CATCH in Ecuador!

September 17, 2015  | By CATCH Global Foundation

The week of September 7th, a team consisting of CATCH Global Foundation Executive Director Duncan Van Dusen, Program Director Peter Cribb, and CATCH researcher/eloquent speaker of Spanish Dr. Andrew Springer traveled to Cuenca, Ecuador to implement our first full Spanish language pilot of the CATCH Program.

“This project has been a great example of coalition building,” commented Duncan. “Our Cuenca-based partner CEDEI did an outstanding job bringing together the local health and education ministries, the schools, and the local press for a coordinated launch.”

Using an abridged version of our CATCH Curriculum and CATCH PE Activity Cards, we trained teachers and administrators in 7 Cuenca schools to use CATCH with their 6th grade students.

“We got a really enthusiastic and passionate group of teachers,” Peter said of the group, who particularly enjoyed the rhythm and dance elements of CATCH’s curriculum. “We had a great PE session. They were having way too much fun.”

Funding for the Ecuador pilot is provided through CATCH’s ongoing partnership with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. CATCH publisher FlagHouse also donated materials and equipment and the Van Dusen family collected additional sports equipment from friends and neighbors to make this program free to the schools of Cuenca.

This week students are completing a pre-project survey and next week the CATCH curriculum will begin to be implemented around the city.

If you read Spanish, check out the local press coverage of the launch:

• CEDEI impulsa proyecto de alimentación nutritiva en escuelas (El Tiempo)
• Programa de nutrición para siete escuelas (El Mercurio)
• VIDEO: Con CEDEI “En Familia”

Click through the below slideshow for a complete compendium of our photos from the trip!