Education for the Extraordinary
Date Published:
When Marty and his mom arrived at iREN they were at their wit's end. Marty was a sad, withdrawn child that would cry whenever he became frustrated. He had spent kindergarten and first grade being ruthlessly bullied at a local school. To compound that, the pandemic had hit and he had been sitting in front of a computer for six months. Marty was with us for three years and during that time, he came out of his shell, he became a leader and was the head of his class. In Marty’s class there was space for him to be himself. He was deeply motivated by our points system, and our houses allowed him to not only make friends but be an important member of a team. We studied Marty’s strengths and weaknesses, and created a learning plan tailored specifically for him. Today, Marty is thriving in a local private school known for its educational rigger, something that was unheard of only three years ago. Marty is just one story where children’s lives change and in turn, the entire family’s lives are transformed. iREN has dozens of these stories and with your help, could have many more.
Neurodivergence affects 20% of our population and many scientists believe this statistic will keep growing. Each day we understand more about what neurodivergence is and how it works. At iREN, we believe that it is a natural evolution of the human brain, becoming more complex with each generation and is no longer resonating with the traditional way of teaching and learning. We see Fortune 500 companies beginning to understand that making space for neurodivergent people is the key to success.
We live in a world in which existing inequalities continue to hold back human development in all regions of the planet, with significant impact on the most vulnerable societies. International organizations have spent decades promoting a global, regional and national agenda that identifies the development needs of present and future generations. Education has been considered as one of the main factors that contributes to progress in the goals of achieving peace, freedom and social justice, with a vision focused on the principles of human rights, equality and sustainability. Investment in education is imperative for sustainable development and economic growth. Human development, as the primary objective of human activity, has a decisive influence on the improvement of living conditions in a society, the greater human development, the more sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth.
My name is Sylvia Barreto Benites and I am the founder and director of iREN, Renaissance Institute. We are a nonprofit institution with our campus in Linderos Costa Rica. I am writing this letter with great enthusiasm to ask you for funding for scholarships for local children who are struggling and in turn bring long lasting change to this marginalized community.
Neurodivergence affects 20% of our population and many scientists believe this statistic will keep growing. Each day we understand more about what neurodivergence is and how it works. At iREN, we believe that it is a natural evolution of the human brain, becoming more complex with each generation and is no longer resonating with the traditional way of teaching and learning. We see Fortune 500 companies beginning to understand that making space for neurodivergent people is the key to success.
We live in a world in which existing inequalities continue to hold back human development in all regions of the planet, with significant impact on the most vulnerable societies. International organizations have spent decades promoting a global, regional and national agenda that identifies the development needs of present and future generations. Education has been considered as one of the main factors that contributes to progress in the goals of achieving peace, freedom and social justice, with a vision focused on the principles of human rights, equality and sustainability. Investment in education is imperative for sustainable development and economic growth. Human development, as the primary objective of human activity, has a decisive influence on the improvement of living conditions in a society, the greater human development, the more sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth.
My name is Sylvia Barreto Benites and I am the founder and director of iREN, Renaissance Institute. We are a nonprofit institution with our campus in Linderos Costa Rica. I am writing this letter with great enthusiasm to ask you for funding for scholarships for local children who are struggling and in turn bring long lasting change to this marginalized community.
