Our Mission
In the remote but beautiful region of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan, many students are unable to attend preschool. They often live in remote villages with limited access, their families often cannot afford to pay the tuition that public preschools charge — or there is simply no space in the already overcrowded preschools that exist. Furthermore, students with disabilities often stay at home due to lack of support for inclusive education practices in the schools and in their communities. That’s why we want to build a preschool, one that is unique in the region for its cross cultural emphasis, accessibility, inclusivity, safe staffing ratios, and high standard of instruction.
Our Vision
Provide high quality instruction to rural students. Children from ages 3-6 are at a critical stage of development where they are learning the important social and emotional skills that will be the foundation for successful learning behaviors for the rest of their lives. Currently, in Toktogul, the quality of the existing preschools is quite low because, on average, one teacher and one assistant serve the needs of 50-60 children in a space meant for 25-30. Children are cramped and neglected while teachers are burnt out and overworked. Our preschool will have a maximum of 25 students per class, allowing the teacher and assistant to be more effective in their work. In addition, we will provide instruction that weaves evidence-based practices from the Montessori model together with the Kyrgyz National Standards for early childhood education, ensuring that our preschool will be a place where children have a high quality and culturally sensitive place to learn and grow.
Teach tolerance and inclusivity. Our student population will include kids who are routinely excluded in Kyrgyzstan (and around the world): kids with disabilities will learn alongside typically developing kids. Our preschool will be the first in the region to offer slots to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities often simply do not attend school because they are either physically unable to access the building or are not provided the basic accommodations they need to access lessons. Bilim Nuskasy, the non-profit under which our preschool will operate, has had a special focus on students with disabilities. Our existing resource room was the very first (and only) building in the region specifically designed to be wheelchair accessible. Our team of Stateside experts in early childhood education and special education will support local teachers with ongoing training in response to the needs they identify, including how to instruct and include kids that are not typically developing. Our teachers, through skilled instruction and inclusive practices, will model for students the idea that all humans have inherent value and worth, that we all have something to learn from each other.
Create global citizens. Our students will be exposed to three world languages and meet volunteer teachers from around the world. Students at the preschool will benefit from early exposure to English and cross cultural exchange with volunteer teachers from outside of Kyrgyzstan. In addition, local teachers at the preschool will be fluent in both Kyrgyz (the native language of most people living in the Toktogul region) and Russian (the lingua franca of Kyrgyzstan, spoken in most places of business and universities) and will provide instruction in both languages to better prepare students for life in an increasingly globalized world.
Develop compassionate people. Our school will be built in honor of Elvira Eshalieva, Ratbu’s daughter, who died from stage four stomach cancer several weeks after the birth of her son. Elvira worked tirelessly to make her community a better place, assisting in every youth leadership project that Ratbu organized. Even when she was living abroad, she contributed financially to projects being organized in Toktogul, such as making Rabu’s resource room wheelchair accessible. Elvira’s dedication to her community helped improve it in very tangible ways that can still be seen and felt, and this preschool will be an extension of her legacy. Because this preschool was created as a way to honor Elvira, there will be several slots held for students who have a parent or guardian affected by cancer. In addition to the emotional toll, cancer can take a heavy financial toll on families, which is why we will offer these students a 50% tuition reduction. Our preschool will provide a safe place and a rich education for children living with the grief and stress that cancer can bring into their lives. Our other students will learn empathy and compassion as they play side-by-side with these peers who have experienced such a huge and early trauma.
Teach tolerance and inclusivity. Our student population will include kids who are routinely excluded in Kyrgyzstan (and around the world): kids with disabilities will learn alongside typically developing kids. Our preschool will be the first in the region to offer slots to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities often simply do not attend school because they are either physically unable to access the building or are not provided the basic accommodations they need to access lessons. Bilim Nuskasy, the non-profit under which our preschool will operate, has had a special focus on students with disabilities. Our existing resource room was the very first (and only) building in the region specifically designed to be wheelchair accessible. Our team of Stateside experts in early childhood education and special education will support local teachers with ongoing training in response to the needs they identify, including how to instruct and include kids that are not typically developing. Our teachers, through skilled instruction and inclusive practices, will model for students the idea that all humans have inherent value and worth, that we all have something to learn from each other.
Create global citizens. Our students will be exposed to three world languages and meet volunteer teachers from around the world. Students at the preschool will benefit from early exposure to English and cross cultural exchange with volunteer teachers from outside of Kyrgyzstan. In addition, local teachers at the preschool will be fluent in both Kyrgyz (the native language of most people living in the Toktogul region) and Russian (the lingua franca of Kyrgyzstan, spoken in most places of business and universities) and will provide instruction in both languages to better prepare students for life in an increasingly globalized world.
Develop compassionate people. Our school will be built in honor of Elvira Eshalieva, Ratbu’s daughter, who died from stage four stomach cancer several weeks after the birth of her son. Elvira worked tirelessly to make her community a better place, assisting in every youth leadership project that Ratbu organized. Even when she was living abroad, she contributed financially to projects being organized in Toktogul, such as making Rabu’s resource room wheelchair accessible. Elvira’s dedication to her community helped improve it in very tangible ways that can still be seen and felt, and this preschool will be an extension of her legacy. Because this preschool was created as a way to honor Elvira, there will be several slots held for students who have a parent or guardian affected by cancer. In addition to the emotional toll, cancer can take a heavy financial toll on families, which is why we will offer these students a 50% tuition reduction. Our preschool will provide a safe place and a rich education for children living with the grief and stress that cancer can bring into their lives. Our other students will learn empathy and compassion as they play side-by-side with these peers who have experienced such a huge and early trauma.
Our Goals
Financial accessibility. Because there is very little state funding for preschools, families in Kyrgyzstan must pay for public preschool programs, which prevents many students from attending. Our preschool would also need to charge tuition to cover teacher salaries and operating costs, just as public schools do; however, each year there would be a limited number of slots held for crowd-funded scholarship students. Furthermore, our preschool would operate under Bilim Nuskasy as a non-profit organization, charging only as much tuition as we need to cover operating expenses, making it a very affordable option for families.
Geographic accessibility. The preschool will be located right off of the Osh-Bishkek highway, which is the main road that runs through the Toktogul region. Many taxis and mini-buses operate from small villages to this main road, making the preschool accessible, even for families that live in remote parts of the region.
Ongoing teacher training. Ratbu is one of the most renowned English teachers in the region and has conducted extensive teacher trainings all over the region. As such, she will be able to hire the best local teachers and provide continuing education and training to them as they work in the preschool.
Geographic accessibility. The preschool will be located right off of the Osh-Bishkek highway, which is the main road that runs through the Toktogul region. Many taxis and mini-buses operate from small villages to this main road, making the preschool accessible, even for families that live in remote parts of the region.
Ongoing teacher training. Ratbu is one of the most renowned English teachers in the region and has conducted extensive teacher trainings all over the region. As such, she will be able to hire the best local teachers and provide continuing education and training to them as they work in the preschool.
If you feel moved to be a part of this project...
Our world is whatever the next generations make it. If you want to impact the world, help us build a school that will teach children to have empathy and compassion, that will help children develop the social emotional skills they need for success in life, that makes early childhood education a resource that is available to all; help us build a school that may one day influence how other schools are built. We need schools like this, across the world.
