English for teens

Status: in the oven

Imagine a teenager in a remote Colombian fishing village where less that 1% of the population has a college education and employment opportunities are slim. Now imagine that same teenager speaking English, gaining access to jobs offered in Cartagena’s massive tourism industry and a whole new world of opportunity.

This initiative aims to equip teenagers in Ararca with the No. 1 skill they’ll need to access jobs in the the booming touristic sector of Cartagena and Baru Island—English fluency. We’re working to set up the pilot of this program with 30 teenagers in Ararca.

Besides English, the program will teach other marketable skills andpromote literacy. Additionally, young people enrolled in the program will be required to participate in community development activities. We’ll use incentives and group projects to encourage independent learning throughout the week.

What’s hot? Arriba las Manos is excited to announce partnerships with the Pimsleur Language Program, which has provided copies of their excellent Spanish-English program, and the Centro Colombo Americano, which will be testing the teenagers and granting them certification for free.

What do we need at this point? We’re looking for corporate sponsorship to be able to hire language instructors. Also we need one MP3 player for each teenager (30 altogether), which they will earn through good grades and participation. Know of a way you can help? Contact us now!

Click here to read more about Ararca and our strategy there.