El Salvador launches - Learning by Playing - project

For months students and community joined efforts to get the small school of El Palomar ready for the launching of the first of eight school play-centers that Plan and HSBC are creating in eight of the most poorly funded schools of El Salvador, as part of the "Learning by Playing" project. The main objective of the project is to promote a culture of peaceful coexistent and learning through the execution of recreational and fun activities at school, targeting children of six to 16 years old.

The launching event was attended by El Salvador’s Vice Minister of Education, the Mayor of San José Villanueva, community leaders and representatives of neighboring municipalities who joined the parents and children of El Palomar on this occasion.

More than 2,200 children and adolescents of eight low-income schools located in the departments of La Libertad, Cabañas and Chalatenango, will benefit from the "Learning by Playing" project, which aims to create safe environments where children can play, learn and explore their creativity with support and supervision of their teachers.

Each play-center will be equipped with games, toys, material, sports equipment, and the necessary resources to promote a participation programme for children, who will be able to join any of the eight "ludoclubs" created in each play-center to promote traditional games and group sports, including making of kite and puppets with recyclable materials; chess, checkers and other board games; ping-pong, bowling, soccer, as well as free-drawing, coloring and puzzle-solving games. Other activities such as mural paintings, art workshops and recreational festivals will be carried out throughout the duration of the project.

In his speech during the inauguration event, Plan’s Director said: "Games and children should be inseparable, because a child that doesn’t play loses the most powerful learning tool they could have in this period of their lives… Through games, our children learn to interact with their world, to work in teams, to share and respect the rights of others, even to think strategically and develop the physical and mental abilities that will allow them to reach their full potential". On the importance of the "Learning by Playing" project, the director added: "At the same time that these play-play centers stimulate creativity and harmonious coexistence, our children will also have safe spaces where they can play and enjoy their childhood, thus becoming happier and well-balanced children.

The "Learning by Playing" project is a clear example of the results that can be achieved when all sector of society join their efforts towards a common goal: to create a different world for our children, where they can reach their full potential in peaceful and harmonious environments based on the respect of people’s rights and dignity.

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March 10th 2011