Centro Escolar República de Canadá

About the school and its community

Centro Escolar República de Canadá is located in Las Palmas, a densely populated community of approximately 11,000 people in San Salvador’s Colonia San Benito. Although it sits near museums, cultural institutions, businesses, and some of the capital’s most prosperous neighborhoods, families in Las Palmas have historically faced significant economic hardship and limited access to opportunity.

The community was severely affected by the 1986 earthquake, after which residents organized to rebuild their homes and strengthen the neighborhood. Las Palmas later became associated with crime and violence, leaving residents isolated and the community deeply stigmatized. In recent years, security conditions have improved, but young people must still overcome neighborhood misconceptions.

Las Palmas is defined by strong community organization. Glasswing has worked alongside the school and community since 2010 to create opportunities for children. Community members volunteer as mentors, lead after-school clubs and sports, and organize activities for families. In 2016, Las Palmas celebrated the first high-school graduating class in the neighborhood’s history, a source of enormous pride for residents and an important challenge to the way the community had long been perceived.