Journey to the Classroom: Centro Integral Para La Inclusión Escolar
Christine M. Croyle
Ashland University
"No pueden ir a la escuela. Estan ciegos." ("They don't go to school. They're
blind.") These words were the force behind
the Centro Integral Para La Inclusión Escolar
(CIPIE). These words left an indelible impression on me. They were the words of a mother
in a small shack in the mountains of Honduras
in response to a question I asked her, "Where
do your children go to school?" I was there as
a volunteer to build schools with the communities in rural Honduras. Since that time
seven years ago, I have been returning to
Honduras every summer to identify children
with special needs and get them connected
with the support services they need. Unfortunately, these services are not always available. This prompted me to begin a more formalized investigation through a qualitative research study in the rural village of Santa Cruz
de Yojoa, Cortes, Honduras.
54
The study involved three aspects: interviews, focus groups, and observations. Teachers, administrators, parents, and children participated in this process. We found a lack of
educational services, a negative stigma at-
