Our Allyu Global Learning Pilot is set to launch in June! This program has been in the works for a long time, and has involved a team effort to get it up and running. Ayllu is a pilot virtual learning program that aims to work with teachers, disabled children and their families to improve learning outcomes for Spanish-speaking disabled children in the US and Latin America.
The pilot draws people from all over the Americas to ensure it’s success. We have a team of four volunteers to help us run the pilot and assess its impact, two teachers from Peru who will coordinate the pilot and produce training materials, two doctorate-level specialists who will help design and assess the pilot, as well as twelve participating children and their families spanning three countries: the US, Mexico, and Peru. We are also partnering with the University of Arizona with the aim of getting our program certified, which will help lend the program credibility and grant us to access more funding sources.
Through this program, Manos Unidas hopes to provide evidence-based information, training, and advocacy tools that families and educators can easily access and apply at home or in school. As you can see in our video module, we’re giving families the tools they need to advocate for their child and help them succeed.
Considering that the Latinx community is the largest minority group in the US, there is a huge lack of services designed with the specific needs of disabled Latinx children, and their families in mind. This includes programs that are culturally relevant, that take into account Latinx families’ language needs, and that are sensitive to different legal statuses. With years of experience working in Peru, Manos Unidas is uniquely equipped to provide services both to families in Latin America, and Latinx families in the US.
The web-based Ayllu curriculum is taught by native Spanish speakers, using culturally relevant material. This is important considering that language and racial stigmas are some of the biggest barriers Latinx families face when trying to access services for their disabled child. Over the course of three months we will measure improvements in caregiver’s behavior, children’s learning outcomes, and to the home learning environment.
This program represents an important innovation for Latinx families to make sure that their children are not being left behind by virtual disability services. We are so thankful for your support as we expand and grow our programs!