Common Hope Blog

Here is a third profile in a series featuring students who are just starting their school career and facing barriers to success.

Twin sisters María Ángeles and María Emilia started at New Hope School last year in the 4-year-old classroom. At the beginning of the year, teachers immediately noticed the lack of stimulation in the girls. They didn’t participate in class, slumped in their chairs, and were very dependent on each other. For about three months, they struggled to adapt to the school environment. [...]

Sponsorship staff member Alejandra Tacen speaks about her work coordinating correspondence between Sponsors and students, and her long-time relationship with Common Hope. Alejandra started off 14 years ago as a sponsored student, which has helped her get where she is today. Click here to help another student become an agent of change like Ale.

Some of you may remember Marco, who was featured in our 2008 gift catalog. Marco entered New Hope School when he was five years old. He was very insecure and did not relate well with his other classmates because of speech problems. Marco began attending speech therapy [...]

The last two weeks, we featured older students who faced threats to their education and received the support they needed to stay in school. This week, we will feature several younger students — just starting their schooling, and facing their own barriers to success.

As a kindergartner in 2009, Rhyna had a very difficult time starting the process of learning to read and write. Her teacher noted that she was insecure and afraid to read. [...]

Another story that demonstrates the difference Common Hope’s integrated programs make in the lives of youth at risk of dropping out of school—thanks to your support.

Heidy, 19, comes from a stable home environment. Yet her path to high school graduation was shaken when she got pregnant in early 2009. With the support of Common Hope [...]