Colombia

Abstract

The United States has long struggled with the challenge of educating children experiencing extreme disadvantage, including the poor, ethnic and racial minorities, English language learners, and foster children. In this article, we argue that solutions to this problem lie not to the east or west, but to the south. Specifically, we offer the Colombian Escuela Nueva model as a successful example of addressing the educational needs of marginalized children. We focus on an Escuela Nueva program known as Learning Circles, which was designed to educate and support children displaced by civil conflict as they transition to the formal education system. After describing Escuela Nueva and Learning Circles, we offer suggestions for incorporating and adapting these successes to schools in the United States.