We’re expanding!

By Nicole Schouela

Stand Tall opens again in January after a long hiatus of two years. The closure hasn’t been easy but it has given us the opportunity to plan for some big changes. First and foremost, we’re adding two new classes, Grades 1 and 2, with grade 3 coming in 2023. Going from a middle school to a full elementary school has been a long held dream. Stand Tall uses a child centred learning philosophy and encourages its students to participate fully in their learning experience. With the inclusion of the early years, the youngest children will be exposed to this dynamic learning model from the get-go, when their minds are the most receptive to adopting critical thinking skills.

Along with the expansion of classes, we’ve built a fully equipped stand alone bakery building made possible by a generous donation. The bakery will provide our main vocational component and incorporate skills training in baking, packaging and marketing. It’s a big step up from using our dining area as a prep centre and cooking outside in a makeshift oven, but even with those limited resources, the products produced were excellent and the children viewed baking class as the highlight of the week. Learning a skill is invaluable in a country where jobs are scarce and earning money requires an entrepreneurial mindset.