Don and Jen Knebel


On a trip to Christel House in Mexico City, we visited the ninth grade chemistry class.  It was unlike any chemistry class that we had ever experienced.  We first noticed that each student was wearing a starched white lab coat over his or her uniform.  The student's name was stitched in black over the pocket, giving the students a remarkably professional appearance.  Just learning how to dress the part of a scientist is an important lesson for students who likely have never before seen anyone dressed that way.

But we saw something else in the lab that made a lasting impression on us.  These students were not mixing chemicals that create smelly gases or the scent of strawberries.  Working in small groups, each with different a task, they were making soap.  Some were carefully measuring and mixing chemicals to get just the right consistency and color in the end product.  Others were pouring the resulting mixture into molds incorporating various symbols and logos.  Still others were placing the soap in boxes.  All were caring out their tasks with care and enthusiasm.  At the end of our visit, the students proudly gave us a bar of the soap they had made.

Making school relevant to the lives of students is a challenge faced by educators everywhere.  Christel House has met this challenge in Mexico City and its schools in India, South Africa and Indianapolis.  Not all the students we saw will ultimately become chemists.  Maybe none of them will.  But they will all need to know how to how to follow written directions, to measure carefully, to work together in teams and to take pride in their work.  The students in the class we visited were not just studying chemistry.  They were being prepared for life.  That is what Christel House does.  That is why we support Christel House.  

Heather Richey
Featured in: @ChristelHouse Fall 2013

Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are about getting deals…. And now Giving Tuesday is about giving back.

Christel House is joining the global Giving Tuesday movement to establish an annual day just for giving back and transforming lives. We are excited to announce that through a generous offer put forth by Dennert and Suzanne Ware, you can double the transformative power your gift will have on Christel House students from now until December 3!

All donations made through Tuesday, December 3, up to a total of $250,000, will be matched.

Please consider making a gift today to help us make this winter a little brighter for Christel House students. You can give online at www.christelhouse.org/donate. When giving, select the drop down menu option "Giving Tuesday".

MaryAri Contreras
Featured in: @ChristelHouse Fall 2013

Maryari is proof of how a holistic education and the drive for a better life can break the cycle of poverty. After graduating from Christel House in 2007, she earned a degree in International Relations from Universidad Central de Venezuela. Today she is working in a full time position at the United Nations office in Venezuela.

"This job makes me feel happy and grateful, because it's a dream come true to work for such an important international organization. I am excited because I will be able to show the skills that I've learned during my studies in International Relations. I am committed to showing the best of my potential to do a great job for my country and the rest of the world."

"At Christel House, everything was so different than my other school. I was happy because I wanted to be different, to be a good student," said Maryari.

She grew up in La Vega, one of the most impoverished and dangerous barrios of Caracas, Venezuela, where the opportunity to build a better life is hard-won. "There are many girls with broken dreams and no potential for a better life. They get pregnant very young and kids are raising kids. Boys work as adults from a very early age and often get involved in drugs or delinquency," she said.

"Before Christel House, I attended another school where I was bullied for wanting to be a good student and enjoying school. But Christel House was different. I am grateful for all the beautiful things now in my life because of it."

In her personal time, Maryari gives back to her community. She visits Christel House, now run by Fe y Alegria, at least once a week where she started a conversational English club with current students."I wanted to apply a skill that I love to help other students learn. During meetings we watch movies, cartoons and music videos and then discuss them, or we talk about current events and our interests. Some kids are only 12 years old and they say things in such a beautiful way and so correctly [in English]," said Maryari.

"Christel House is like a family to me. I can never say thank you enough for the support it has given me. Without the support of donors, many boys and girls, including myself, wouldn’t be able to tell the stories of their success with pride and happiness. The new generation wants to help others and give back to create a better world. That is the Christel House legacy -- creating something beautiful and unique, and building a better world with the help of many."