Low-quality education plagues many poor communities. To get as many children to school, local educational institutions sacrifice quality, instead of ensuring that each child learns something. They overcrowd classrooms, hire unqualified teachers, and fail to address insufficient learning materials. Such an environment decreases a student’s ability to learn, resulting in rampant absenteeism in both teachers and students.
Of course, we can’t always blame these problems on local governments and the communities themselves. Some small towns, especially rural ones, have a lower budget, affecting their ability to provide quality education. But according to research, government and donor programs help. It sends more children to school, keep them there, and allow them to learn better, especially in math, reading, and writing.
Therefore, a community service program can make a huge difference in less-fortunate students and families. Consider hosting any of these free workshops to enhance their learning:
1. Language Learning
If you’re traveling to a developing country to help their poor, teaching English to students and parents will benefit them greatly. A study has found that English proficiency can increase the earning power of third-world country individuals by around 25%. Developing economies need access to English to grow and fit into the global economy.
You might not be able to teach expert-level English, but if the community members already have a fair command of the language, that’s a decent start. Researchers found a link between moderate proficiency and higher levels of investment from the U.S. and UK. Simply put, if the population of a developing country understands English well, the U.S. or U.K. are more likely to provide them employment opportunities.
2. Music Lessons
For the longest time, educational institutions have regarded music lessons as a luxury. But a study has found that it’s actually a necessity. Children from all walks of life should learn it because it has plenty of long-term benefits.
Learning a musical instrument and joining a band enhances a student’s learning. It promotes metacognition or an understanding of one’s own thought processes. Basically, music lessons will encourage students to challenge or improve their own learning.
Hence, try to enlist an experienced guitar teacher for your free music workshop. The instrument is quite popular among youths, and easy to learn. Guitars are also so versatile that they can play music of various genres.
3. Reading Workshop
Donate books to community libraries, or to poor children directly. Reading will help them make more sense of the world around them and teach them values and morals without anyone preaching to them. In addition, it aids in forming a child’s sense of right and wrong.
It may be challenging to host a reading workshop in a poor community since many of their children cannot read. But that’s just another reason to give them books. When you help them develop a love for reading, they’ll gain important lessons that schools may not teach them.
Moreover, fiction books stimulate a feeling of going on an adventure. It prevents the youth from resorting to dangerous habits or acts to entertain themselves. Reading stories can also help them find sound solutions to problems. Most importantly, poor communities see books as a luxury. By donating to them the stories that once fascinated you, you can change their lives for the better.
4. Environmental Awareness Workshop
When nature pays us back for the damage we have caused it, poor communities tend to suffer the worst impact. Floods will submerge their villages, ridding them of shelter and other essentials. But they may not be aware of what’s causing climate change and severe weather.
Increasing the poor’s environmental awareness will not just benefit their communities, but also their health. After all, a healthy environment leads to healthy people. By teaching them how to recycle, they can help reduce the amount of waste being dumped into the environment. It would consequently result in cleaner air and fresher waters.
But raising environmental awareness doesn’t happen overnight. Your organization should also consider encouraging local governments to implement policies about environmental conservation. Educate community leaders about green policies, sustainable development, and environmental issues such as global warming.
The United Nations include fighting poverty, hunger, and lack of food and water as essential in attaining sustainable development goals. Hence, combine your environmental awareness workshop with opportunities for extended learning. When the poor become more educated, they’d better understand the impacts of climate change and other environmental issues.
Hosting workshops may just be a small action, but a ripple can also result in a wave. Keep persevering in educating the poor, and you’d see the fruits of your efforts in time. Nothing is more fulfilling than seeing the ones you’ve helped grow into productive and brilliant members of society.
