Since the year 2000, America Developing Smiles fundraising work has helped support the operations of two educational Centers in Masaya: Centro Melania Lacayo offers a remarkable special education program with daily meals to more than 70 handicapped children and Centro Laura Vicuña provides education to more than 600 children per year from kindergarten through 12th Grade. Thanks to the America Developing Smiles contributions through the years, this school grew from a single classroom in year 2000 to a full educational center in 2008 . Students finishing 12th grade get a fully accredited high school diploma. Laura Vicuña was the first school to be recipient of the Microsoft program “One Laptop per Child” in Nicaragua.

In 2007, America Developing Smiles began supporting the efforts of several ADS centers in Mexico. The Maria Auxiliadora school in Queretaro, provides education and CCD courses to over 100 kids, as well as technical and adult extended education training on subjects including English language courses, arts and crafts and dress making. America Developing Smiles backed the construction of additional classroom space by adding a second floor to the facilities of the Maria Auxiliadora School. Similarly, it also assisted with the purchase of the bakery equipment for the Centro ADS Don Bosco in Puebla, which provides technical training courses in computers and bakery and offer dental care facilities. Both bakery products and dental care services are provided at minimal cost to help cover operational costs of the center.

From 2003 to 2006 our volunteers participated in the All-Aboard program of the Institute for the Child and Family Health of the State of Florida providing weekly one-to-one support and tutoring of kindergarten and first grade students in two Miami-Dade public schools. For six years, they supported the Caridad Health Clinic, which offers free health care and dental services to over 10,000 needy farm workers and their children in the Rangeline area of Palm Beach. For more than 12 years, America Developing Smiles has been supporting Saint John Bosco Parish in Little Havana. Organizing flea markets and other activities, volunteers have been able to collect funds to support the Parish religious education programs. Thanksgiving Baskets and Christmas toy drives, are some activities our volunteers keep contributing to the local communities they live in.