Taking part in The Quito Project, I traveled to Quito, Ecuador in the summer of 2012 with a group of ten University of Michigan undergraduates. At the Luis Raza Bolaños School, we hosted a summer remedial tutoring program for 2nd through 6th grade students living in a low-income community in Southern Quito. The mission of The Quito Project is to collaborate with local partners and develop evidence-based solutions that support and build capacity in health, education, and social sectors. My role in this project was to teach a class of 10 third grade students in Mathematics and Language Arts in the routine of a regular school day for 5 weeks, instructing entirely in Spanish. I provided one-on-one tutoring to all of my students while helping some children battle learning disabilities. Our work at the school is designed to help struggling students grasp the appropriate material for their level of education, while simultaneously bringing enthusiasm towards learning and education for young Ecuadorians.
Elizabeth Deschaine
