Today began with another breakfast plate of new fruits. I cannot remember the names of them, but they were delicious! Our first session was an anthropological lecture on the culture and education system of Peru. From previous sessions, I knew that schools were not equitable in resources and that there was a considerable opportunity gap between females and males. We learned that the education system also oppressed indiginous Peruvians and the poor. The Ministry of Education is working to address these needs for a more equitable education for all. The problem is, the structures in place continue to confine females in their traditional roles and social economic status is static. Lunch at the hotel was amazing again. As you see in the pictures, there are a lot of choices. I wasn't left hungry or unsatisfied! This afternoon was a work session to prepare for our host community visit. I've been paired up with Phil, who teaches fourth grade in Long Island, NY. We had met in DC in February and had an opportunity to Skype with our host principal and teacher twice. We were told, "You can sleep when you return to the US." I laughed it off, but we do have a packed scheduled planned for our stay in Chiclayo. We are both grateful for Jose Luis and Maria Eugenia's enthusiasm for our visit. This evening we took another bus trip to visit students enrolled in the ACCESS program. Nobody was very clear what ACCESS was, and we thought it was night school. The ride there gave another glimpse into the streets of Lima. This gas station pictured above is actually the median of a busy road. There were people selling things everywhere. They walked between parked cars and sold food, candy, jewelry, whatever they had. There were many who also washed windshields for drivers stuck in traffic. We were told that a lot of the people were from Venezuela. Peru has had a lot of Venezuelans refugees in the past months. The ACCESS program was incredible to experience. Basically, the students enrolled are at the top of their class, and come from schools with low socioeconomic status. Accepted students commit to attending class every evening, Monday through Friday, for four hours to develop their English proficiency. During instruction, they practice reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. This happens after a FULL day of attending a regular public school. That is determination!
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