“Every mother is a teacher” reads the t-shirt of a child that belongs to the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
A child paints her mother's hand as part of an activity during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
Ana Gabriela Chavarría, who was once a student at this same kindergarten plays memory with her daughter Génesis during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
Maritza Rocha cleans his son's hands, Derin Chow, after finishing an activity during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
Zeneida Rocha plays puzzle with her son, Kevin, during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
Mothers-Teachers and their children practice the names of the days of the week, the vowels and the numbers during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant woman in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
Mothers-Teachers and their children share a meal prepared with the contributions of all the families during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
A busy moment around the sink after an activity during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant woman in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. 
Surrounded by busy and noisy Mothers-Teachers, a child waits patiently in her mother's arms for her hands to be cleaned after activity during the last session of 2015 at the Madre-Maestra's kindergarten Estrellitas del Campo (Stars of the Countryside), in Calle Quebradas, Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica. This kindergarten has existed since 1988. Madres-Maestras (Mothers-Teachers) is a nonprofit community organization run by peasant women in various villages of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. The women work as volunteers. It is a kindergarten where mothers are the teachers and their children are the students, but where some of the most valuable lessons are those the women learn from each other. Este ensayo fotográfico sobre Madres-Maestras fue seleccionado para formar parte del libro The Other Hundred Educators, tercera edición de The Other Hundred, una iniciativa sin fines de lucro del Global Institute For Tomorrow.
“Los Otros Cien Educadores, cuestiona la comprensión convencional de la educación y presenta a los educadores no celebrados de nuestro tiempo. Estas son las personas que han sido pioneras en formas únicas de enseñar y transferir conocimientos y, al hacerlo, han cambiado la vida de muchos. Sus métodos son poco ortodoxos y su pedagogía rara vez se reconoce. Su contribución para superar los límites del conocimiento humano a menudo es más profunda y cambia la vida que cualquier institución formal y, sin embargo, nunca llegarán a los primeros puestos y listas de educación “.
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This photo essay about Madres-Maestras was selected to be part of the book The Other Hundred Educators, third edition of The Other Hundred, a not-for-profit initiative of the Global Institute For Tomorrow.
“The Other Hundred Educators questions the conventional understanding of education and presents the uncelebrated educators of our times. These are the people who have pioneered unique ways of teaching and transferring knowledge and, by doing so, have changed the lives of many. Their methods are unorthodox and their pedagogy is rarely recognised. Their contribution to pushing boundaries of human knowledge is often times more profound and life-altering than any formal institution and yet they will never make the top education ranks and lists.”
