The Colegio Ricaurte de Soacha was founded in the 1970s as a private school located in the District of Soacha, just south of Bogota, Colombia. The launch and multi-decade expansion of the school by the Baquero family is described in the inspiring History of the School. Neighborhoods in Bogota are classified on a six strata scale with 1 being the most economically challenged and 6 being the least. The school's founders and management team strive to provide a solid education to the local students to enable them to obtain successful employment, thereby improving the economic climate of the area for the future. The Director, Myriam Lucy Baquero Bohorquez, has lived in the Soacha area for most of her life. She raised her family here and educated her three children at the Colegio Ricaurte de Soacha, where she has served as either a teacher, director or both for over 35 years. Currently, the school's primary and secondary schools (approximately 10,000 SQFT in two separate buildings) are attended by 100 local students. Unlike most schools in the area, the school proactively recruits Special Education students who would otherwise not have an opportunity for education and personal growth. The school employs an "inclusion" approach that integrates the Special Education students into classes and also provides Special Education programming targeted to individual needs. In 2010, the school was selected as a project site by IVHQ (International Volunteer Headquarters), a New Zealand-based placement service for individuals interested in volunteering in international locations. The IVHQ volunteers are managed and directed by a Bogota-based NGO, Emerging Voices. IVHQ volunteers assigned to Colegio Ricaurte de Soacha have thus far provided English language instruction and assistance in the construction of new classrooms. Volunteers can now participate in an even broader list of projects at the school.
