Our first visit to a public school, Instituto Educational Distrital Fanny Mickey, was overwhelming and amazing. First of all I got to feel the effects of starting your teaching day at 6 am and it wasn't pleasant! We had to leave the hotel at 5:15 to take the long ride out to the school. It is built high in the hills around Bogota in a poor area with gang issues that affect the school directly.
Students attend primary through secondary at the school and when you walk into a classroom there are no resources. No technology, no books, no maps, etc. and yet the students were bright and friendly. They wanted to hang out with us, sing to us, talk about the United States. By ten am I was exhausted, I have huge respect for the teachers.
The school has been open four years and they have had successes in crossing across gang divisions and getting the local community to support the school. The principal told us that the school brings "peace and education" to the community. I'm thankful that we could visit this school and see the amazing teachers and students working in hard circumstances.