Presentación de proyectos (Projects Presentation)

by Kathleen Zamboni

“How lucky could we be?!!”, was my first thought as Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala vice president Ted Rose and I took our seats on the benches in the school dining room on Tuesday morning, March 18, 2025, at Instituto Maya Jaguar.  Assembled in front of us was the student film crew manning cameras, microphones, and computers which were set up to record this event. Solar electricity (the only power source on campus) was powering the technical equipment—an example of sustainability in action!

This was no “make do” school assembly or a performance for tourists; it was the practical application of three months of learning and preparation on the part of both the teachers and the students of the fourth baccalaureate level—and an opportunity to feature an Instituto Maya Jaguar video on their Facebook page. The presentation included a demonstration of their group projects in technology, provided an opportunity to utilize their skills in operating electronics, gain experience at public speaking, as well as an occasion to show pride in their culture with clothing and dance.

The students filled the dining room—some of the featured male students  of fourth baccalaureate level wore dark pants, white shirts, straw hats with a red band and the girls costarred in their colorful traditional traje (huipil/blouse, faja/waist wrap, and corte/skirt) each different and unique.  Some of the girls were even wearing glamorous strappy high heels! The male teachers were in shirts and ties and the women teachers were in suits.  Background marimba music set the atmosphere.

The first half of the presentation featured three electronics projects that the students had built—a robot, an electric car, and a water pump to demonstrate pressure.  Aha, this is what a “technical” high school is all about.  These students will graduate with marketable skills that will make them more easily employable.

Robot, battery-operated cars and water pressure project.

I kept thinking, “...and the girls are doing this too!” – building the projects, creating and utilizing a PowerPoint presentation to explain the construction process and then demonstrating their finished projects. All of the participants gained experience in using a microphone to speak in front of a group and presented themselves with poise and confidence as they spoke with clear voices.

A student sends her battery-operated robot “Wall E”  across the floor. The yellow robot is  modeled after “Wall E” the hero in the 2008 Pixar/Disney movie of the same name which the American Film Institute named as one of the best films of 2008.

The presentations demonstrated the students’ abilities to organize, to think step-by-step and to follow directions. As the students projected their list of materials used (solder, batteries, wires, etc.) and described the equipment that was needed one could see that their teacher, Osman Castañeda, had also allowed them to make mistakes and to analyze and correct in order to create the final product. 

The second half of the program was the “cultural” aspect – featuring dances choreographed by first year, second year, and fourth year students and their teachers, and also a voice solo by one of the younger boys.

By the end of the hour-plus assembly we adults were feeling very proud of the students’ accomplishments and hoping that their parents would be able to feel and express the same pride in their children and the quality of education that the students are receiving.

You can watch the entire program (in Spanish): https://www.facebook.com/events/636590816009302