| InterAmerican InterAction Newsletter |
November
2003
|
Books and a Computer for the
Julian Cho Technical High School
The Government of Belize, in an effort to provide secondary school access to Belize's predominantly Maya Toledo District, opened the Julian Cho Technical High School in 2000. In the summer of 2002, the principal of the high school, Mr. Simeon Coc, heard about IAIA's book donations for San Pedro Columbia and its elementary school. He wrote a letter asking for assistance to stock their library:
Although it is a good move to begin this school, government has not been able to provide the facilities and resources that the school needs in order to truly implement the school's curriculum. Presently, the school is in need of a library. The students really need reference and other books in order for them to do their research and assignments.
The
school does have a small library building (left) and a librarian, but
the library contained very few books, and many of those were quite old.
Since the high school serves many of the villages of the Toledo District,
and Columbia is one of the three largest villages, many Columbia youth
attend this high school. IAIA volunteers decided this was a worthwhile
activity to support. We contacted our partners in Atlanta, representatives
of Children Literature for Children, a non-profit organization, and
The Wesleyan School, a K-12 private school, and they said they were
up for the challenge. Over the school year, they collected forty boxes
of quality reading and reference books. The collection included a late-1990's
World Book Encyclopedia, an Encyclopedia of Science and Technology,
a social studies set of volumes called "Places of the World,"
copies of many recently-published textbooks, and hundreds of general
reading books. More were added during a collection from San Pedro Columbia's
Sister Village, Athens, Ohio.
IAIA was able to raise funds for trucking expenses from Ohio to Florida
and, at the last minute, a donation from the Broadview Heights Lions
Club (near Cleveland, Ohio) enabled us to ship the books on to Belize.
In Belize, the processing and transporting of the books was facilitated
by the Minister of Human Development.
Finally, in late July, the books arrived at the high school. The schoo
l's
librarian, Laura Palma, met the IAIA volunteers and watched as they
unloaded the boxes into the library building. She peeked inside many
of the boxes and seemed a bit overwhelmed, picking up a large hardback
dictionary and saying, "We really need this." She was still
holding that dictionary as the truck pulled away.
Laura now has her books stamped and shelved, and IAIA donated a computer
to the library so that she can keep track of her much-expanded collection
of books. IAIA volunteer Connie Burk created a computer application
that enables her to check books in and out and keep track of overdue
books as well.
The library is often full of students now, conducting research or just
reading during free time. And the principal is very happy:
On
behalf of the Faculty, Staff & Students of Julian Cho Technical
High School, please accept our sincerest gratitude for the effort and
countless numbers of hours you spent in seeking and accumulating books
for our school. We can never thank you enough for such a kind gesture;
one that will be remembered for years to come.
Many thanks go to The Wesleyan School, Children's Literature for Children,
the Broadview Heights Lion's Club, Dave Gutknecht of Athens for the
loan of his truck, Jim Burk of Hollister, Ohio for hauling the books
to the port in Florida, and the Honorable Marcial Mes, Minister of Human
Development, Local Government and Labour in the Government of Belize,
for his continued in-country support.