Our group of volunteers arrived in Guatemala for a service trip in Quetzaltenango (Xela) at the Colegio Miguel Angel Asturias. One of the goals of the trip is to conduct library programs for the students, not just to make the library fun but also to model for the teachers how to create fun extension activities related to books.
Students were treated to fun library programs conducted by our programming team – Irania, Norma, Karen, and Jessica. Irania brought her cuatro (Venezuelan instrument) for sing-alongs and riddles, which warmed up the students and made them feel welcome. The focus was on emotional well-being, with children writing encouraging messages for themselves and engaging in various activities.
One of the books read to the students was “Yo soy Paz” (I am Peace) by Susan Verde, a book that focuses on mindfulness and strategies to keep oneself calm. Students talked about things that make them feel peace and created origami related to images from the book.
For these special Library Days, every class in the school visits the library for a 50-minute program. During regular weeks, classes visit the library at least once per week, and some students hang out in the library during breaks, such as recess. The library is the only carpeted room in the school, so staff and students take their shoes off and sometimes wear slippers so that they can keep the carpet clean. The school is still requiring masks since Covid is still circulating.
Libraries for the World 