The process of our establishment developed from combining professional knowledge, borrowed furniture from various family members and friends, a suitcase of toys and learning materials from the Seattle Goodwill, a bit of out of pocket investment, a big living room divided by bookcases in the founder’s house and a passion to thrive. We opened our doors March 1, 2007.

 

The Begining

We felt excited but anxious the first two months as we struggled to promote our center, receiving new students, convincing parents that quality individualized education where change and growth was visible existed and that our program was worth their time and monetary investment. We began our first week with 2 students and worked with an average of 5-7 students for the first 6 months continually monitoring and evaluating our efforts and quality of services. Like any business, reputation builds with success and can be a very slow process.

The Middle

With an average of 10 students by mid-year we, as teachers and founders, made enough to pay for our transport there and back each day. Since this was an afternoon program all three of us worked full time jobs in the morning, and some at night to be able to support ourselves, and invested all our time and energy into the project in the afternoon, knowing that investing time and dedication then would pay off in the future. By the end of the year we had 16 students and a growing reputation.

 

We started a summer program in January, 2008, inviting all children in the community to participate in fun workshops that integrated our students with typically developing students in music, dance, art, drama and swimming classes two days a week and intensive education classes for our students three days a week. This six week program drew a lot of publicity for our center with an average of 30 kids in attendance on workshop days. The community began to learn about us and the parents of our students began to spread the word, our reputation was finally growing. We had some of our mothers asking for various flyers advertising the school to pass out to friends and acquaintances. We started the school year in March, 2008 with 24 students!

2008 started great, we were confident, we had many students, we had hired two teachers, had two practicum students from an education institute working with us, everyone was making at least a little bit to take home and new faces continued to ring the door bell on a weekly basis. We were gaining a reputation for a center that could provide quality education to even the most difficult students, had well trained staff and devotion to our purpose.

Leading up to Camino Nuevo

Since March 1, 2007 – March 1, 2009 Manos Unidas functioned as a private educational center which provided many challenges. We are the first center in the region that has attempted to open as a private facility, charging parents an average of $45 a month for quality education. Our income covered minimal wages, utility bills and small investments  for the center.

 

March 1, 2009 we opened the doors to Centro de Educacion Basica Especial "Camino Nuevo", the first private school for special education that provides educational opportunities for all families regardless of their ability to pay.