[e-mail]

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LittleYellowSchoolHouse.org
cvonck_at_zeelandnet.nl
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HISTORY
The municipal government of Isla Mujeres in 1996
invited a group of women to get involved in the
community by assisting the local government with
social work on the island. Instead of
addressing the needs of the children, the initial
efforts were focused on the negative perception
created by these children roaming the streets.
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HISTORY
There were many children with disabilities
roaming the streets, selling chewing-gum, crafts
or begging. These children were being
exploited, having to earn a living to pay for
their own keep or help support their families.
Most of them did not attend school and did not
have a basic understanding of the
alphabet. Frequently their parents argued If
the children were not good for school, then they
have to learn to work.
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HISTORY
When investigating the causes as to why they did
not attend school, it was common to all that they
had learning disabilities. Some of them
repeated the same grade two to three times.
Eventually they were no longer accepted at any
school because the teachers said there was
nothing that can be done for them.
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HISTORY
The need for a place that specialized in the care
and teaching of children with special needs
became the main focus of this group. It was
imperative to create a space that would offer
these children a place to learn, a place to be
loved, a safe place, a place that would keep them
off the streets and beaches where they were
exposed to all sorts of dangers and abuse.
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HISTORY
In May 1996 two American families, Poellte and
Pearce offered to assist covering the cost of a
special education teacher for the children.
This pilot program received limited support
from the municipality. They granted access to a 6
by 12 foot room at Casa de la Cultura, with no
air conditioning, furniture, teaching materials
or equipment of any kind. In addition this
facility was very far from where the main
population lives. Ten children were part of the
pilot program.
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HISTORY
As news spread thru out the community more and
more cases of children with special needs were
identified. By the end of the first year there
were 35 children in the center and a second
teacher was hired. The Poellte and Pearce
families offered to cover the costs for one more
year. In 1998 Amor a la Niñez (love of the
childhood) became fully incorporated as a non
profit civil organization. With the combined
efforts of the municipality, the Navy and private
donors The Little Yellow School House is born.
The most populated and poorest area La Gloria,
where most of the cases reside on the island was
chosen for the school.
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HISTORY
The municipal authorities agreed to donate the
land where a center would be built, but after the
initial donation the municipality has not
supported The Little Yellow School House (LYSH)
in any consistent or substantial way. The
original center consisted of one classroom, a
bathroom and a small storage room. LYSH depends
entirely on the donations of private donors. The
school barely exists on these donations. It has
been extremely hard to grow and develop to its
full potential.
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LittleYellowSchoolHouse.org
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