When: 2008-2014
Where: Chalco, Mexico
Mano Amiga in Chalco, Mexico was the first launch site for Pre-Texts, then called La Cartonera or Paper Picker Press. Director Lilia Garelli used Paper Picker Press as a creative model for her dedicated faculty. Art teachers and teachers of all the other subjects discovered in themselves, and in their students, their talents to write, act, paint and play music. Garelli and staff then trained Mano Amigo colleagues in Puebla and other parts of Mexico. The first Pre-Texts workshops were held for teachers and administrators from July 12-18, 2008.
2008
La Cartonera became “Amiga Cartonera” and was implemented at the Mano Amiga Chalco School, in Valle de Chalco Solidaridad, Mexico. The Amiga Cartonera Program was a semester-long after-school program for third through seventh grade students, and was launched in September 2008. Mano Amiga Chalco School is a gender-segregated school, housing both primary and secondary school students. Unlike the school day, Amiga Cartonera mixed boys and girls in the same classroom. The program lasted from September to December 2008. When the program was evaluated, major findings included positive whole school engagement, evidence of higher order thinking through creativity and positive psychosocial gains, improved commitment to reading and school seen through improved reading enjoyment, literacy development, and arts-learning. The “Amiga Cartonera” program continued to be implemented at the Mano Amiga Chalco School every school year through 2014.
2009
2010
2011
2012
Cuando tenía 5 años aprendí a leer y escribir, gustaba mucho los cuentos de todo tipo, pero en especial los de terror. A esa edad tenía un concepto muy diferente de la lectura pero actualmente al ingresar al proyecto Amiga Cartonera ha cambiado por completo. Al principio pensé que solo sería un taller de manualidades pero al paso de los días pude darme cuenta que aquí se leía pero no de la forma en que lo hacía de pequeña. Siempre era “Leer” y ¡Ya!, en Cartonera descubrí que cada palabra a parte de verla y escucharla, se puede saborear, tocar, oler y disfrutar. Pero no solo esto, también descubrí nuevos talentos en mi persona, que estaban escondidos.
Cartonera: Fátima Nonatzi Ramírez Luna (junio 2012)
2013
2014
