Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai
Encyclopedia
Colegio Cristiano El Shaddai (El-Shaddai Christian School) is a private bilingual toddlers-through-secondary education inclusive school, located in the north of Colombia
, in the city of Barranquilla
. It is accredited by the Colombian Ministry of National Education
and certified by the European Foundation for Quality Management EFQM
. It is also in the list of the Colombian high-ranking schools for infant education, published by the Colombian Association of Preschool Education. Its inclusive education program caters to both students with typical development and disabled children. Its special education students include boys and girls who have been diagnosed with autism
, Down syndrome
, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other behavior disorders. These students study along with their non-handicapped peers.
The school is divided into several departments, such as the therapy center, the academic department, the office of the chaplain, and the special education
department. It provides education for a population that is usually left out of the school system or receives no treatment.
in Tucson,. She is also a behavior specialist from Pennsylvania State University
. The school was initially named Integral Therapeutic and Special Education Center APRENDO, but in 2001 its name was changed to Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai.
When it was founded, less than 5% of the Colombian disabled children had the opportunity to go to school. In 1993 the school launched the Aprendo Foundation in order to give education and treatment to disabled children from low-income families who could not afford inclusive education or therapies. The foundation raised funds from the big companies in the city and secured the financial means so that a group of poor children could obtain an education and treatment. In 2001, it started to offer pre-school and elementary education to students with typical development.
More than 400 hundred children with special education needs have been treated by El-Shaddai Christian School professionals. Several of those treated currently hold jobs and lead productive lives.
El-Shaddai Christian School has taken part in different types of workshops and seminars, research projects, and cultural events since its foundation.
, respects the rights of learners to a quality education that meets their learning needs.
Before placing disabled students in the regular classes, Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai prepares them so that they will successfully benefit from the virtues of inclusive education. They usually begin with individual work with a teacher or therapist, with whom they learn necessary skills for successful interaction in the inclusive classes. When the individual work is completed, the students start work in a special education classroom, where they receive further preparation before they are fully integrated in a regular classroom.
The school offers bilingual education
with dual language
programs aiming at bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural
competence in both Spanish and English. Its therapy center provides services for the school's students and outside patients, both private and referred by the Colombian social security and health care system. The center's staff are psychologists, speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and special and regular education arts, music, band, dance, and chorus teachers. The school also offers pre-vocational courses, catch-up programs, craftsmanship courses, parent counseling, student counseling, and social work.The office of the chaplain provides counseling and spiritual care for the school's students, their families, and the school's staff.
Combarranquilla
Effective Learning Environments (Los Angeles, CA) for ABA training of El-Shaddai professional staff
Fundación Educación para todos APRENDO, an NGO dedicated to provide special education services, school integration, therapeutic attention, and ABA therapies to children with special education needs from low-income families. This NGO has offices in Barranquilla, Colombia, and Weston, Florida
.
Cajacopi http://www.cajacopi.com
Fondo de Pasivos Sociales de Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Colombia http://www.fps.gov.co
Comfamiliar http://www.comfamiliar.com.co
Cervecería Aguila http://www.aguila.com.co
El-Shaddai is a Hebrew name for God. El means power, might, and strength. Shad means breast, which indicates fulfilment and nourishment. Dai means enough, complete sufficiency. El-Shaddai can be translated as the all sufficient God
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, in the city of Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
. It is accredited by the Colombian Ministry of National Education
Ministry of National Education
Ministry of National Education can refer to:* Ministry of National Education * Ministry of National Education * Ministry of National Education * Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs...
and certified by the European Foundation for Quality Management EFQM
EFQM
EFQM is a non-profit membership foundation based in Brussels. EFQM is the custodian of the EFQM Excellence Model, a non-prescriptive management framework that is widely used in public & private sector organisations throughout Europe and beyond.EFQM Membership is open to organisations, rather than...
. It is also in the list of the Colombian high-ranking schools for infant education, published by the Colombian Association of Preschool Education. Its inclusive education program caters to both students with typical development and disabled children. Its special education students include boys and girls who have been diagnosed with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other behavior disorders. These students study along with their non-handicapped peers.
The school is divided into several departments, such as the therapy center, the academic department, the office of the chaplain, and the special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
department. It provides education for a population that is usually left out of the school system or receives no treatment.
History
Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai was founded in 1986 by Sonia Calderon, B.S. and M. Ed. in special education from the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson,. She is also a behavior specialist from Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. The school was initially named Integral Therapeutic and Special Education Center APRENDO, but in 2001 its name was changed to Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai.
When it was founded, less than 5% of the Colombian disabled children had the opportunity to go to school. In 1993 the school launched the Aprendo Foundation in order to give education and treatment to disabled children from low-income families who could not afford inclusive education or therapies. The foundation raised funds from the big companies in the city and secured the financial means so that a group of poor children could obtain an education and treatment. In 2001, it started to offer pre-school and elementary education to students with typical development.
More than 400 hundred children with special education needs have been treated by El-Shaddai Christian School professionals. Several of those treated currently hold jobs and lead productive lives.
El-Shaddai Christian School has taken part in different types of workshops and seminars, research projects, and cultural events since its foundation.
Services
Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai offers inclusive education, which according to the Colombian Ministry of National Education allows children with disabilities and special education needs to have the same educational opportunities as their peers with typical development, and according to UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, respects the rights of learners to a quality education that meets their learning needs.
Before placing disabled students in the regular classes, Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai prepares them so that they will successfully benefit from the virtues of inclusive education. They usually begin with individual work with a teacher or therapist, with whom they learn necessary skills for successful interaction in the inclusive classes. When the individual work is completed, the students start work in a special education classroom, where they receive further preparation before they are fully integrated in a regular classroom.
The school offers bilingual education
Bilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
with dual language
Dual language
Dual language is a form of education in which students are taught literacy and content in two languages. The majority of dual language programs in the United States teach in English and Spanish, although increasing numbers of programs use a partner language other than Spanish, such as Arabic,...
programs aiming at bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural
Cross-cultural
cross-cultural may refer to*cross-cultural studies, a comparative tendency in various fields of cultural analysis*cross-cultural communication, a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate...
competence in both Spanish and English. Its therapy center provides services for the school's students and outside patients, both private and referred by the Colombian social security and health care system. The center's staff are psychologists, speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and special and regular education arts, music, band, dance, and chorus teachers. The school also offers pre-vocational courses, catch-up programs, craftsmanship courses, parent counseling, student counseling, and social work.The office of the chaplain provides counseling and spiritual care for the school's students, their families, and the school's staff.
ABA
The school's methodologies applied in the inclusion and special education processes are based on ABA, which is the acronym for Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA, which applies principles from the science of behavior to understand human behavior, has been implemented across various settings including hospitals, schools, and homes in a variety of behavior and learning problems. It is also an effective tool for improving the lives of people with autism spectrum disorders. According to Mental Health: A report of the Surgeon General, "thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior " in autistic children.The Colombian health authorities approved ABA as a therapeutic protocol to modify behavior.Partnerships
Colegio Cristiano El-Shaddai has established partnerships with the following organizations to further its inclusion programs:Combarranquilla
Effective Learning Environments (Los Angeles, CA) for ABA training of El-Shaddai professional staff
Fundación Educación para todos APRENDO, an NGO dedicated to provide special education services, school integration, therapeutic attention, and ABA therapies to children with special education needs from low-income families. This NGO has offices in Barranquilla, Colombia, and Weston, Florida
Weston, Florida
Weston is a suburb of South Florida located in Broward County, Florida, USA. Established as a city in 1996, much of the community was developed by Arvida/JMB Realty and is located near the western developmental boundary of Broward County. It is the most western city in Broward County, and its...
.
Cajacopi http://www.cajacopi.com
Fondo de Pasivos Sociales de Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Colombia http://www.fps.gov.co
Comfamiliar http://www.comfamiliar.com.co
Cervecería Aguila http://www.aguila.com.co
The name
It includes the word Christian because the school is run on Christian principles.El-Shaddai is a Hebrew name for God. El means power, might, and strength. Shad means breast, which indicates fulfilment and nourishment. Dai means enough, complete sufficiency. El-Shaddai can be translated as the all sufficient God