Students happily engage with Matrix, their newfound friend. Tori Repole Photo

The students at Pioneer Park Elementary School will never forget the day they saw Matrix. Not TheMatrix, as in the 1999 sci-fi movie, but Maria Newman’s gorgeous gray gelding who paid them a visit on March 4 thanks to a collaboration by JustWorld International, Rodriguez Equestrian, StoryBook Treasures, and Belle Herbe Farm.

It’s not every day that the kids get to interact with a horse on the field of their Belle Glade, Florida, campus. For many, the interaction marked their first time seeing a horse in person, and Matrix brought their imaginations to life.

*Volunteers and JWI Ambassadors at Pioneer Park Elementary School. Mike Souza/So Chill Media Photo*

“It was a joy to see how excited the students were to see Matrix and how brave they were to approach him,” said Tori Repole, JustWorld’s Community Engagement Associate. “Matrix transformed the horse from a mythical creature into a living and breathing animal the students could approach, pat, and talk to. It was sweet hearing them comment about how soft he is. Or how loudly he sneezes, just like them. This trip was incredibly meaningful, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to witness the indescribable allure of horses time and time again.”

Pioneer Park Elementary is one of two Title 1 schools in JustWorld’s U.S.-based work, in partnership with StoryBook Treasures. The collaboration provides five literacy kits a year to children in pre-K through third grades, including lesson plans, books the children can take home, and small treasures designed to build a love of reading in all students.

We kicked off the day with a 45-minute commute from JustWorld’s Wellington headquarters to the Pioneer Park campus. Matrix traveled in a truck and trailer donated for the day by Olympian and JustWorld Ambassador Juan Andres Rodriguez, who owns and operates the Wellington-based Rodriguez Equestrian. As a treat to the Pioneer Park students and faculty, Juan Andres conducted four mounted sessions to showcase the horse and rider connection.

“We’re thrilled as Rodriguez Equestrian to [partner with JustWorld] at Pioneer Park Elementary School, bringing some happiness to these wonderful kids,” Juan Andres said. “We’re happy to share the passion we have for our sport and our horses.”

Juan Andres represented Guatemala at the 2008 Olympic Games with the Dutch Warmblood stallion Orestus VDL. At Pioneer Park, his twin daughters, Ana Sofia and Ana Cristina Rodriguez, took the initiative as JustWorld Ambassadors to warmly welcome each group of students, introducing them to Matrix and their father before narrating each mounted session to explain the horse gaits and rider aids. The children also had a chance to ask questions, and Juan Andres explained things such as how long it takes a horse to eat a carrot and demonstrated, at the children’s request, how fast Matrix could go.

*A family affair! Olympian Juan Andres Rodriguez poses with his daughters, Ana Sofia and Ana Cristina Rodriguez, and Matrix at Pioneer Park Elementary School. Tori Repole Photo*

Following the riding demonstrations, Denise Corbo, Founder of StoryBook Treasures facilitated a read-aloud of “Everything Horses And Ponies” in Ms. Pringle’s first-grade classroom, and each student enthusiastically received their own copy to take home.

“Our SBT team selected the book, ‘The Everything Book of Horses and Ponies,’ because it's perfectly illustrated with real life photos, and the book's content is designed to pique an interest in horses,” Denise said. “After seeing and touching a real horse, it seemed like the perfect book for the JWI Ambassadors to share with the children. We know books are powerful tools that spark a child's imagination and curiosity. Our hope is that the event and the shared equestrian book, which is now the student's book to keep forever, will cultivate an interest in horses and perhaps one day lead the children to have their own passion and career in the equestrian world!”

*StoryBook Treasures Founder Denise Corbo speaks to Ms. Pringle's first-grade class about "Everything Horses And Ponies," the grade-level book they got to take home. Mike Souza/So Chill Media Photo*

Ambassadors spread out among the students and read to them in small groups. After seeing the horse in person, the children jumped enthusiastically into reading about breeds, sizes, and much more about horses.

“The kids really enjoyed this,” Ms. Pringle said. “I can see how excited they were, and thank you all for bringing a horse because some of our kids never got that close to a horse. So, I would just like to say thank you all very much, and please, please, continue this program with us. I want you all to come back next year.”

JustWorld and StoryBook Treasures have served Pioneer Park Elementary since 2018, and from 2019 to 2022, third grade reading proficiency increased from 23.9% to 47.9%. In 2022, Pioneer Park ranked as the No. 1 elementary school for English Language Arts gains in Palm Beach County, with 80% of students making significant gains.

A total of 25 volunteers and JustWorld Ambassadors attended the Pioneer Park visit, including JustWorld Founder Jessica Newman and her mother, Maria Newman. Veteran Ambassadors like Francie Steinwedell, Teresa (Titi) Mills, and Denise Quirk–who attended JustWorld’s inaugural project visits to Guatemala–were also present, as were a contingent of dedicated Youth Ambassadors.

*Students quickly make friends and gain confidence with Matrix. Tori Repole Photo*

“There is nothing like seeing JustWorld’s system in action,” Francie said. “To see JustWorld’s Youth Ambassadors at Pioneer Park warms my heart. When we’re young and growing up, so much of the time it’s all about us and our friends. It’s not about anyone else, and JustWorld is the opportunity to open these kids’ eyes.

“As we get older––as I’ve gotten older––we think more about family and others and doing what we can when we can so that kids have opportunities to be educated and prepared for what the world has to offer,” Francie continued. “Education equals opportunity. Need is everywhere. It’s in our own backyards, and I think we forget that when we stay in our own little bubble in this thing called life. What JustWorld does for our community and these kids around the world is the real meaning of ‘passing it forward.’"

JustWorld extends a special thank you to Pioneer Park Principal Dr. Sandra Moreau, who facilitated Monday’s experience, to our incredible Volunteers and Ambassadors: Annika Kriening, Sophie and Sasha Kassel, Dawson Amick, Lola Mulliez, Ethan Calvo, Ashley Holzer, Lucy Rappoport, and Jovanna Stepan, and to Ambassador Aiko Paridean, JWI Board Member Michael Lawrence and Hector Cano for assisting Juan Andres with Matrix.

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JustWorld International

Established in 2003, JustWorld International was created to connect equestrians with a direct way to help fracture the cycle of poverty through education, healthcare, nutrition, and leadership programs benefiting children around the world. Ambassadors from more than forty countries have since committed to “Ride for the Cause” and transform the lives of children through equestrian sport. JustWorld has united the international equestrian community and become the Official Charity Partner of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body of equestrian sport. Envisioning a more just world, the non-profit organization cultivates strategic, project partnerships in a collaborative approach to impact the lives of nearly 10,000 children around the globe annually.

To donate, become an Ambassador, or learn more about JustWorld, please visit www.justworldinternational.org or @justworldinternational on Facebook and Instagram.

JustWorld International is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States and tax-deductible donations are accepted in the United States. JustWorld International has no political or religious affiliation.

StoryBook Treasures is a non-profit organization with the goal of providing books and reading materials to promote literacy and education to ALL children. The StoryBook Treasures organization educates, inspires and empowers all children to experience the best children's literature in an educational setting. Our program helps children make vital comprehensive reading connections to literature while building a classroom and personal home library collection of books.

Based in Wellington, Florida, Rodriguez Equestrian provides lessons, training, horse sales and leases with head trainer, Olympian Juan Andres Rodriguez.

Maria Newman’s beautiful Belle Herbe Farm is located in Wellington, Florida, and is the headquarters for JustWorld International.