Second and third grade students from the municipalities of Vicuña and Paihuano, who participate in the We Learn Access Program, have been preparing since last year to host the English-speaking visitors who will come to the Elqui Valley to witness the most important astronomical phenomenon of the century.
On Tuesday, July 2, a solar eclipse will be visible from a strip of the Pacific Ocean and part of South America and, although this phenomenon, which has been catalogued as the most important astronomical event of the century, will be partially visible throughout our country, the Coquimbo region will be the place from where this event can be enjoyed in all its fullness.
The high presence of English-speaking visitors and the international press coverage will be the ideal scenario for the 30 second and third grade students of the We Learn Access program of Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and the U.S. Embassy in Chile, with the support of the respective municipalities, to put their knowledge into practice.
Since 2018, these young people have voluntarily participated in the program by developing leadership and communication skills around initiatives that promote astronomy, environmental protection and the cultural identity of the area. As part of this year's activities, the young people will host English-speaking tourists visiting their communes to witness the eclipse.
On the same day of the event, a group of students will be at the Plaza Gabriela Mistral in Vicuña, where they will be available for English-speaking visitors and will conduct "city tours" through the main tourist attractions of the commune. These tours will be conducted in pairs of students and will be free of charge for those interested.
On the previous day, students from Paihuano will be in the town square offering historical reviews to foreigners, highlighting the historical heritage of the town and providing alternative tours and sites to visit once the astronomical phenomenon is over.
ABOUT WE LEARN
Fundación Educacional Oportunidad has been implementing the "We Learn" early English teaching program for 12 years in public schools in the Elqui Valley in the Coquimbo region, benefiting more than a thousand students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade each year. "We Learn Access" continues this initiative, so that high school students can continue to improve their command of this foreign language and thus expand their future job opportunities.
