| A UNICEF report on the drastic effects of child labor in developing countries indicates there are 404 million children under the age of 18 not attending school (1997). Many are street and working children who deserve the chance, but lack the educational resources, to become conscious and productive citizens. Nonformal education has been defined as an alternative to traditional schooling, in which students learn vocational trades or academic subjects, aimed at enhancing their lives. This alternative approach is considered nonformal education because it is typically short-term and non-degree granting. Nonformal education may provide opportunities to employ empowering pedagogics for street and working children. An empowering pedagogy in nonformal education includes the notions of student psychological well-being, economic stability, and educational achievement. These key features create the necessary foundation for street and working children to become socially conscious participants in society.; This case study examined Corason, a nonformal education project in Guadalajara, Mexico, and its ability to employ an empowering curriculum, creating critically conscious students. The primary methods of data collection included interviews and observations. Focused interviews were held with eight working children attending the program, two teachers, and three administrators to examine the school's pedagogical practices, seeking to empower its learners. The school was studied from three research lenses: student perspectives, program pedagogy, and the empowerment of females to gain a full picture of Corason's empowering framework.; Five conclusions were drawn from this study regarding empowering frameworks in nonformal education: (1) Children were critically cognizant of their impoverished positions in society but were unable to alleviate economic burdens due to deficient resources. (2) Lack of teacher training strongly impacted children's self-concept and ability to achieve empowerment. (3) Support mechanisms and alternatives to traditional academic coursework were slim; available choices such as cosmetology and masonry maintained gender role stereotypes within the community. (4) Mothers were especially important to the enrollment and attendance of students. (5) The conditions of girls were dismal, augmented by the fact that young females lacked the wherewithal to make optimum personal decisions. |
