Sharon High School Students Help Ecuador Teens Improve School

SHARON, MA — A group of 10th graders from Sharon High School are helping students in Ecuador remodel their school.

SHS World Studies students have raised more than $1,600 in funds so teenagers at the Ulpiano Navarro School in Ecuador can repaint the outside of their building and install a bike rack for students who travel long distances every day. With a fundraising goal of $2,000, the students are well on their way.

Through the project, SHS students are learning a lot about responsible philanthropy practices: setting up a friendship and getting to know the community; finding out the community's priorities; following through with our promises, and following up with the community.

This is the second year of the cultural exchange, which began during the pandemic as a way for World Studies students – whether learning from home or at school – to connect with other students globally. Last year's 10th graders helped children in Ecuador expand an art center that is central to preserving indigenous Kichwa culture.

While students were learning remotely last year, one teacher organized a cultural exchange so students in Sharon could meet indigenous students in Ecuador on Zoom. They say they shared videos about our interests, hobbies, and daily lives. In the process, Sharon students were able to help the students in Ecuador raise money to expand their art center by hosting a virtual talent show.

World Studies is an interdisciplinary course that combines the study of world literature with global history. The fundraising project and cultural exchange have now become an annual part of the students’ study of Latin America and the novel The Queen of Water by Laura Resau and Maria Virginia Farinango.

The cultural exchange was made possible by the Tandana Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers support for a variety of community-initiated projects -- from education to healthcare to income generation -- in Ecuador and in Mali. Tandana's mission is "to create and nurture respectful and responsible relationships among people of different cultures."

As part of the exchange, SHS students learned how to work with a community to raise funds for a project and to counter paternalistic charity practices. The fundraising goal was decided by the Ecuador students after all of the teens met one another on Zoom and established a connection.

"Building friendships has been the major focus of this project," said Lori Ayotte, World Studies English teacher. "At every step, we've talked about what it means to treat one another with dignity and respect."

Since November, the World Studies students have connected with teenagers in Ecuador through live video conferencing, recorded videos, letters, music, and recipes. Students and teachers from the SHS Spanish classes have helped with translation.

To donate, please visit https://tandanafoundation.org/donate.html In the dropdown menu that says, "What would you like this donation to go towards?" choose the "Sharon High School Project."