Till the Soil For Preschool Play in Kyrgyzstan

Since 2019, Ratbu Satarova and I have been working towards an ambitious dream: to build a unique preschool in Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan, that addresses the lack of accessibility, inclusivity, and quality instruction.

We have been working together since 2009 (click here to see the details of our work together), but this preschool is our biggest project yet and it addresses one of the most critical problems the community faces: only 20% of children are able to attend preschool, and no preschool in the region serves children with disabilities. Furthermore, the preschools that do exist are overcrowded (50-60 kids in a classroom built for 25), and the teachers still rely on teaching methods from the Soviet era. These factors combine to create a critical problem of access and quality in the region's preschools.

Our dream is to build a preschool that helps solve these problems.

Last summer, we received a grant from the US State Department to start developing the program and curriculum that we will use in our preschool. (Click here to see our grant proposal and here to see the mid-term grant report.) Two preschool experts in play-based early childhood education (NBPTS certified Early Childhood teacher Julia Snyder and Dr. Gillian McNamee from the Erikson Institute) traveled with me to Kyrgyzstan this summer to develop and run a week long teacher training. This training was followed by a six week preschool program for 16 children, which piloted the methods brought by Julia and Gillian. (Click here to see the teacher training and pilot preschool materials.)

The training and the pilot preschool program were very successful. Teachers talked about how they finally had a chance to reflect on and improve their teaching practices. They commented that working with Ratbu in the pilot program allowed them to experience an atmosphere where they were treated like professionals and supported to provide excellent teaching. The impact of this project was so great that teachers in the region have asked for a teacher training for every preschool in the Toktogul region; this training will take place in January, led by the teachers who attended our summer project.

Our summer preschool was so successful that the students were excited to return to school every day, and the parents have been asking when we would open our full time preschool. Unfortunately, we are currently limited by the physical space: the building we used for this only fits 16 students, and does not have any dedicated playgrounds or a commercial kitchen.

This is where we need your help: building a physical home for our preschool.

Our previous GoFundMe campaign focused on building the bones of our preschool space: the foundation, walls, and roof. We were able to raise enough money to achieve this benchmark! (Click here to see all the details and updates from that fundraiser.)

The next step is to prepare the grounds surrounding the building. This round of fundraising will address the following needs:

Please consider supporting our big dream for Toktogul. Every dollar donated (other than the fees that GoFundMe charges) will go directly to the construction of this preschool. Ratbu's impeccable reputation within her community and her track record of grant administration sets her apart as someone who works with integrity for the benefit of her community. Please help Ratbu and her community bring to life this dream of an accessible, cross-cultural, and high quality preschool for the children of Toktogul.

Thank you! Chong rahmat!