Dibujando un Mañana Foundation: Center for Integral Community Development

THE CHALLENGE

In Chimalhuacán, Mexico, 62.8% of the population lived in poverty in 2020, largely due to inadequate infrastructure and limited access to basic services, including clean water and electricity. These conditions have a severe impact on children’s development, particularly in early childhood, when 90% of brain development occurs before the age of five (UNICEF). Yet, 61% of children in Latin America lack access to quality early education, hindering their academic and emotional growth.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project employs a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) approach, aligning with a global trend that promotes comprehensive education for sustainable development and social well-being. It includes structured activities for children from 40 days old to 3 years of age, supporting their growth milestones. The project engages girls and boys in math, chess, and creative reading sessions to enhance academic skills, complemented by music and dance classes to foster artistic abilities. It also offers emotional literacy workshops to foster social and emotional skills. School for Parents workshops encourage the active participation of caregivers while promoting free play and summer courses to enhance creativity and social interaction. 

I'm Diego. The STEAM workshop has helped me reflect on various aspects of science, and I've come to realize that everything around us is connected to STEAM. What I learn here at CEDIC, they don't teach us at school, that's why I share it with my parents and friends. I am skilled in mathematics and frequently apply it in STEAM. When I grow up, I would like to have a company and own shares of money. Children should have more materials in our schools, like these STEAM materials.

Diego Acevedo, 11 years old

Hi, I'm Fer, from the STEAM workshop. I like experiments, with them I discover things I didn't know, and I learn from mistakes, or rather from trial and error. Experimenting is the best activity I've done; I learned to create things, like my musical box. What I learn here from STEAM, I sometimes use at school when we are asked to do projects. I would like to learn to do more things and experiments. Although I haven't thought about what I want to be when I grow up, I would like to design clothes because I like to mend clothes, and I even have my little sewing machine. I would like to help and collaborate with my younger classmates, teach them what I have learned from STEAM.

Fernanda Guevara, 10 years old