“A child’s education should be our priority. The location where he learns shouldn’t matter. A child can learn anywhere,” Carmen Rodriguez Malavé, educator and founder of the Puerto Rican initiative, Educamos Donde Sea.
I recently chatted with Carmen Rodriguez Malavé, the founder of Educamos Donde Sea – a program developed in response to Hurricane Maria. When I learned about work Carmen has been doing for the children in my beloved Islita, I couldn’t help but invite her to join me on Instagram Live.
Educamos Donde Sea means Educating Anywhere, and that is what Carmen and a few families set out to do. School buildings had been damaged and many were not up to code, resulting in the loss of educational instruction. To remedy this situation, they took over Parque Las Delicias in Ponce–the south part of the island where the earthquake hit.
Once Carmen and her team got started, the community came together to help. Teachers signed up, business owners donated tents and chairs, and parents donated school supplies. Kids were encouraged, happy, and motivated to get to work!
“There is something about being outside, appreciating nature while learning. The children loved it!”
An educator for over 18 years, Carmen shared that until the quarantine, there were close to 400 kids who were being taught Math, English, Spanish, and Sports. Right now, over 100 kids are being taught online. They’re hoping to go back to outside teaching. In order for that to happen, they will need to follow the new rules and precautions. “We need a storage like unit to store all the materials that have been donated so that it is safe from the rain and other natural disasters that could occur. We need hand-sanitizer and masks for all the kids.”
I invite you to watch my chat with Carmen on my IGTV!
If you are interested in helping Carmen or getting involved, you can send me a direct message. Learn more about Educamos Donde Sea.
