“In 4th grade for all the eternity”

His name is Jacob Morales and he is one of the children participating in Kids Excel El Paso. This programme, sponsored by the ArcelorMittal Foundation, brings highly energetic dance programmes directly into public schools in marginal communities. According to a letter Jacob wrote to “Dear ArcelorMittal Mexico”, the dancing lessons not only kept him moving, but also thinking…

In his colourful and sweet letter, displayed here, Jacob explains that Kids Excel helped him to work hard and never give up. “I wish I could stay in 4th grade all my life or all the eternity. Thank you!” he concludes.

Together with his 4th grade colleagues and many other children since 2004, Jacob has enjoyed the energetic, fun but also physically and mentally challenging dance lessons of Kids Excel. The majority of children participating in the programme have never taken a dance class before. Most of them belong to an ethnic minority.

“The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the kids dancing was how great it would have been to have something like this when I was in school,” commented Nathalie Rehaen, our CR Coordinator in Mexico. “Looking at the Excel classes you can perfectly imagine how it increases a child’s self esteem.” And that’s something that will accompany Jacob and his classmates for all their lives… or all the eternity!

Collaboration: Tobin Postma, CR Communications