Yomira Acajabón

Project: Connecting Extra-Curricular Activities to the Real-World 

Quote:“The community assessment was a very valuable tool because it allowed me to see more deeply the problems that affect not only the student population but my entire community. The process improved communication between community stakeholders and leaders, such as the COCODES, school representatives, parents, and students.”

Favorite Activity: Jumping rope

Favorite Book: The Alchemist

About: Born and raised in El Rodeo, Escuintla, a community affected by the violent eruption of Fuego Volcano in 2018, Yomira’s life changed dramatically when she had to relocate. However, this challenge did not prevent her from teaching, a passion she discovered in the 6th grade when Yomira’s class assisted in teaching younger students. Currently, Yomira teaches 5th and 6th grade at a small school in her community. Additionally, she serves as a volunteer for the nonprofit organization SERES Association, creating youth leadership development opportunities and conducting technical roundtables on youth issues. 

Yomira is passionate about working with children and adolescents to address barriers that impede their personal and professional development. She also wants to provide young people with access to English courses to increase their access to opportunities. Yomira is dedicated to providing quality education for her students, explaining, “Maybe they won’t recognize what I do, but the satisfaction I get from seeing the kids being able to work on a project or simply having the overall quality of their education improve, is worth more than a paycheck.”  

“I want to create awareness about the fact that youth are capable, that we are that entity of change, not for the future, but for the present. We all have fears but are also hungry for improvement, with incredible abilities and skills that need to be discovered and developed.”

Problem: There is a lack of connection between educational content and real-world application. Yormira recognizes the need to shift from traditional education to one that is interactive, that encourages students to be active participants in their learning. Without hands-on experiences, students do not value what they learn in school. 

Solution: Yomira is implementing extra-curricular workshops, such as music, dance, theater, and cooking to connect what students learn in their core classes to the real world. Yomira believes through hands-on experiences, students will see the value in learning and develop new abilities and resilience.