Christel House Blog

Anything But “Typical”—a Teacher’s Reflection

2012-02-09T14:55:00.001-06:00

Sarah McVey, originally from Indiana, has moved for ayear to Bangalore to teach Special Education at Christel House India. Here aresome highlights from her most recent email to Christel House International:

December and January have brought new thoughts into just howprofoundly different my life is from "typical." In the beginning of2011, I was looking forward to finally being finished with my bachelor's degreeand being "on my own”.

But here I am in Bangalore India and I cannot think of aplace where I would get more satisfaction out of my job.

The relationships I've built at Christel House (and otherschools) are something I value more than anything else. For many, home is notalways a great place to be, and the toll it takes on some is trulyheartbreaking. It is, however, amazing to see the children acting like anyother kid. There are certainly cultural differences, but in many ways,"kids are kids," and they have proven the extreme resilience of thehuman spirit.

I worry about them everyday. My stomach twists and turns atthe thought of something happening to one of them, but they don't and cannotlive with fear, they go on. Generally, they are happy. They revel in getting arise out of their teachers and coming up with clever ways to play tricks oneach other. (I'd argue Indian kids are much more creative in their antics thanAmerican kids). I absolutely cannot get through a day without some studentputting a HUGE smile on my face. Be it a tiny little kindergartener skippinghappily through the corridors, or some cheeky 9th grader trying to write apoem. I revel in their joys and also in their sorrows. These kids are exactlywhy I'm here.

I even get choked up now (still 8 months from finishing my contract)thinking about when I will have to leave this place and these faces behind. Myexperience has definitely changed my outlook on career goals. One majorpriority will be finding ways to stay in contact with the amazing people hereand keeping tabs on my students--all of whom I want to succeed more thananything! I wish I could show them how far they could go because it's difficultfor them to see sometimes, but I know that at the very least this generationwill be active members of society.

Namaskara & வணக்கம்,xoxo

Sarah E. McVey

If you want to read more about Sarah’s experiences inIndia and at CHI, please visit her blog at: http://transplantind.wordpress.com/.

Look What I’ve Done, Ma’am

2012-01-16T08:28:00.000-06:00

by Shari Levitin
Shari Levitin is a longtime Christel House supporter who recently fulfilled a dream of visiting a Christel House learning center. She traveled to Christel House India in December, and she wrote about her experience for us!

My excitement to come to India was tempered by my anxiety at seeing the hopeless poverty. I was warned-- No matter how much a foreigner mentally prepares, it’s painful to experience. The Christel House was our first stop upon arriving in the bustling city of Bangalore: a safe haven for children from the slums. A place where kids from the poorest of families from the most impoverish conditions imaginable come to school.

“Look at my badge, Ma’am” says a wide-eyed little boy. “Look what I won today.” Swarms of children gather round us, chests out, heads held high. They had just completed a sports competition. My traveling companion, Lee, and I award the victorious in a grand ceremony. The pride, self esteem and feeling of accomplishment felt by this little boy permeates throughout Christel House.

I meet a young girl who shows me her drawings. “Look what we’ve done here, Ma’am.” I see a room filled with beautiful artwork: Colorful scenes of joy, fruit trees, animals. She presents a life size mural on the wall that the older kids drew. No hopelessness in sight. I meet a young man, the in-house videographer. He, too, is proud. He runs his own department.

Later, we meet a confident young women. She has been a student at Christel House for eight years. She is studying science. “I am going to University, then I am coming to America. I will visit you there, Ma’am.”

We try to leave. But the children hang on. “Look here.” “Look what I’ve done.” “See where I’m going?” “Will you stay, Ma’am? “

As I write this, I am flying over Mumbai looking at the miles of slums. The shacks, the dearth. I no longer feel a sense of hopelessness. One person can make a difference.

I might say to Christel Dehaan, “Look what you’ve done, Ma’am.”

Education, Hard Work and Full Hearts

2011-12-28T14:44:00.000-06:00

By Tracy Line

One of my responsibilities at Christel House was to writestudent success stories. I interviewedChristel House teachers, counselors and students. From this I learned that poverty is notpretty. Instead the stories of the poor haveillness, despair, hunger, need and death laced into the plot line. And when you know the characters are realpeople-you can’t help but be affected.

One student I interviewed survived being homeless and thenbecame an orphan. Still she managed towork, go to school and care for her younger sister. She is now in college. A mother I interviewed told me about takingthe early morning bus to Christel House each week before work. Here she met her child’s teacher, who taughther how to read. The mother wanted to beable to help her child with his homework. Another student lived in a neighborhood rife with crime. He was notallowed to play outside; his parents feared gang members would prey onhim. The stories are heart wrenching butbecause of Christel House, there is hope.

Students at Christel House overcome their obstacles not justthrough education, but also through the love and guidance of the Christel Housestaff. Teachers often work round theclock, helping students with their daily needs. Counselors work with the students’ entire families, giving them the lifeskills they need to improve their situations. Employees in Indianapolis work hard, reallyhard, to ensure enough funds come in, so that the students can be supportedin every way necessary.

The results from all this hard work are amazing. Children who once had nothing becomeproductive citizens with bright futures. Not to mention all the hearts along the way that have grown larger,having been touched by the good works of this wonderful organization.

We thank you, Traci, for reminding us of these touching stories of the Christel House kids. Our work is making a difference, one child at a time!

Christel House Overview Video

2011-12-23T11:42:00.001-06:00

Christel House is very gratefulto RCI and LenzWorks for producing this great video! I wish everyonecould visit a Christel House and see first-hand what our children areaccomplishing, but until you can do that, this video will give you a nice,visual tour! Enjoy!

A Daughter's Reflection

2011-12-20T14:41:00.001-06:00

Kirsten DeHaan, the daughter of our founder, recently returned from visiting Christel House South Africa. After her experience, she was inspired to write the following:

ChristelHouse - the modern day 'Out Of Africa'. As seen in the original 1985 movie,Meryl Streep plays the life of Karen Blixen, a Dane who is yearning for a newway of life. She decides to marry and become a Baroness. Then to escape it all,she and her husband purchase a plantation in Africa. The story continues withBlixen adapting to her old and new life, by endlessly taking on all the dutiesof running the plantation. As the movie progresses, you see Blixen's characterstrengthen by planting seeds, engineering and constructing new ways ofproduction, and personally forts off lions, all in the name of protecting andgrowing her plantation.

Thestory continues in many directions, but perhaps the most impressive componentis Blixen's determination to protect and educate the native people of herplantation. In her continual strive for betterment, Blixen has dialogues withthe tribal leader about teaching the native children how to read and write.After many attempts, she was successful. Blixen then builds a school for thechildren, and so begins the merging philosophies of tribal leader andplantation owner. Christel DeHaan and Karen Blixen share manycommonalities. They both refuse to be stereotyped and forge their own destinieswhile never giving up. Most importantly, they envision a future by plantingtheir own seeds in themselves and for others. As continually seen in thefilm, Blixen believed in furthering humanity. DeHaan shares the same view,fighting tirelessly as Blixen did against the status quo and for the right tolive, maintain and build for one's own future. To the modern day 'Out ofAfrica,' shall this story to live on.

From Indiana to India: A Teacher's Perspective

2011-12-01T12:47:00.001-06:00

by Sarah McVey

Sarah McVey, originally from Indiana, has moved to Bangalore to teach Special Education at Christel HouseIndia. She recently sent us an e-mail update about her time there thusfar. Here are some highlights from that letter:

I've had a great month and have settled into some routineshere. My life here is so different than I could have imagined and only now am Irealizing just how profoundly this experience is going to change my life. Yes,I'm aware that is a fairly cliché thing to say, but it’s beyond the truth. Theconnections I've made here, plus the awareness of myself, the culture I comefrom, and the culture I'm immersed in have all come together for me in the pastfour weeks and it’s quite unbelievable, actually.

Being invited into the home of an Indian colleague or friendis one of the most blessed and enjoyable experiences I've had and it's the samefor nearly every household. Rich or poor; Hindu, Christian, or Muslim…you WILLbe warmly welcomed and EXTREMELY well fed. The things I enjoy are the thingsthat can only be considered acceptable in India: eating on the floor with a largebanana leaf for a plate and not a single utensil except your HAND, or having anopen political/religious conversation which is rarely linked to emotions butrather can be discussed openly without feeling the other party is making apersonal attack…

I'm feeling more and more (as "I Feel Home" byO.A.R. comes onto my iPod) at home in India. Not that I'll want to stay foreverbut that my life won't be the same if I get back stateside and never return tomy darling India…

If you want to read more about Sarah’s experiences in Indiaand at CHI, please visit her blog at: http://transplantind.wordpress.com/.

WRTV's "Living Generously" profiles Christel DeHaan

2011-11-21T12:26:00.001-06:00

A great story from our friends at RTV6 (WRTV - Indianapolis) profilingChristel House founder, Christel DeHaan, in their series about women inIndianapolis who are "Living Generously."

http://www.theindychannel.com/video/29763379/index.html

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty...I have done it!

2011-11-08T23:00:00.007-06:00

My story is not very different from thousands of students who go to Christel House every year.

When I joined Christel House in Bangalore in the year 2001, I was excited about going to a school, making new friends, colorful classrooms, vivid lessons, learning life skills, very patient teachers and equally supportive parents. It gave me hope that I will not have to be a guard, like my father with a shoe string income of Rs. 3,500/- for a family of five of us. Every passing year, the determination to break the cycle of poverty grew stronger. I knew that Christel House had given all of us the ladder to leap out of the compromised environment in which we were born and raised all these years. We had to earn respect and this was our opportunity.

Ten years have passed. I have graduated with 66 other students from Christel House in June 2011. The school today has 916 students compared to 320 when it started in Bangalore.

Christel House hasn’t stopped mentoring us. We were the first to benefit from the Work Study Program that was launched around the same time as we were graduating this year. While some students have taken up further professional courses, Degree courses, Vocational training courses some have got into the corporate sector taking up respectable jobs.

I work with Transguard Group LLC in Dubai. While I am part of the procurement department (corporate service dealing with business units and the suppliers), Anil, another colleague from Christel House, is working with the property and logistics (transport and accommodation) team.

Thank you Christel House, management and staff. You gave me the formula to break the cycle of poverty....I have done it. I will continue to update you on my progress as it truly is Christel House's progress and success.

Vinodh Jagadeesh

Dreams Just Got Wings – Ocean of A Good Time for Christel House Students at Camp Royal in Goa

2011-10-20T00:23:00.012-05:00

September 18, 2011 – Christel House children set out for the ninth edition of Camp Royal, an outdoor fun and learning program created exclusively by our very special, John Spence, Chairman of the Karma Royal Group at Goa.

Chug - Chugging of the Vasco Express Train to Goa from Bangalore mimicked the heart beats of 155 students from Christel House grade 5 to 9. For the first time, this group was venturing out of their homes to the dream destination for their vacation - Goa. Paddy fields, water streams, farms, cattle on the way - suddenly these pictures leapt out of their textbooks and almost seemed like a movie, frame by frame.

Evening snacks and packed dinner together with their friends on the train - the excitement was palpable.

Once we hit the Royal Palms in Goa, the Resort Management and Volunteers extended ceremonial welcome to all their young guests ( and of course the teachers accompanying the group). Then, it was the knock out round between He-man, Bat-man, Superman and Spiderman – children were assigned to groups of these very powerful and iconic “men” for various activities through the day. Much song and dance wasn’t enough to celebrate this outing. The Magic show quite literally left everyone spell-bound.

And then the final icing on the cake for all this excitement- visit to the beach, the brush of the golden sand and crystal blue waters invited almost everyone instantly. Quite a day for all of us.

A heartfelt thanks and 310 hugs from the 155 for Karma Royal Group Management and the Volunteers for an Ocean of a good time in Goa at Camp Royal.

We left Camp Royal with love, affection, learnings and yearnings for more. We will be back next year…I am sure.

Mural Graffiti

2011-10-18T02:00:00.007-05:00

Writing on the Wall in Cable & Wireless Cafeteria - Support Christel House in Breaking the Cycle of Hunger and Poverty.

Well almost literally - except that Christel House delivers this mission and message with much grace and dignity. This time it was through a special mural - "Tree Of Knowledge - a delicate piece of art painted by 17 students from Christel House India, Bangalore.

The mural portrays the wonders of nature and traces its patterns to human development. A tree with its feet grounded in Earth and yet spreading out its branches in its quest for growth. Myriad colors depicting childlike playfulness and hope for a better future. A powerful reminder to all those wanting to make a difference and enhancing lives.

The Wall was inaugurated by the most befitting executive of Cable & Wireless - John Pluthero- Worldwide Chairman of Cable & Wireless and Trustee of the recently launched Cable & Wireless Foundation for its community outreach.

The inspiring leadership and guidance of Dhanaraj Keezhara, Christel House India's visual media teacher, brought out the best for this special installation at Cable & Wireless.

Sustain Christel House by becoming a monthly donor

2011-09-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

Did you know that you can support Christel House by scheduling a monthly donation using your credit card?

Naomi Orsay, from St. Louis, Missouri, is one of our monthly donors. “I feel very strongly that we can change the world by providing impoverished children with high quality education,” Naomi saya. “After researching numerous organizations through Charity Navigator, I selected Christel House as one of my top five because of its mission and commitment to deploying 100% of my gifts to programs and services for children in the US and around the world.”

Orsay, who is also a volunteer literacy tutor in the St. Louis school system, continues, “It’s important for me to give back in multiple ways including contributing to the causes that are closest to my heart. Setting up an automatic monthly gift to Christel House using my credit card was simple and children around the world benefit immediately from my gifts. Monthly giving is definitely a ‘win-win.’

Set up your recurring donation today!

CH India Music Video: I love going to school!

2011-09-21T08:25:00.001-05:00

Many kids will do almost anything to skip school. Not the students at Christel House India. They love their teachers and classes so much they made a music video! Check it out:

Sunny and a high of 72 degrees

2011-09-14T10:36:00.004-05:00

That's the forecast for the the third annual Braking the Cycle ride to be held this Saturday, September 17, 2011 in Indianapolis, IN. This 100-mile police-escorted ride takes you from Christel House Academy in Indianapolis through scenic Brown County, Indiana and all of the proceeds benefit our students around the world.

New this year, participants can enter their bikes in our motorcycle show on the day of the event for $25. Award plaques will be given in the following categories: Best Cruisers (Male and Female); Best Sports (Male and Female) and Best Choppers (Male and Female).

Online registration is still open. For just $35/single and $50/couple*, you can ride for a great cause AND receive breakfast, lunch and a t-shirt!

Award plaques will be given to the largest motorcycle club in attendance, the largest women’s motorcycle club in attendance and the club or person who traveled the farthest to ride.

We hope to see you there!

*Register a group of 5 riders at the same time and enjoy a $5 discount for each single or $10 discount for each double you register. Call 317-464-2378 to secure your group discount.

This boat will not rock! Christel House creativity impresses visiting volunteers from Dell India

2011-09-06T02:28:00.007-05:00

Teaching individuals how to swim and tide over choppy waters is not just a metaphor used by Christel DeHaan when describing the grand mission of Christel House – it was creative reality displayed by the students of Christel House in Bangalore.

Last week, volunteers visiting the school from Dell, as part of the Dell Youth Connect grant, left the campus mesmerized. The occasion was the term presentation on a topic – this time Boats – using an interdisciplinary approach. From power point presentations to 3D models, from greeting cards to musical anthems, subjects like Physics, Maths, Computer Sciences, Art, Music and Languages came alive in a spectacular display put together by 5^th to 9^th graders.

In this day and age of communication, the ability to present one’s point of view effectively makes the winning difference. Christel House, with its out of box teaching initiatives, is surely sailing in the right direction.

Christel House Venezuela Alumni at the OAS

2011-08-31T10:24:00.000-05:00

Maryari J. Contreras Nelcha, an alumna of Christel House Venezuela, is a student of International Studies at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). She was chosen along with 9 other students to represent the country and the UCV in the Washington Model Organization of American States (WMOAS) on April 2012.

This annual event takes place at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington DC from March 29 to April 2, 2012. This model simulates the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) which runs and counts the participation of some of the most prestigious universities. WMOAS offers all participants the opportunity to understand the work done in the OAS. All participants work to propose resolutions for a variety of situations such as regional conflicts, peacekeeping, human rights, women and children, social role and responsibility of private companies, economic development, and the environment.

Representing an entire country: The Central University of Venezuela is the only Venezuelan college that participates in this model. Being part of the UCV delegation not only emphasizes the importance of cooperation, leadership, responsibility, and commitment in all its members

This is not the first time Maryari participated in a cultural exchange; she was selected in 2007 by the Partners of the Americas Organization, through its program Youth Ambassador of the Americas. She had the opportunity to travel to the USA and talk about the importance of better life for the habitats of other countries in the region through volunteer work

Christel House Correspondence

2011-08-24T10:17:00.002-05:00

We love hearing from Christel House students and alumni. Ms. DeHaan recently received this note from Celida, a graduate of Christel House Mexico, and we wanted to share it with you.

The Final Graduation in Venezuela

2011-08-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

On July 28, Christel House Venezuela’s sixth and final graduating class celebrated their achievements by tossing their beige uniform shirts in the air—a school tradition. This is the sixth consecutive year every senior has graduated. Of the 51 graduates, 25 have already been accepted to universities and 13 have already been placed in internships

Frangelis Colina, one of the graduates, spoke at the ceremony:

"Ms. Christel, We want you to know that you have given us the best kept secret in La Vega, a gift that goes beyond the material things. A comprehensive and human education which has been complemented by strong values. Values such as respect, responsibility, love, unity, integrity, independence and solidarity that make us grow as a person. A home where every day work is done for growth and welfare of those who are part of it. In that absolutely everyone (teachers, psychologists, administrators, kitchen staff, ...) show heart, commitment and passion for us to become successful professionals, a people of integrity. You were always giving us a helping hand. Always with the aim of ensuring that each of us has the same opportunities to grow, to develop and to have access where nobody of our social condition possibly could have. All of us have the opportunity to choose from three university careers thanks to the education we have received, to travel to other countries without the barrier of the language, to represent La Vega in math and language skill contests and get first place, this year the average in math 5th grade more than 15 points, when the national average does not exceed ten points, is not achieved in the overnight, you get it in a 24 hours struggling day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, over 4,000 days since the foundation opened in 2001."

All of these graduates have bright futures, and Christel House will continue to provide work-study support for them through a partnership with Fe Y Alegria. Congratulations!

Aim for Bulls Eye - Target team's mantra to Christel House India

2011-08-04T01:46:00.012-05:00

It's not every day that a team of 30 volunteers from one of the world's best rated companies for its work culture and innovation by Business Week, Forbes etc, make it to the Christel House Learning Center for a career counseling session for the Grade 12 students. Worldwide Target contributes a whopping USD 3 million every week to the communities that it serves. What started as in 1946 is now a Social Responsibility norm. Impressive.

Target is no stranger to Christel House, for it whole heartedly supports the mission of transforming lives. To this end, employees from the India office of Target Corporation shared their experiences and knowledge of emerging opportunities for students from the commerce and science disciplines. They counseled the students to identify relevant courses, options for colleges and then hit the bulls eye with great academic scores. This was no less a corporate motivation session with Christel House students as budding executives, learning early the importance of goal-setting, daring convention and being passionate to shift the paradigm.

Corporate sustainability being integral to Target's business philosophy, the employees left a green impression and literally so by planting trees in the Christel House campus. They made it a point to make this session just as engaging and innovative by sharing a presentation about global warming / environment and an art session inviting posters about environment from the group.

In true Target style, this was an intellectual value add.

ING Orange School and Christel House Mexico: An Enriching Experience

2011-08-03T14:40:00.000-05:00

Since 2008, employees of ING in Mexico, the U.S, The Netherlands, Peru, and Chile have exchanged e-mails with Christel House Mexico students as a part of the ING Orange School program. By answering questions, these virtual volunteers help the Mexico students polish their English skills. Yalin Cacho is the Subdirector of ING Social Responsibility for Mexico and Latin America. She writes:

When we started Orange School, three years ago, neither ING or Christel House Mexico imagined the impact and success that this program would have.

This program has not only helped CH students to better their English speaking and writing skills, but it has also been very useful for them to know people from different countries, cultures and ideas. It enriches immensely not only the students but ING Tutors as well.

For ING staff in México, Chile, Peru, USA and the Netherlands that participate in this program, this has been a wonderful opportunity for them to contribute a grain of sand to these children´s educations---not to mention the impact of knowing Christel House Mexico children in reality, has been really overwhelming.

I have to recognize both teams, ING and Christel House Mexico, because it is through them that this program has become such a success.

I recognize the English Coordinator and Teacher, Vanessa and Miss Linda also, English Secondary teacher. Without their strict follow up and guidance this would not have been possible either. Cristina Compeán has also been a key element in this program, she always believed and supported the program, and her prompt solving of any issue has also made this program very successful.

I also have to mention and applaud ING México Social Responsibility team, especially Alejandra and Gisela, thank you all!!!!

Together we have built a great team and hope to continue working towards the benefit of our incredible Christel House México Children.

Local Artist helps Christel House Academy students create a work of art

2011-07-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

Joani Rothenberg is an Indianapolis artist who helped Christel House Academy students create a mural during art camp this summer. More about the artist and her work can be found at http://www.artbyjoani.com/ Joani writes:

After spending two weeks with the art camp at Christel House, Yael and I were left with many wonderful memories and a rekindled passion for working with children. We came to the school with paints, brushes, panels and several lesson plans. We left the hard work of content and design of the painting to the kids.

They were told about being commissioned by the Indianapolis Art Center for a large mural, and we were told that it needed to be completed in two weeks. After sharing pictures of how the children from other Christel House schools operate, they decided not only to have the mural feature all of the schools but also to join them by roads, sky and --- most importantly --- a shared passion for education.

The project opened their minds to how the WPA projects during the Great Depression are relevant to our lives today. They wanted to create a mural that brought hope and connection to their school. Every day the kids learned more and more how to work together. The first day we applied a coat of primer onto the boards. The students were well aware of how much painting time they were given.

The last day of painting I noticed that the kids learned how to respect the painting as a whole and were much more thoughtful and patient with adding their images. We were not only privileged to work with the children of the art camp but we were also honored to share the space with the art teacher, Gessica Mathis and Courtney. They were incredibly supportive of the project and helped us move quickly past the stumbling blocks and into a supportive and safe space that fostered creativity and balance throughout the entire two weeks. It was a true partnership.

During the dedication ceremony we were able to Skype with one of the schools from India. This experience allowed the children to communicate their ideas behind the mural and also state how it helped them build community and hope within the school setting. This experience reinforced the power of art to the campers as well as how appreciative the community at large is of their contribution.

Another Successful Christel House Open

2011-07-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

The 9th Annual RCI Christel House Open was a great success! Geoff Balloti, CEO of RCI gave a motivational speech to start the participant’s day off. The golfers then enjoyed the beautiful golf course of Prairie View Golf Club, with refreshments and snacks along the way.

Three Christel House students, the principal of Christel House Academy, and Christel DeHaan joined in on the festivities for the day. The students rode around in golf carts, said hello to golfers, and even tried putting a few shots on the greens with the players.

A longest drive, closest to the pin, and a putting contest were the main attractions for the day in which the players could participate, and there were many different prizes that were given out periodically throughout the day. Nearly 1,800 golfers teed off from 17 tournament sites spanning 6 countries this year.

The Open included tournament sites in:

United States:
Boonville, NY
Breckenridge, CO
Carmel, IN
Daytona Beach, FL
Kissimmee, FL
Gatlinburg, TN
Myrtle Beach, SC
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Scottsdale, AZ
Shenandoah, VA
Vista, CA
Williamsburg, VA

International:
Bangalore, India
Cape Town, South Africa
Mexico City, Mexico
London, England

We thank the players, volunteers, and sponsors and for making this year’s tournament a fantastic success! We would like to give a special thanks to our Title Sponsor RCI, and Global Sponsors ARDA, Bluegreen Corporation, Convergys, FedEx, Harding Horman Group, NorthernTrust, Perspective Magazine, and Wyndham vacation ownership. Together, we're making a world of difference.

For more on the event and how you can get involved next year, visit our tournament website http://www.chopen.org/cho2008/!

For regular updates going forward, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Guest Blog: Paul Baker's visit to Christel House South Africa

2011-07-08T10:15:00.004-05:00

Introduction: Paul Baker is Director of Educational Innovation at Perse School, Cambridge, U.K.

Paul visited Christel House SA to establish a collaboration between Perse, a prestigious private school in the United Kingdom, and Christel House South Africa. The Perse partnership will focus on helping CHSA teachers improve math teaching methodology and better use technology in the classroom. It will also provide service learning experiences for Perse students.

On Monday I arrived back from visiting Christel House School in Cape Town, South Africa. This is one of six of their charitable independent schools around the world located by deprived areas with the express aim of helping children escape poverty through education. This two-week visit, during which I assisted with a review of maths teaching and ICT, was facilitated by Dr Ron Haylock, a governor of Perse School, U.K., who is also on the Christel House governing body.

The 750 children aged 5-18 are carefully chosen from the surrounding, most deprived townships; the criteria for entry unlike any other school: the children must be the poorest of the poor. Evidence of even the slightest wealth (perhaps a music player in their corrugated iron shacks) is enough to rule the family out of contention for a coveted place.

From these desperately poor beginnings with children who cross the academic spectrum, the school provides everything needed to flourish: free uniform, stationary, sport equipment, a cooked meal, a fruit snack and most importantly a high-class education with the power to change their lives for ever.

The first thing to strike me was just how grateful and focused the pupils were. In their smart uniforms, worn correctly, their enthusiastic contributions to lessons and their big smiles you can see how keen they are to grab with two hands this wonderful opportunity.

From their home environments many children come to the school with problems and the school is committed to meeting those needs with two on-site social workers and a nurse. Monday not Friday is their hardest teaching day as pupils return with the weekend events on their shoulders. Few pupils can study at home and so the upper school teachers stay late on a rota to 10:30pm.

Visiting the home of one pupil, I saw first hand a tiny shack with one small sleeping area for the boys and nothing to keep them warm apart from the coal fire setup each evening.

From these desperate conditions Christel House is doing something wonderful. Last year: 98% attendance, 99% retention and 100% of the final year students passing matriculation compared with only 68% nationally. Two-thirds of the class met the requirements for admission onto degrees.

Despite on-going cash from the foundation and support from large companies such as Dell, the school needs to become financially independent over the next 5 years to allow the foundation to start another school. This is no easy target and the school needs many more fund-raising partnerships. Perse school is establishing a long term relationship with Christel House to raise funds and to mutually benefit each other through exchange of culture and training.

Half the school’s retiring collection from its 2011 graduating class went to Christel House to help purchase interactive smart boards for the younger grades, a request from every one of the reception and grade one teachers that I met.

Two of my most treasured souvenirs from this trip are from Christel House. One is a carving of Africa presented to me as a leaving present by the staff, which will find a proud place on my wall. But this was trumped by a Father’s Day card made for me by Mbali Koetlo, grade 1. Many children in Christel House won’t have a present father figure for reasons of remote work, prison, separation or early death. I was very touched when Mbali brought it to me on the day I left, since I was away from my own children on Father’s Day. I will treasure it for ever along with my memories of this most inspiring of schools.

Angel and Zakeer arrive in Indianapolis from Christel House India

2011-06-29T15:17:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, June 21st, Angel and Zakeer arrived at Indianapolis airport from Christel House India. They will attend the Culver Academy Camp for the third year in a row and both will be graduating from the Academy later this year.

Angel and Zakeer write:

“We were really excited to come back to the United States for the third time. We couldn’t wait to get here and see everyone. We started our adventurous journey from Bangalore. We had to change three flights to get to Indianapolis. They were Bangalore to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Chicago, and Chicago to Indianapolis.

“The Bangalore to Frankfurt flight was 8 hours long. We watched movies and slept a little. We crossed some security check and reached our gate. There was an interesting person from India who was a priest. His name is Govindu. He introduced himself and we told him all about Christel House. We were with him for about two hours.

“Then we had to board our flight to Chicago. Then we went through customs which took us about an hour. After clearing customs we took a train to go to the terminal. We waited there for about two to three hours and we walked around the airport for a while. Out boarding time was 7:45 and it was already 7:55. We asked somebody when the boarding would start and we were shocked when they told us our flight to Indianapolis was cancelled due to mechanical operations. Later, we went to the United customs service and they got us on standby for the next flight.

“We were terribly hungry and we got something to eat, that was when we met Kari. She was great and let us have her cell phone. We then sent a message to Mandi on Facebook. She called us back and talked to an agent from United customs service. The lady put us on another flight to Indianapolis at midnight. We were so excited once we got on the flight.”

Hop, Skip and JumpStart at Christel House Academy

2011-06-20T13:22:00.003-05:00

Christel House Academy’s incoming kindergarteners are getting a head start for a successful first year of school thanks to a grant from the Junior League of Indianapolis. During the four-week JumpStart program, early childhood educators prepare students for the expectations of full-day Kindergarten.

“Many of our incoming children lack the skills needed to do kindergarten work,” says Principal Carey Dahncke. “This JumpStart gives them a solid foundation for learning.”

Each day, students identify and practice the alphabet and numbers up to 10, learn to write their first name, become familiar with simple shapes and colors and learn to successfully separate from their family members. Students receive breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack and also participate in recess and special offerings including Spanish, PE, music and art.

The Junior League of Indianapolis recently chose to focus their grants and volunteer efforts on improving reading skills in pre-school through elementary-age children. This grant is a part of that effort. “Our League members chose to focus on reading because we felt it would have an immediate and lasting impact in the lives of the children served, as well as the Indianapolis community,” said outgoing JLI President, Cece Gerdenich. “The Christel House Academy’s JumpStart program was a great fit for our new focus.”

Christel House Academy

Junior League of Indianapolis

Christel House Academy 8th Graders Camptown

2011-06-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

On May 9^th through May 13^th in Big South Fork, Tennessee, 24 Christel House students, four Christel House Academy staff members, and four Camptown staff members, enjoyed the annual four day backpacking and whitewater rafting trip.

Many of these children have not gone outside of the Indianapolis area, let alone their own neighborhoods. This trip allowed for them to see opportunities for themselves outside of their comfort zone, and to teach them how to work independently.

During the students’ fourth quarter, they learned how to provide and rely on themselves to survive in the wild. The training also provided safety tips, which students used throughout their time at Camptown.

Camptown staff worked with Mrs. Selle, a teacher at Christel House Academy, to set-up student training in the following areas: menu planning, packing, and trek trips (map reading). Camptown and Mrs. Selle also helped create a student journal for students to record their experiences and lessons they learned throughout the week.

Reflections were filled out daily that discussed different highlights, and how they could relate a specific skill that they learned at Camptown to their own home life. One Christel House student wrote,

“I was challenged by having to walk so far with the heavy bags and having to cook our own food. I accomplished a lot; I finished the walk and was able to cook my own food. I learned that not everything is easy. I learned that we need other people and those people need to be treated with respect.”

8th graders that remained at Christel House Academy for the week worked on planning their own imaginary road trip that was similar to Camptown. The imaginary trip gave students something to strive for once they finished their education at Christel House. This journey that students planned out for themselves shows them that opportunities exist beyond their backyard.