Lessons Beyond the Classroom

November 10, 2025

As the school year has wound down, activity at El Hogar is picking up to prepare for graduation! Our 13 twelfth graders have just finished their five-week professional internships. In small groups, they put their technical training to work on maintenance teams at a construction company, a toy block factory, two hospitals, and a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Each student has completed their academic and technical requirements and passed their classes, but a few more steps remain before graduation. This week, they’ll write a report about their internship experience, take the national anthem exam—a unique Honduran requirement that tests knowledge of all seven verses—and complete a history seminar, some administrative tasks, and their graduation photos before the big day on November 15^th.

The internships are a very meaningful part of our students’ education. They allow students to apply their electricity skills in the real world and gain experience in independence, time management, budgeting, teamwork, and navigating life beyond the classroom and beyond El Hogar. To make these placements possible, we cover bus fare, lunches, and safety equipment. Last year, a few students spent their bus fare on snacks and ended up walking over an hour home—an unforgettable lesson in responsibility and choices!

In the middle of their internship, our technical instructors visited each student at each of their sites to get feedback from their supervisors and see firsthand how they were doing.  Supervisors consistently praise our students for their technical ability and professionalism. One of the students’ supervisors shared that he asked her to do some electrical calculations for an industrial mixer the maintenance team was designing. At first, she didn’t know where to start, so he walked her through the basics, and then she took off on her own. He knew that, as a high school student, she would still have much to learn, but he was struck by her positive attitude and eagerness to figure things out. He said that mindset was just as valuable as her technical skills.

We couldn’t agree more. We’re proud to see how much our students have grown, not only in their technical abilities but also in the confidence, curiosity, and persistence that will help them thrive long after graduation.