EachOne TeachOne, Inc. inspires, educates, and supports rural Panamanian children to become community leaders.

Most rural farmers and day laborers have a sixth grade education and earn less than one hundred dollars a month. Parents often are unable to provide the necessary academic, emotional, and/or financial resources for children to continue with their studies. EachOne TeachOne offers mentoring and academic guidance in addition to providing uniforms, books, transportation, tutoring, and occasionally room and board. Children are supported through graduation from middle school, high school, vocational school or university.

While financial resources prohibit many children from attending school, it is not the only obstacle. The Panamanian Ministry of Education assigns new teachers (many of whom are from urban areas) to rural communities. They are not familiar with rural life. They often harbor prejudices towards the rural or indigenous people. Teachers commute to schools and spend as little time as possible in the rural towns. Classes are often cancelled and children who do not learn by the traditional form of copying and memorizing are considered incapable of learning. Parents or the student are blamed for the lack of advancement. Rural people have great respect for teachers; they do not formally complain and teachers are not held accountable.

Rural sixth grade graduates are often academically behind their peers from urban environments. Parents are unable to assist their children with their academic studies as well as prepare their children for the social pressures. For this reason EachOne TeachOne sponsors Scholarship Teams – not individuals.

Scholarship Teams are comprised of three to five students in each academic year. The scholarship team enters middle school as a group facilitating a successful transition from rural elementary schools to urban middle schools. Students support one another during this critical transition, and throughout their academic studies. They commute, study and attend leadership development seminars together. Pictures

Educational Scholarships have three components:

1. Leadership Development Seminars are provided three times a year. They provide informal experiences that cultivate teamwork, cooperation, reflection and values clarification. Past seminars have included a four-day field trip to an organic farm in Chriqui where students learning about organic farming and composting techniques, a visit to Dell (computer) headquarters in Panama City, a visit to an urban public and a private middle school (this prompted a discussion about the disparity of educational resources), a visit to the Panama Canal and the Canal Museum, and a camping trip on the borders of Campana National Park. EachOne TeachOne covers all expenses associated with seminars, group activities, lectures and field trips. Pictures

2. Community Involvement is required of all scholarship teams. Scholarship teams separate their own family’s organic garbage and bring it to a communal compost site. Students discover through this effort that each family produces an average of thirty pounds of organic waste a week. Each week the scholarship teams also collect garbage from the main road in town. By composting and learning about waste management techniques they improve sanitation, soil quality, and the overall aesthetic appearance and health of the community. Pictures

3. Academic Assistance through the Community Education Project supports the academic achievement of its scholarship teams by offering intensive academic preparation during summer vacation and ongoing tutoring throughout the academic year. The Community Education Center will provide additional support. Pictures