We are advancing education in communities through programs and projects within the Comunitecas, which we target to people of different ages based on three components:
Our objective for 2015 is to implement health and nutrition programs at our Comunitecas through alliances with other organizations. We can act as an intermediary for other organization’s specific health and nutrition projects.
Our objective for 2015 is to implement health and nutrition programs at our Comunitecas through alliances with other organizations. We can act as an intermediary for other organization’s specific health and nutrition projects.
Our objective for 2015 is to implement health and nutrition programs at our Comunitecas through alliances with other organizations. We can act as an intermediary for other organization’s specific health and nutrition projects.
PAVA acts as an intermediary for other organization’s specific projects.
In collaboration with the COCODES (Comites Comunitarios de Desarrollo or Community Development Committees) and the local school boards, we strive for teachers and students to use our Comunitecas. They receive guidance from our Promoters, who develop literacy and mathematics activities. We also invite neighboring students to use our Comunitecas.
Our Opening Opportunities ("Abriendo Oportunidades") program seeks to strengthen the leadership of girls andyoung women. We organize groups or clubs for girls and train them on issues of reproductive health and gender equality, as well as enhance their capacity to become agents of change in their homes and communities. We developed this program through a partnership with Population Council*
* Population Council is an international non-profit organization that is mainly engaged in research on HIV/AIDS, poverty, gender and youth, and reproductive health.
Our Identity Programs strive to rescue the stories and oral tradition of the communities and strengthen the native Kaqchikel community.
Did you know? In addition to Spanish, there are 23 official languages in Guatemala. Kaqchikel is one of them and is the language spoken in Chimaltenango.
We train our Promoters in order to build the skills and abilities needed to carry out our programs.
*Child Aid is an international organization that has developed a specific reading program for Guatemala by which they train teachers and librarians. They distribute books to schools and abandoned libraries, bringing reading to children in more than 50 villages.
Our Early Reading Stimulation program is aimed to bring children from 0-3 years of age closer to books, so they grow to love them. We provide orientation workshops for mothers to develop literacy activities with their young children. Our program is based on the successful Reach Out and Read program that was created in Boston with a special focus on underprivileged children.
Did you know? The Reach Out and Read model has had a positive effect in parents’ behavior, beliefs, and attitudes toward reading aloud. Several studies have also shown improvements in the participating children’s grades in expressive and receptive language.
Aimed at children 3 to 6 years of age, the Preschool program assists preschoolers to develop abilities and skills holistically. The program focuses on improving children’s language, motor skills, social sciences, mathematics, and arts, among others. The skills developed during preschool years are highly important as they persist throughout a person’s lifetime.
Did you know? Children who attend a formal educational program before entering elementary school are more likely to be successful than children who do not.
Story Time is a motivational program aimed at developing reading strategies for childrenin Elementary School (6+ years). We instill a love for reading through stories and experiences that cover vocabulary, concentration, development of their imagination, critical thinking, and creativity. The program is led by our Promoters, who have been trained by PREDIN (Proyectos Educativos Integrales, which translates to Comprehensive Educational Projects), with the methodology used by the International Reading Foundation and other institutions, including Child AID.
Did you know? There is a strong correlation between the number of books a child reads and his school performance. Reading reinforces vocabulary, improves concentration and memory, and develops imagination, creativity, and critical thinking.
Since 1986, we have been very involved in the education of remote highland communities. In Guatemala, a high percentage of children do not continue their education after Elementary School due to the lack of schools in rural areas and the limited access to educational facilities in their communities. To this date, 162 children have benefitted from our scholarship program. Our main objective is to help close the breach in rural children’s school enrollment into Middle School.
Our Excellence Scholarships are intended for underprivileged teens from our areas of influence. These scholarships act as stimulus programs for children from rural communities with outstanding school performance and enable them to continue their High School studies. Each scholarship covers the cost of tuition, uniforms, materials, transportation, and room and board (if necessary).
The selection criteria require that the child has a school grade average of at least 85 percent (equivalent to a 3.0 GPA). We also select educational establishments that have high academic standards for our scholars to attend.
"My name is Evelyn Rosalia Tzaj Mejia. I am 16 years old and live in Paxixil, Tecpan, Guatemala. I am the sixth of eleven siblings. Currently, I am in the seventh grade, thanks to the scholarship that I received. I have dreamed many times of being someone in my future and it is thanks to you that I will achieve it. I feel like the luckiest member of my family, as I am the only one who has that wish and the opportunity to continue with my studies. When I reach my goal, I want to help others in need. I would like to study medicine and I hope that God grants me the opportunity to be able to help people who need me. Thank you again for granting me this beautiful opportunity."
We provide fixed scholarships to support children so they can continue with their studies.
Through funds such as the Metcaff-Smithers Scholarships (USA) and other donations,
we have supported talented students who may not even consider getting an education otherwise. Our program provides the means and social support that children need to continue their education and succeed in High School. Our scholarship program coordinator collaborates closely with Elementary School teachers from the communities to identify talented students who have the potential to assist High School.
Did you know? Most rural Guatemalan children do not finish Elementary School or continue studying after the sixth grade. The costs of their education (including school supplies, tuition, uniforms, and transportation) and the costs of not helping their parents with household or fieldwork in order to attend school, are very onerous. In addition, most High Schools are far away from these communities, which forces children to walk for hours in order to attend school.
“I started to see life differently when my son was granted this opportunity"
María Vicenta Pérez, Carlos Obispo Ajtzalán Pérez' mother.
We offer complimentary support to local schools with books to strengthen the literacy skills of children in Preschool and Elementary School.
We offer Computer Classes as a learning tool in our Comunitecas, through our Scholarship recipients or in coordination with local schools.
