Gator (members name) A question about helping a young Colombian boy.

santiago says on May 12, 2004, 10:15:

jmbone,
I just read that you are living in Cartagena. Any ideas on how this young boy can practice his English and learn to speak better. Are their groups getting together to practice English???

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Gator says on May 12, 2004, 14:39:

There are private English schools available I understand the best in Cartagena is Centro Colombo Americano in the Old Walled City on Calle de la Factoria.
Web site is:http://www.colombocartagena.com/

a good list is http://www.cartagenainfo.com/a-z/idiomas/ but I am only familiar with Centro Colombo Americano which has schools all over Colombia.

What you are planing to do will give you more satisfaction then you can imagine. We picked a boy, now a young man, with the idea of providing an education. How has it worked out? Well the wife and I just gor back from Florida and watched him graduate from a community college with a 3.92 average in pre-engineering. Then we drove him to the University of Florida (now everyone knows where the "Gator" comes from)and he started classes Monday in the College of Engineering and, hopefully, will graduate with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Says he wants to stay and get his masters. Fine with us because we feel we have made a difference. We also provide funding for a small public school in the rural area south of Cali and outside of Jamundi.

By the want we used Centro for his English studies in Colombia
PLEaSE go through with your plan.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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Pete in Bogota says on May 12, 2004, 15:20:

That is AWESOME what you are doing I tell you Santiago and Gator that is awesome.

If feel for many students especially in Colombia who want to study to be able to take care of their mom and brotheres but cant for financial issues. I say Colombia because in the US there is public schooling and financial aid, but in Colombia the rich go to school and the poor stay ignorant and poor.

I hope I'm in a situation to do the same after I graduate and pay all those student loans and credit cards. Success stories are awesome when you think the good a little mony can do for the quality life of another.

Pete

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FredGarvin says on May 13, 2004, 05:22:

Where are the parents? "My question is how and where I can help a 12 year old boy in Cartagena practice his English speaking skills."

I learned to speak Spanish by reading a used grade-school Spanish textbook (I think I was about 12yrs old, it was around 6th or 7th grade). What I do remember, is buying those books and reading them prior to my 8th grade yr because we needed Spanish to pass/graduate. I can remember feeling scared that I would have problems with that class, so I did everything I could to learn Spanish prior to the start of that school year. So what, right?

...Well

Why don't you purchase Span/Eng textbooks for the entire family?

Getting the parents involved can do amazing things. Spending at least 30 to 60 mins each night to read with him, to quiz him, and help to figure out/get through tough problems -- this is where the value of parenting shines.

Why?

Looking back at my own childhood/teenage yrs, for my parents it was an investment in their time -- and well spent because there are larger lessons learned in this process (other than simply going to a class or memorizing text).

This boy's parents do not need to be rich to HELP their child. They do not need to be rich to learn something new themselves. They do not need to "stay ignorant" --

....but they must get involved

I applaud you for your generosity and compassion towards this boy and I certainly hope that your efforts do pay off. But I know from my own experiences as well as seeing other children/students, that a home environment where parents are involved TRULY makes a HUGE difference in the development of children.

FG

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