Piecitos in Paraguay

Incorporated in 2007, it is the first Paraguayan school to join Piecitos, and has managed to quadruple its enrolment. Thanks to the partnership with the Empieza por Educar Foundation, it was a pioneer in receiving volunteer teachers from Spain, who shared new methodologies to develop students' academic skills and strengths for their life projects. In 2014, a technical baccalaureate in computer science was set up, equipped with a laboratory, and digital literacy courses open to the community were held. In addition, STEM areas are enhanced with maths reinforcement through online platforms.

It joined the programme in 2008, and since the start of the project, its enrolment has tripled. In order to provide play and recreational spaces, a children's playground has been built with recycled materials, thanks to the support of Prosegur Volunteers. In addition, the teachers work with their students on planting vegetables, vegetables and fruit, teaching them the properties and benefits of these foods, as well as preparing fun and healthy recipes to incorporate into their daily habits. Teachers who are also being trained in new educational strategies to strengthen students' reading skills.

Since 2008 we have been working with this educational centre, which has become a benchmark in its community. It is the first school in the area to have an exclusive space to promote research and reading, and is also a pioneer in the region for its educational robotics workshops. In this way, they are providing their students with essential knowledge for their future, while promoting innovation and teamwork. From this learning, some students had the opportunity to participate in the National Robotics Competition in 2019.

Before the arrival of the Prosegur Foundation in 2009, they had wooden classrooms, which were refurbished to provide spaces suitable for study and recreation. Students take part in extracurricular activities related to computers, handicrafts or physical education to reinforce their education. Entrepreneurship is also encouraged, as the materials made by the students in the handicraft workshops (cleaning products, cushions or bags, among others) are sold at local fairs for the self-sustainability of the project.

When the school entered the programme in 2011, the building was very dilapidated and at risk of collapse, so the classrooms were completely rebuilt. With the support of families and Prosegur Volunteers, a school vegetable garden was planted, in which the whole community collaborates. Under the guidance of an expert agronomist, workshops have been held to increase productivity and improve cultivation techniques. This knowledge has transcended into households, where good agricultural and nutritional practices are replicated. In addition, together with the teaching staff, we detect the talent of the students in order to support them - by means of scholarships - in the continuation of their higher education.

Incorporated into Piecitos in 2016, students and teachers have been trained in the design and care of the school garden, the production of which is used to produce food for the school canteen. As part of the educational improvement phase, a "Reading Promotion" programme has been launched in partnership with Fundación Leer to strengthen reading comprehension and literacy skills among pupils. Key aspects for their academic success and their present and future development.

The last educational centre in the country to join Piecitos in 2018, it stands out for having received a visit from volunteers from the Fundación Empieza por Educar from Spain, with the aim of building quality, inclusive and equitable education in the region. Training in new classroom management methodologies was not limited to teachers from the Piecitos school, but was extended to professionals from different local educational institutions, in order to foster dialogue and the exchange of good practices to reduce gaps.