Published: November 12, 2009 08:47 pm      

Guatemalan students visit Madison schools

Madison County families and local churches have been hosting 14 girls from the Prince of Peace Home for Girls in San Cristobal, Guatemala, as they tour Madison County to take a look at technologies being used in public schools.

The girls toured White Hall Elementary and B. Caudill Middle School Monday to take a look at technologies that are being used as learning tools in the U.S.

The relationship between Madison County and the Prince of Peace Home for Girls originally began through mission trips with local churches, but has evolved into a partnership with the county school district.

“The hope is to share cultures and broaden the horizons for the girls in Guatemala,” said Erin Stewart, community education director for Madison County schools.

Madison County students may eventually begin participating in a pen-pal program with the girls from the Guatemala school, Stewart said.

Paul Sanders, formerly of Madison County and director of the Prince of Peace Home for Girls, said Monday’s tour was “... to see how we can adapt and put some of that to work to use (at Prince of Peace).”

“Everything here (in the U.S.) has amazed them,” Sanders said.

Visiting Disney World and seeing the white, sandy beaches of Ft. Lauderdale were among some of the most amazing sites to the girls, he said.

“Most of the sand in Guatemala is black,” he said, referring to the accumulation of volcanic ash that is common in the area.

The girls were impressed with a plethora of things common to U.S. citizens, ranging from technology to clean drinking water.

Maricruz, a resident of Prince of Peace, said she was impressed with the technology used in Madison County schools.

“There are systems (used in schools) that (would help) children learn rapidly,” she said.

She especially was impressed with the technology used to teach children math and other languages.

Prince of Peace resident Reina Elizabeth mentioned the clean water here, and said she likes the fact there is water everywhere that she can drink.

Resident Joselin said she liked Caudill Middle School school’s cafeteria and how everything happened (during the school day) in an orderly fashion.

Resident, Karina, said she likes that at some schools each student has a computer.

Kay Himes of Richmond, who works at the Prince of Peace school for several months out of the year and is hosting some of the girls during their visit here, said all of them admired the libraries inside the Kentucky schools they have visited.

Five girls visiting from Guatemala were taken to Berea College for admission interviews Thursday and were given a tour of the campus.



Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.