Our story
JUNTOS PODEMOS, A A LIFE-TRANSFORMING STORY
This is how it started
In 2006, the leaders of Crossroads Bible Church decided to open a community center in a location where long-term social assistance work could be carried out. On May 1st, 2006, we opened "JUNTOS PODEMOS" in a rented apartment in Curundú, Panama City, with 3 volunteers and a full-time hired teacher. We assisted the street children, there were plenty of them at that time, and the children from the neighborhood's public school, in morning and afternoon shifts. The children made handcrafts, took Bible and values lessons, and received school tutoring. Those who were not attending school were prepared to enter the public school the following year, and one of the volunteers acted as a guardian for children who didn't have parents available to do so. At that time, Curundú was a neighborhood with a significant presence of drug activity and gangs.
Today
This is nowadays Juntos Podemos Academy for Youth and Adults, which had its 16th graduation in the year 2022. As a testament, many of the young people and adults from the neighborhood, who previously had no educational opportunities, are now professionals, entrepreneurs, or have stable jobs.
In addition to the students attending our two schools, we have always worked with children and young people from the neighborhood through the Youth Community Program. This program includes sports, tutoring, Bible Clubs, and teachings and practices of values.
Milestones in our history
2006 • Adults school gets started
This initiative was taken to address the educational needs of those who had left school prematurely and provide them with an opportunity to continue their studies and complete their secondary education. By offering a supportive learning environment with dedicated volunteers, we aimed to empower these young adults to improve their prospects and opportunities for the future. We initially worked under the umbrella of the public school Silvio Bedoya, with a voluntary director and three volunteer teachers.
2007 • 2008 First graduations
In December 2007, we celebrated the first graduation of Basic Education, and in December 2008, we had the first high school graduation
2008 • We got the building
We were able to acquire the building where we currently operate, and with a large number of local volunteers and volunteer teams from the United States, we gradually fixed, cleaned, remodeled, and constructed classrooms, bathrooms, a courtyard, a kitchen, and other spaces.
2009• Legal Recognition
We finally obtained legal recognition and subsequently registered as a non-profit organization with the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Government and Justice.
2009 • Children's school
The low educational level of the children we were serving led us to consider starting a school. That year, we opened a free bilingual pre-school with 20 children. Each year, we added a grade level for the children as they progressed.
2012 • Bilingual Academy
With the approval of the Ministry of Education, we launched the Bilingual Academy "Juntos Podemos," starting with pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. Each year, we added a grade level for the children as they advanced to the next grade.
2020• First Basic Education Graduation
It seems incredible to us, but in 2020 we had the first Basic Education (Nineth year)
Over these 17 years, we have had successful projects and multiple community activities. We continue to work with programs for men, women, the homeless, pregnant teenagers, and the School for Parents. We are in Curundú to educate, shape, transform lives, and teach people to dream and fight so that those dreams come true.
We give glory to God for He blesses us and to every volunteer and donors who have believed in us
