A valuable investment: to educate 1300 children to build a better world

A great educational work of a small group of committed lay persons: The Institute Jose Manuel Estrada in City Bell, Argentina, member of the "Circle of Kentenich Schools" of the Joseph Kentenich Center of Pedagogy, in Argentina

El Instituto de Educación "José Manuel Estrada" en City Bell... The "José Manuel Estrada Insitute" in City Bell... Die "José Manuel Estrada"-Schule in City Bell…
… miembro del "Circulo de Colegios Kentenijianos"... ...member of the "Kentenich School Assosciation"… …Mitglied im "Arbeitskreis Kentenich-Schulen"...
... a cargo de la educación de 1300 alumnos y las 800 familias de donde proceden ... in charge of the education of 1,300 students and the 800 families from where they come …verantwortliche für die Erziehung und Bildung von 1300 Schülern und ihrer Herkunftsfamilien
Ermita de la Mater Wayside Shrine of the Blessed Mother on the school grounds Bildstock der Gottesmutter von Schönstatt auf dem Schulgelände
La visión: educar el hombre nuevo The vision: educate the new man in the new community Die Vision: ganzheitliche Erziehung eines neues Menschen in neuer Gemeinschaft Fotos: Martino © 2004

ARGENTINA,Daniel Martino/mfk. This work depends on the active participation of the Blessed Mother. This is the response to the spontaneous question that arises when the growth of thirteen years is seen in City Bell, in the Jose Manuel Estrada Institute, a school that not only teaches, but educates, a young generation, who receives the tools to change the present day reality of their country towards a new order in society, is educated. "It is incredible that with so few economic and human means She has decided to help us so much. The fruitfulness and richness can only be explained by the Covenant of Love", explains the president of the Jose Manuel Estrada Foundation. "For a small group of committed Schoenstatt lay persons, to be here in charge of the education 1300 students from 800 families, during thirteen years of work, and with 90% of the students that are promoted continue on to the University and become professionals, is impossible or unthinkable if She were not present. The thinking and life of our Father enlightens us.

City Bell is located in an area about 15 minutes from the city of La Plata, Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and 40 minutes from the city of Buenos Aires. It has 1300 students from 800 families, and its objective is no more or no less than to create a new world through education.

In 1991 of Schoenstatt couples (who belong to the League, Federation and Institute) bought a school of 400 students located in City Bell.

"We did it with the conviction of realizing an apostolic work in the meaning of Schoenstatt. We signed our papers (we are a non-govermental organization, a non-profit Foundation) and we launched a task to educate according to Father Kentenich's pedagogy. We did not have enough resources, but the Blessed Mother arranged it so that we were able to pay it completely without any major problems" they relate.

A school where Father Kentenich's pedagogy is applied

The school, that they bought, the Jose Manuel Estrada Institute of City Bell, was founded in 1956. (N.d.R. Jose Manuel Estrada was a model Catholic educator). It began with the bold commitment of five very young teachers, who decided to dedicate their educational talent and their commitment to the evangelization of the culture, by starting a school. In this way, they formed an institution of a high academic level and Catholic formation in the community of City Bell. To continue this work, loyal to the beginnings that inspired its creation, in 1990, the Foundation of Jose Manuel Estrada was constituted, that with the original contribution of Father Kentenich's pedagogy, it proposes to deepen the genuine aspirations of the school, trying to give a response to the present day needs and priorities of the students and of the community.

In Ocober 18, 1991 the school was acquired and the life of the Foundation began formally, in which 17 couples of the Family Work: League, Federation, and Institute, participated. Thirteen years after that event five couples remain in charge of the Foundation (one from the Apostolic League, two from the Apostolic Federation, and two from the Institute of Schoenstatt Families). The project was expanded and the application of Father Kentenich's pedagogy has given substantial steps.

Growth in the students and families

The trust of the community of City Bell in the institution grows and the population of that community also grows. Therefore, the educational service that reached four hundred students and one hundred fify families in 1990,has expanded to one thousand three hundred students and eight hundred families.

Growth in Buildungs

With the real resources of the school (dues paid by the families) and the help of credit, the infrastructure was expanded by acquiring two new headquarters.

However, because of the critical situation in the country, the improverishment of the middle class, the suspension of credit, and the devaluation of the currency, the infrastructure is in need of a functional operation and minimum equipment to carry out the educational project.

Growth in educational plan

To satisfy the growing needs of the student body, to form the orginality of the educational modality, to promote the school that this pedagogy requires, has made it indispensable to increase the number and the quality of the teaching and auxiliary personnel, and additionally obtaining a qualified and permanent system of contributions. Personalized education, the pedagogy of bonding or ties, and paternal involvement in each process of growth, are challenges that cannot be resolved in broad structures without the risk of falling into serial education or in a contradictory anonymous institution.

Pillars of the educational proposal

The organism of ties is the axis of growth: according to the cosmovision that inspires the thinking and the institutional educational project man is perceived as an organism composed of intelligence, affectability, spirit and will. The harmonious development of these potentials and the growing capacity to generate and to maintain personal ties (with other persons, with oneself, with things, and with God), favors its maturity and it gives happiness.

The autonomous personality is the great challenge: to learn to think, reason, decide and carry out decisions in a personal and independent way, are the best avenues to grow in freedom, to assume protaganism, to generate a way of life.

Process of autonomous reasoning:

1. That the student learn how to make decisions
2. That the decisions they make are based on values
3. That the student adopt a critical attitude in regard to mass communications
4. That the student reflect on his life and his objectives of life

A person of solidarity is the great project.

It is to form the whole person. It is the I functioning as we and the launching toward constructing the common good.

Process of education for the commitment

1. That the student discover the value of participating in a social life
2. That the student awaken an attitude of solidarity
3. That the student exercise solidarity in concrete actions

This plan includes especially the organization of solidarity workshops outside the institutional sphere, in response to the needs of other Institutions in the community (school support, parish soup kitchens, libraries for the blind. Parish charities, workshops to develop educational material) and also service activities within the levels of the establishment. (Ex. Theater group for the third cycle of the beginning level, choir for liturgical celebrations of other levels, camp leaders for the Polimodal level for the level of General Basic Education 1 and 2).

Process of education in respect and value of others:

1. That the student learn to live democratically
2. That the student obtain a sound training in participation and organization

A Christian child of God, allied with Mary and brother of mankind

It is the profile of the new man announced in the Gospel, that sustains this project. The evangelical mission of the Estrada Institute subscribes to a concrete religious pedagogy, that not only endeavors to transmit and to teach the essential contents of Christian Doctrine, but it endeavors to awaken and to animate in all the members of the educational community, a vital experience of faith. As, "a vital experience of faith" we understant the personal and communitarian process, that permits each one to attain a higher level of knowledge of God and the supernatural reality, to take a new step in the personal insertion into Jesus Christ through the close and growing ties with the Blessed Mother, to deepen a life style rooted in the values of the Gospel and to increase the consciousness of apostolic and missionary responsibility in the building of society.

We have a fantastic challenge since education is a permanent question and a very important demand

The enthusiasm of the Foundation couples is impressive. They believe in the possibility of education; simply that and nothing more. More than one hundred fifty persons work with enthusiasm and strength in the school. " It is obvious that the Blessed Mother has installed herself in the heart itself of our educational project," says the president of the Foundation. She is only concerned about the state of the facilities. "We lack resources" is the simple response. But it is nothing that will impede us: "We have a fantastic challenge since education is a permanent question and a very important demand."

To function dynamically, where the movement of the student body does not obstruct regular activity, and where all types of communitarian activities can be developed with the families and the teachers, we must face the incorporation of our own facilities to the Institute, that will permit independence from leasing facilities of other institutions of the community.

The facilities are out of date and in need of enlarging. The kindergarten needs to be increased by an additional 255 square meters, to provide for the number of students and to be able to gather them in a single building since at present they are in two different places. This needs to be done in December of this year.

The primary level, called General Basic Education, requires a very important governmental restructuring that is projected to be addressed in December of 2005 (230 square meters to repair). The secondary level (called Polimodal) needs to build one more classroom in December of this year (40square meters ). This represents a total of 525 square meters and tied to the cost of construction that reaches 345 dollars per meter, it comes to a total investment of 181,000 dollars.

During the coming years, we plan to acquire the equipment for a field for sports. We also need an auditorium, a chapel and two oratories.

Whoever gives or donates something will do it for education

For now, they have a Wayside Shrine at each headquarters, "and from there the Blessed Mother helps and protects our students and their families.

We hope to develop workshops for parents and schools of prayers for families much more. There are also needs that we are unable to cover with regular income, for example, educational equipment that we care for and maintain, but that is obsolete."

They do what they can, but it is hard to have to concentrate on finances. "If, we are able to obtain economic support, we would be better able to work on the essential educational things, values, solidarity, creativity, critical thinking, in a religious atmosphere." With that kind of faith in Divine Providence, they say:

"From wherever, there should be persons from our family who are waiting for this opportunity..."

In the meantime, they continue working for the school and the 1,300 children that from here are learning to build a better world..."

Contact: Estudio Martino: estudiomartino@speedy.com.ar

Translation: Celina M Garza, Harlingen, Texas, USA