Suriname

Kennedy School for Deaf Children, Paramaribo. Suriname is located on the northeast corner of South America, with Brazil to the south, French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. This tropical coastal country contains some of the world's most beautiful rain forest, still greatly undisturbed. Suriname has close ties with Holland, as a former Dutch colony, with Dutch being the native language.

Named in honor of President John F. Kennedy, the Kennedy School for Deaf Children provides vocational training, such as woodworking, in addition to traditional courses. For 45 full-time students, all of whom are deaf or hearing-impaired, the Kennedy Stichting (School) is both home and school. Another 88 deaf children attend school on a daily basis, going to pre-school, kindergarten, primary and junior high sections. The junior high classes include a variety of vocational training, such as technical, administration and home economics, in addition to the basic education courses.

The children in this classroom at the Kennedy School are learning to write in cursive.