This Club of Young university students initiated in the University Ave María Latin American Campus. These students want to attend to the need of people with disabilities to form connections of community and friendship – the kind of friendship where one finds the strength to show their own weaknesses and vulnerabilities in front of the other.

Through the club, the students want to emphasize that instead of being there “for” people with disabilities, they want to be there “with” them. They try to make lasting connections, want to laugh together, celebrate life together and be happy together with people with disabilities. 

The mission of L´Arch Club is to show the community how people with intellectual disabilities have many gifts which they can bring to humanity, if only we really let them be part of the communities we live in. 

Strong ties of friendship bind the University students to the young adults at Antorcha – they often come to visit the center to celebrate their friendship and the gift and beauty that is life together. 

Although dance can be included in the category of physical education, we at Antorcha believe that it has many benefits not only to the physical health of the students.  Dance as a form of self-expression and as training for sense rhythm and coordination stimulates students´ self-esteem as well as their minds, not only their muscles.  

To ensure good results, the sports programs at Antorcha are designed to focus on simple, basic principles of physical education, including: 

• Health and good physical condition/fitness 
• Progressive levels of success (individual progress in certain disciplines) 
• Social success (e.g. teamwork) 
• Prizes 

Faith and Light communities are formed by people with disabilities, their family, and friends and are especially attractive for young people, who meet up regularly to share their Christian faith, their friendship, to pray together, and to celebrate life together. The reunions take place on a monthly basis, preferably in a church. 

The communities are a sign for society, with the conviction that people with intellectual disabilities have been chosen by God to confuse all the wise and strong members of the community. 

The students from Antorcha that attend the reunions with their respective friends and family are integrated into two different Faith and Light communities in Carazo: The “Hope” Community which comes together in the San Antonio church of Jinotepe on the first Saturday of every month and the “Ave María” Community which meets at Keiser University in San Marcos on the last Saturday of every month. 

Apart from the monthly encounters, the communities organize various activities throughout the year in accordance with their members´ necessities, e.g. pilgrimages to nearby sites or retreats. 

Arts and crafts, generally speaking, are handmade projects, with or without the help of instruments or tools. At Antorcha, different mediums and techniques are introduced to the students, encouraging the students to express themselves and discover their hidden talents. 

Personal realization, living out creativity, and disconnecting from their work in the workshops are the main goals of art class, as well as helping to overcome boredom, bad mood fits, or stress as well as training students´ fine motor skills. 

Music is a stimulus that affects an individual´s perception as a whole – so music has a variety of functions, ranging from communication, self-expression to entertainment. 

In line with Antorcha´s vision, music is of vital importance for the students to discover their artistic side and incorporate their individuality into their work.