look on as children compare their newly donated books.
Making a pyramid from adobe, during the study of Ancient Egypt