61 teens  2009     Scholarship Program

Going to school in Guatemala is not free.
There are registration fees that can supersede a family's monthly income - and that's just for one student.   Many families have to choose which of their children can go to school.   There are uniforms, books, and supplies, as well as transportation costs if the school is not in their town.  Read more about our scholars.

The middle and high schools in Guatemala are not free, and therefore are out of reach for many kids, in fact most of the kids in Fatima and Nuevo San Jose.   It's a vicious cycle - dropping out of school at 12 or 13 forces them into a life of day labor jobs, but a family that depends on the wages of a day laborer cannot afford the cost of schooling.

Here's where you can help.  
The Scholarship Program has been around for 10 years and sends as many students to school as the annual budget allows.   

Currently, only 2% of teens in this area of the country attend high school!   We strive to support at least 50 teens each year - certainly not everyone who should be attending, and not even all the teens who want to attend.   But we're making a dent.

Expectations of the students
The students who receive scholarships are expected to be serious about their academics, and are required to participate in monthly Youth Encounters that promote a sense of leadership and community responsibility.   A core group of 5 basico students are selected for "work-study" jobs that organize Wednesday evening activity nights for area children.   

Students receive their scholarship funds at the monthly meetings,  when accompanied by a parent.   They are required to show their receipts to verify they are attending school.   The monthly conferences help them work on study skills, healthy communication, employment skills, and most importantly, they support   the students in identifying goals and continuing to pursue them.

Your donation will keep teens in school for another year.   Stats show that the longer the teens stay in school, the lower the pregnancy rate, the lower the teen marriage rate, and the higher the income levels they can expect.   Help us keep these students learning.

Becas Report	2007			2008			2009
	#	Total $		#	Total $		#	Total $
Basico	20	$1,693		20	$1,531		36	$2,610
Diversificado	30	$9,520		30	$8,288		25	$6,813
Leadership Team	5	$1,000		5	$935		5	$1,032
Monthly Student Meetings		$500			$500			$500
Total for Year		$12,713			$11,254			$10,955

* Dollar amounts vary due to changing exchange rates

This need doesn't go away, we must raise the money each year for these teens to graduate.  

We've made it easy to contribute to the scholarship fund -  donate online using our secure site