Forjando Alas (“Building Wings”) is an after-school program to provide a safe place for at risk youth in the Bahia Ballena community.

Forjando Alas inspires children to want to learn through creative and fun hands-on lesson plans and prepares them to enter the professional world by sharing essential job skills. The goal of the student center is to inspire children to become professionals by helping them learn English, stay in school and receive the tools necessary to create and manage small businesses.

The student center is a safe house for students. It is a place where they can connect with other students and community leaders outside of school, get help with homework, use the internet, and practice English. Specialists are brought in to teach and inspire kids to continue their education, avoiding early drop outs, early pregnancies and the necessity to take jobs with little pay. The student center provides computers with internet connection to maintain international links with kids in the United States, India and Liberia, enhancing and empowering English education for the children of Uvita.

In addition to workshops, the center holds English lessons. Students converse in English and share in the learning experience through computer games, Skype, crafts, games and sports.

We are currently accepting applications to our international student X-CHANGE program featuring lessons in sustainability, rainforest and reef conservation and opportunities to volunteer with local kids!

!!!Our biggest need right now is *working* LAPTOP COMPUTERS!!!

We are also searching for volunteers, help with start-up costs and donations of materials such as tables, chairs, desks, games, sports equipment, a refrigerator, a projector, and craft supplies (especially beads, paper and markers). Please email Courtney at forjandoalas@gmail.com, or call 904-755-1532 (USA) 506-8909-4139 (CR) for more information. Thanks for your help!

The premier youth center of Kids’ Foundation for Uniting Nations!