Cabrera is fortunate in being able to offer parents a variety of options when it comes to deciding how and where their children should be educated.
There are several State Schools in Cabrera and although the number of hours these schools are able to offer, some three and a half hours per day per pupil, is very limited the teachers do seem to be dedicated to providing the best level of teaching possible given the time and facilities at their disposal.
In addition to the State Schools Cabrera has other private schools the most prominent of these being La Acadamia Internacional de Cabrera. This school accepts children from pre-school age to 8th Grade and opened its doors in September 2007. This fulfilled the dream of its founders Felicita Garcia, who is a third generation descendent of Cabrera, and Stephen Hadley who wanted to offer a higher level of education not only to their children but also others living in the town. By obtaining donations from some of the villa owners they were able to lease an abandoned building and with the help of friends reformed the property in some three months and accepted their first pupils at the beginning of the 2007/2008 academic year.
Since 2007 the school has grown in both numbers of pupils and reputation and is now recognized as the premier educational establishment in the town. It is a nonprofit organization dependent on its funding from donations, sponsorship and other fundraising events. Most, if not all, the children attending the school have received assistance with the fees by being sponsored, many by villa owners who continue to support the school by various means, as well as others who have been introduced to the school and wish to support its efforts to improve the education of the children of Cabrera.
In addition to financial support the school benefits from donations of equipment and from local volunteers who give some of their time in assisting with the daily operation of the school by becoming a teacher’s assistant, helping in the canteen, supervising playtimes and with special projects during and after school hours.
Further information relating to La Acadamia Internacional de Cabrera can be found on their website www.aicabrera.com
Another independent school project in Cabrera is The Esperanza Project. This private educational project is the brainchild of the founders and directors, Anthony and Fiona Austin. They are a Canadian/British couple and between them hold certifications in regular elementary education, special education, and English as a second language The Esperanza Project is also a non-profit organization relying on donations and volunteers to operate successfully.
Both Anthony and Fiona have several years of summer camp experience, both as counselors and in directorial positions; so, as well as providing education during the normal school year, the Esperanza Project organizes a free summer camp for children during the long summer holiday. This camp is for children aged 4 to 15 years and is available in June, July and August on weekdays, from 9am to 1pm.
The Esperanza Project was born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary educational and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment.
Further information relating to the Esperanza Project can be found on their website www.esperanzaproject.ca
Apart from these schools there are some other fee paying schools available to parents in Cabrera who are not content with the education provided in the State Schools. These are generally not nonprofit establishments though but offer places from both pre-school age up to 8th grade so there is plenty of choice.
EDITORS NOTE
If you are the principal of a school providing educational facilities to children of Cabrera and wish to have details included on this page please let us know using our contact form. Similarly if you know of a school not included here please send us the schools contact information.
