IMAGEN August 2001 pg. 17
ALTERNATIVE SUCCESS MODELS THE FOLLOWING TWO STORIES ARE EXAMPLES THAT ANSWERS CAN COME FROM ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION OPTIONS.
Alternative Model 1 Logic Dreams:Education for the future
Although Agnez Chavez grew up bilingual, it wasn't until her son was born that she realized how important it was to her to be fluent In Spanish. "Being raised Latina at home and not having your culture and language accepted or reflected in your outer world creates conflict-a feeling that you must choose between the two cultures," Chavez says. While English and Spanish speakers of her generation have had to find the balance between these two worlds as adults, there is a whole generation of children that has lost its connection not only to the Spanish language, but to the culture as well. "It affects the child's self-esteem and sense of empowerment, which in turn affects his ability to find a place in society`" Chavez says. That loss of identity could also be partly to blame for the high dropout rate among Latino children.
The fear that her bilingual son and other children might suffer from the same situation, led Chavez to create ¡Sube! a Spanish-as-a-Second-language curriculum. This multi-media kit comes in a box with lesson plans, games. flashcards and Latin music videos/CDs to help teachers pass on language skills in a way that is fun and culturally empowering for young children. The program has grown in popularity and her company, logic Dream Productions, Inc. was recently recognized as a Small Business of the Year.
This year logic Dream Productions, Inc. has expanded to the next logical level. They have taken the curriculum out of the box, and onto the Internet Sube Connects now provides a free web-based service that connects classrooms In the U.S. with classrooms in Mexico. Chavez joined forces with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) "Mexico/New Mexico Border Initiatives" and the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) to launch its first pilot project, Habitat Chat. Using live video technology and other communication forums the children can globally collaborate on bilingual lesson plans and practice their language skills.
First grade teacher and Longfellow Elementary school, Lisa Valdez-Day, praises the Habitat Chat program: "Our community is mainly Hispanic, but many of our families have lost, or are losing, the Spanish language," Valdez-Day says. "We now teach our students to read and write in Spanish first. Every grade level increases the amount of English usage. We want our students to be bi-literate, bilingual, and bicultural. By teaching in Spanish, our students are able to meet these criteria. We know we are preparing our students for an international market, as their self esteem and sense of empowerment flourish."
Entrepreneurs like Agnes Chavez are providing alternatives to the status quo education system. They are our hope for accelerating the need for educational change.
Ms. Chavez, at left working with teachers, young learners and with a new model environmental program.
