A Safe Place to Dream, Learn, and Belong

In many parts of El Salvador, there’s a quiet crisis that happens every single day.

Children who aren’t in school — have nowhere safe to go. Their hours are often filled with wandering, boredom, and, in the worst cases, danger.

But what if we could turn those hours into something beautiful? What if the time when they “shouldn’t” be in school became the very time they discover their passions, build their skills, and feel they belong?

That’s the heart behind the Unschool Permaculture Project

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A Place Made for Children

The Welcome Unschool isn’t just a building or a program — it’s a third place.

Not home.

Not school.

Something new.

It’s a space where children ages 1–12 can come, knowing they are safe, cared for, and free to explore who they are. Adults and older children join in — not as traditional teachers, but as guides, encouragers, and friends.

Here, the day might start with laughter in a soccer game, move into painting under the shade of a thatched pavilion, and end with a hearty bowl of meat-bean-veggie stew shared around a table.

It’s community at its best.

What Makes It Special

Every Welcome Unschool will have:

• A large open field for running, playing, and imagining

• A beautiful thatched-roof and timber pavilion for shade and gatherings

• Clean water and a midday meal for the children every day

• Safe, clean toilets

• Plans for permaculture gardens and reservoirs, teaching children sustainability and providing food for the community

It’s not just about keeping children busy — it’s about helping them grow into strong, wise, and compassionate people.

Learning Through Living

At the Welcome Unschool, every day is a chance to discover something new:

• Sports and physical challenges to build strength and teamwork

• Art, music, and storytelling to spark creativity

• Gardening and nature exploration to deepen connection with the environment

• English-Spanish familiarization to open doors for the future

• Play-acting, problem-solving, and community service to grow empathy and leadership

Children learn because life itself is their classroom.

The Bigger Vision

We believe every child deserves this kind of place — which is why our goal is to have a Welcome Unschool in every neighborhood and village in El Salvador.

And we’re not doing it alone. We’re creating spaces where people from around the world can come, share their skills, tell their stories, and become part of a child’s journey.

Our guiding motto says it all:“Build a New World with the Child in the Middle.”

How You Can Be Part of It

Right now, we’re inviting dreamers, doers, and believers to help us make the Welcome Unschool a reality. Whether through funding, volunteering, or sharing your knowledge, your contribution can open the door for a child to find safety, joy, and purpose.

Because when a child knows they are valued and seen, they can grow into an adult who changes the world.

And it all starts here — with one open field, one pavilion, one safe place TO BE.