Project Name:
Play for Your Education (Pilot Program 2022-2023)
Start Date: July/2022
End Date: April/2023
60 Empowered Girls and Young Women
The pilot program "Play for Your Education," running from mid-2022 to mid-2023, was implemented with the financial support of the Global Fund for Children (GFC). AMA Association developed and implemented its own open methodology, which, through play, sports, and skill transfer, strengthened leadership and life skills in girls and adolescents, aiming to prevent absenteeism, school dropout, and early pregnancies.
For over four years, the AMA Association has developed a methodology based on the use of sports and play as strategies for empowering girls, alongside the Personal Development and Professional Improvement Program (PACE) of the GAP Foundation.
This approach has highlighted the importance of sports and play in empowering girls and adolescents in various ways, including the prevention of early pregnancies, sexual violence, and school absenteeism and dropout.
In this context, the AMA Association implemented its own open methodology within the framework of the GFC's Collaboration to Educate All Children Totally (PEAK) program.
This methodology was further enhanced with the support of the graphic design school of the University of San Carlos de Guatemala. A student from this school helped create educational workbooks on the program's themes and infographics highlighting the importance of sports in developing life skills for girls and adolescents.
AMA Association now has methodological guides for thematic activities, sports, and play, as well as the aforementioned educational workbooks.
To achieve the project's objectives, the following activities were carried out:
Activities 2022-2023
24 interactive training sessions were conducted with the participation of 60 Maya Q'eqchí and mestizo girls and adolescents, aged 9 to 11 years, who are enrolled in third to fifth grades at the primary schools in the Las Tres Cruces and El Porvenir neighborhoods, Poptún, Petén.
12 sessions were held with girls and adolescents from each school, divided into four groups of 15 participants each (two groups per school). Each session lasted about five hours, with one hour for sports and four hours for thematic sessions on life skills.
The program aims for participants to strengthen their life skills and leadership through play and sports to prevent absenteeism and school dropout. The program is conducted in partnership with the educational community of the two participating schools, the Petén Department of Education, and GFC.
To support food security, the 60 participants received bags of food, and to promote menstrual health and hygiene, each received a hygiene kit.
Results Achieved 2022-2023
Interactive Training Sessions
60 Maya Q'eqchí and mestizo girls and adolescents, aged 9 to 11 years, attending third to fifth grade in the primary schools of Las Tres Cruces and El Porvenir neighborhoods, Poptún, Petén, are direct beneficiaries of the AMA Association.
The quantification of direct beneficiaries by AMA Association is based on attendance control systematizations carried out for each activity. These systematizations are conducted according to attendance lists.
Additionally, beneficiaries fill out a registration form, which includes information about the beneficiary, their educational level, emergency contact, and the activity they are participating in.
It's important to note that beneficiaries sign a commitment letter, in which they assume the responsibility of sharing the learned content with more girls, boys, and adolescents. This letter also grants AMA Association the authorization to use their photographs, images, and words.
Individuals are considered beneficiaries for the duration of their participation in a specific program or project..
- 415 students from the schools in El Porvenir and Las Tres Cruces neighborhoods, Poptún, Petén, have benefited from the implementation of the program in their respective schools.
Volunteering:
60 Maya Q'eqchí and mestizo girls and adolescents, aged 9 to 11 years, attending third to fifth grade in the primary schools of Las Tres Cruces and El Porvenir neighborhoods, Poptún, Petén, are direct beneficiaries of the AMA Association.
The implementation of the pilot program has demonstrated, through the development of activities, worksheets in the modules, and workbook, the progress that the girls have made during the thematic and sports sessions.
After systematizing the attendance lists and reviewing the final and initial statistics of the 2022 and 2023 educational cycles, it was confirmed that 98% of the participants continued in school and completed the program.
Furthermore, the pre and post-test questionnaires indicate that at the start of the program, the girls showed a 53.5% knowledge level in life skills and girls' rights through the pre-tests.
After completing the program, the results of the post-test show a 97.83% knowledge level regarding life skills and girls' rights. Additionally, there is a 97.7% recognition of the importance of sports as a tool for developing life skills.
Here are the average results for the Pre-Test and Post-Test in physical fitness: Pre-Test for Trunk Flexion had an average of -5.49, and the Post-Test had 5. Pre-Test for Trunk Extension had an average of 21.31, and the Post-Test had 30.09. Pre-Test for Abdominals had an average of 5.74, and the Post-Test had 13. Post-Test for Push-ups had 2.63, and the Post-Test had 7.79. Post-Test for Vertical Jump with Impulse had 9.86, and the Post-Test had 15.91. Post-Test for Slalom with and without a ball had 1.54, and the Post-Test had 3.01. Pre-Test for Dribbling with and without a ball had 1.22, and the Post-Test had 4.39.
The previous results yield an average of 5.28 in the Pre-Tests and 11.31 in the Post-Tests, indicating significant growth in sports skill development throughout the process.
The donor who funded this project
