Micaela Sicay

Project: Extra-Curricular, Pre-Vocational Classes for Real-World Application 

Quote: “Education is the engine to achieve development! It is important to prepare young people for life, with a focus on entrepreneurship, to reduce social and economic inequalities in communities. My contribution as a teacher is the opening to fair, equitable, and productive training opportunities.”

Favorite Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Favorite Activity: She likes weaving huipiles (mayan traditional blouses)

About: Not long after starting her degree in teaching, Micaela realized her passion for guiding and supporting students. Currently, Micaela is the primary school principal and teacher at Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Maya Tz’utujil and is a member of the Municipal Educators Association and Educators Union. Previously, Micaela worked for three years as the Coordinator of the Municipal Office for Women and collaborated to design and build the school that she currently oversees. 

Micaela is extremely concerned with the lack of secondary, higher education, and vocational school opportunities available for youth in her community and for this reason, she is willing to do what it takes to ensure that she is providing the best education possible for her students. To Micaela, being a ConnectED Fellow means identifying the needs within one’s community and searching for solutions. She believes that in order to overcome obstacles and be successful, everyone must work together. 

“Education is the engine to achieve development! It is important to prepare young people for life, with a focus on entrepreneurship, to reduce social and economic inequalities in communities. My contribution as a teacher is the opening to fair, equitable, and productive training opportunities.”

Problem: Students do not see the value of education and how it applies to the real world. Since students are lacking exposure to extra-curricular pre-vocational training courses, it is preventing them from connecting what they are learning in school to the real world. 

Solution: Micaela remodeled her school’s kitchen and created a garden space to hold locally relevant, extra-curricular, pre-vocational classes including cooking, baking, and gardening. In order to tie theory with practice, students are learning how to apply their learning with real-world applications such as how fractions are used in baking. Additionally, students are participating in nutrition classes where they learn the importance of eating healthy.