September 2024 Newsletter – New Scholarships!
Education, the Foundation of Every Child’s Hope Our School is Thriving, So . . . We are dramatically expanding our scholarship program – thanks to you Our new sponsorship coordinator, Reina. Fun fact: she studied at COAR from 5th-9th grade. COAR did not have a high school until 1996, so after 9th grade, she left […]
September 2024 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
Executive Director’s Reflections Guest essay: Susan Dinehart [nee: Barnish], Programs Director A scholarship program affords students many opportunities. Of course, the basis of that is education. But at a school like COAR, which represents a cross-section of children from different backgrounds and different villages, students can learn so much more. One of the most important […]
September 2024 Memorials & Honoraries
Celebrating 44 years of love, family, and fidelity
COAR’s 44th Anniversary, Aug 15th Every anniversary year is another chance to show the kids how much love and support they have, from all of us, and from so many people who have gone before us. Joyful sacrifice, that is what they learn, and they live it – thanks to you. The celebration begins with […]
Self-Care and Care from Others
Health Care At COAR — Adapting to Some Special Circumstances Health care is a priority for COAR, of course. But we have the added challenge that comes with feminine health needs: not to re-traumatize girls who have been traumatized around their sexuality. Our staff helps the girls learn how to do self-exams and to deal […]
June 2024 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
Executive Director’s Reflections The Immortality of Youth I was struck by the two juxtapositions of youth in this newsletter: the exuberance and energy of the school intramural day and the sobering reminder that it is never too early to check for cancers. A project for our internos, the kids who live at COAR, highlighted especially […]
June 2024 Memorials & Honorary
May Day Intramural Day
Always a Procession We have featured many of the processions/parades (it is a blended concept) that occur at COAR every May: celebrating Jesus’ mother Mary (including the May Crowning, the feast days of Our Lady of Fatima, Mary the Mother of the Church, the Visitation), Mother’s Day (usually celebrated at COAR as Dia de la […]
Holy Week Rituals
Palm Sunday & Holy Thursday: The Last Supper Learning * Service * Humility * Compassion El Salvador is most famous for its Good Friday re-enactments of Jesus’ crucifixion, “the Living Stations of the Cross”. However, all of Holy Week is also celebrated. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when crowds threw palms down on the […]
March 2024 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
Executive Director’s Reflections Teaching Dignity, Pride, Compassion Can you imagine teaching a kid to do chores who has only everbeen forced to clean with beatings or abuse? Can you imagine how a child learnstenderness and compassion when any vulnerability was exploited, seen as aninvitation to abuse? Well, at COAR the ritual of Holy Thursday, the […]