The
Agua Viva Children’s Home,
located in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, was established in 1976, following
the earthquake that killed nearly 20,000 people. Several missionaries
established a home to care of babies suffering from malnutrition. A
school was later established in 1987 to serve the children of the home
and the poor children from the surrounding neighborhoods. In June 2004,
the home reached a level of funding for a new school building that
enabled them to begin construction. The two-level school building was
completed in December 2005 and opened in February 2006. The school
serves approximately 200 children from the on-site facility and 200
children from the surrounding community.
The International School Psychology Practicum is a two credit hour
graduate seminar with a field-based component that takes place in
Guatemala. While the course is primarily geared toward school psychology
students, the instructor may make exceptions for advanced graduate
students from other programs. The focus of the practicum experiences is
on providing professional development seminars and intervention services
to teachers and students at the school. Teachers from surrounding
schools may also participate in the professional development seminars.
The practicum has, in the past, included guest lectures and
presentations from professionals and others in and around the IU
community who have traveled and/or worked in Guatemala. Students
enrolled in the practicum are fieldwork responsibilities that correspond
with their area of interest and expertise (e. g., literacy, mathematics,
social skills) and their demonstrated proficiency in the Spanish
language. All aspects of this practicum adhere strictly to APA and NASP
ethics standards as well as the International School Psychology
Association’s (ISPA) Code of Ethics.
If you are interested in learning more about, and/or applying to participate in the Guatemala practicum, please contact the Director of the AWCP, Rebecca Martinez (rsm <at> indiana.edu).
