Over the last couple of weeks we've been working to get CBS online. CBS has been online for years and is mentioned on dozens of sites around the internet, but we want to get CBS truly online. Like, modern social networking online. And it's been a big project.
We so want CBS to have the international publicity and support that the school truly needs. Spearheaded by Liz, we have re-evaluated our Facebook page, re-established our Twitter, and created an Instagram account. We are currently working on redesigning the school website and have also launched a volunteer blog. Paperwork to become a non-profit organization is in the works as of several months ago. And all this week, footage is being shot for a documentary about our school, to be entered in film festivals and shared on the internet.
It's a huge endeavor. And Liz has poured everything into it. Sometimes I can't remember why we are trying so hard. We're already donating our time, not to mention our savings, to teaching these children. The thing is, as volunteers, we all actually believe in Cofradía Bilingual School. We know the potential of the students, the volunteers, and the school, if only there were enough support. CBS does not have any international reputation. We are constantly trying to reach out and recruit volunteers because securing a full team for an entire year doesn't generally happen - we just don't have enough applicants or enough connections.
As volunteers, we teach our children to the best of our abilities. We give them everything we know how to give and hope that they'll get something from it. But we want to do more than that. Every volunteer here is reluctant to leave at some point, never knowing how strong the next team of volunteers will be and whether or not things will slip downhill.
The fact of the matter is, from all outside appearances, the school is a mess. None of the toilets flush and finding toilet paper is never a given. The principal doesn't have much idea what he's doing. New students enter the school at completely varying educational levels. One of the Honduran teachers does not know how to make copies. There's a water-damaged library in a corner that I did not know even existed until today. The walls between classrooms don't reach the ceilings. And the school can't fire the strange night guard because whenever they've tried to do so, things have started disappearing from school property until the moment he's re-hired.
Coming here, I knew this was what I could expect.
What I did not know was how functional that mess has become. The volunteers are the heart of the school. Amanda, the volunteer coordinator, holds everything together. The volunteers are creating both a school and an environment where kids can really learn in an incredible international and multicultural way. And with all that we have to work with, it is completely and utterly impressive that our school functions with the efficiency that it does.
That's why we are trying so hard to get CBS established on social networks. CBS has been around for seventeen years. Because each of us is aware that we won't be at the school forever, we want to feel some assurance that it will continue to function successfully without us. We are a part of the school and the community, and we can't just leave that be. We want to do everything in our power to help the school into a more sustainable position, with an increased capacity to help students and their families.
That's why we've posted class photos and teacher bios of each volunteer to the school Facebook page. That's why the Instagram account is now filled with pictures of adorable children, the school soccer team, and great teaching moments. The Twitter contains all sorts of quick school updates. We have written extensive volunteer bios for the new website, which is being sketched out by hand, while profile photos of each volunteer are taken. Our volunteer blog will be updated at least once weekly, with posts written by all of our volunteers here, regarding school happenings, life in Cofradía, and volunteer reflection. Our second blog post, published today, was written by me. And to top everything off, Liz's brother, a film-maker, arrived on Saturday to shoot footage for a documentary about CBS.
We just want to share this thing that we believe in with others. And by sharing our school with others and growing our community, we hope to strengthen our school. While we also hope to launch a fundraiser for the school later this year, we aren't there yet, especially with social media.
So this blog post, dedicated to explaining our efforts, has two intentions. I'm writing this to process what the school has come to mean to me right now. I'm also writing this because of how real these efforts feel - I truly do feel like growing our support will make a difference for the students. And that's something I hope we'll become really proud of.
If you are at all interested in checking out our networking:
Website: cofradiaschool.com
Facebook: Cofradía's Bilingual School
Twitter: @cofradia_CBS
Instagram: cofradia_CBS
Volunteer blog: volunteertoteach.com
So. That's what I've been up to.
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