Studies have established both resource gaps and education achievement and attainment gaps between rural & urban and indigenous & non-indigenous populations in Central America.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened these gaps.

Recent surveys of over 400 parents show that the Ministry of Education's pandemic focus on digital learning has deeply sharpened these disparities and inequities between these groups. Equity requires a much deeper intervention:

Project Equity

Our 2021 Project Equity Initiative is designed to improve the consequences of the pandemic and lessen the inequities heightened by the focus on distance learning, especially online learning, in our extremely poor rural communities. 

SUMMER SCHOOL

A multiple week Summer School in both Guatemala and Honduras aimed at catching children up and getting them ready to learn again! Our staff trained teachers and University students to lead multigrade classes using MOE guides and activities developed by our staff to focus on the competencies identified as weak during our pre-testing in 2020.

Summer School 2021

Summer School 2021

Summer School 2021

Summer School 2021

Summer School 2021

Summer School 2021

PEER-TO-PEER TUTORING: HONDURAS

Our Honduran communities are so remote that the majority do not have any cell signal. That is why we are creating a Peer-to-Peer Tutoring Program in Honduras where Middle School students will tutor younger students in their community for 4 hours a week. The middle school students will receive an achievement award at the end of the year for their service.

PHONE TUTORING: GUATEMALA

In partnership with a local Guatemalan University and the Ministry of Education, we will give our children access to a phone tutor throughout the school year. University students will tutor children for 30+ minutes twice a week. 

INEXPENSIVE SMARTPHONES

Majority of students that were reported as "LOW" or "NO" participation in our 2020 middle school scholarship program did not have access to a cell phone. That is why we are providing pre-loaded inexpensive smartphones to facilitate better participation in our WhatsApp support groups and online classes while schools remain closed or on "off" hybrid days.

VIRTUAL & IN-CLASSROOM TEACHER TRAINING

Our Virtual Teacher Training will be available again for any teachers who were not able to participate last year. We will also be facilitating classroom-based coaching for our teachers at least several times a month. These trainings will be focused on individualized teaching methods to identify each student's needs and how to get them caught up after missing an entire year of school in 2020. 

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