Colegio Cristiano Federico Froebel, Ensanche Quisqueya
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Colegio Cristiano Federico Froebel School
In Santo Domingo proper, Ensanche Quisqueya is a crowded urban neighborhood of residential homes, apartments and businesses. Sandwiched in among those buildings is a small but very special education institution named Colegio Cristiano Federico Froebel.
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Students
The first school built by the Foundation for Peace is located behind the former home of Alberto and Rosalina Martinez, co-founders of the Foundation for Peace. The Colegio Federico Froebel is an elementary school that currently provides education and childcare for 150 children, infants to seventh graders. The school is named for Federico Froebel, a psychologist who believed in the value of early education for children and established the first kindergartens.
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Classroom
Since 1994, when the new large school building was completed, the school has been growing. Parents are drawn to the school with its exceptional teachers, clean facilities, library and computer lab. The children receive instruction in all major subjects, including English and technology. The school addresses the needs of the whole child, employing a psychologist and certified physical education teacher who visits each week.
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Ercilia Yan, Director
Ercilia Yan is the school's director. She has an important role in the Education portion of the FFP. She is a dynamic and kind individual, and her strength, integrity, and enjoyment of life set the tone for the school. Thanks in part to her dream, the second story of the school was completed by mission teams in the summer of 2006 and the school now has the opportunity to offer classes through seventh grade.
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Singing outside before school begins
The regular school day starts at 8 a.m. The children gather, pray, recite Psalm 23 and sing the National Anthem in the schoolyard then go to their respective classrooms. The children are provided a healthy lunch, freshly cooked each day. While we consider the midday meal a necessity, these children are fortunate to have something to eat during the day, considering many of their peers around the country do not.
The regular school day ends at 1 p.m. Some children stay until 6 p.m., until their working parents can pick them up. In the afternoon they bathe, nap, and play. This school is better equipped than many, but still falls short of similar U.S. facilities.
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Nursery area
The school's current needs include:
- 2-3 computers with wireless networking cards
- 8 Fluorescent light bulbs for classrooms
- Chalkboards
- Bookshelves
- Books (in Spanish)
- Small play house
- Fence around the playground
- Desks for 4 classrooms
- 15 small desks
- 20 little chairs
- Stimulating early educational materials
- Fine/gross motor-skill materials
- Plastic toys
- Seesaw
- Other educational games
If you are interested in providing these items, please email Wendy Patchin at wendy@foundationforpeace.org. Monetary donations to help obtain these items for the school can be made at the Donate Now section of this website.