On February 20, 2026, School the World dedicated its 200th school in Tululché II, Guatemala. It’s a milestone 17 years in the making—one that represents not just buildings, but the power of what’s possible when communities lead their own transformation.
When School the World began in 2009, founder and CEO Kate Curran couldn’t have imagined reaching this moment. But the number itself isn’t what matters most.
“Reaching 200 schools is a testament to the vision and determination of the communities we’ve been honored to work alongside,” Curran reflects. “Each of these schools exists because local leaders identified the need, governments co-invested in infrastructure, and parents and community volunteers showed up to build spaces where their children could thrive.”
Our model has always started with conversations and invitations from local leaders. It begins when communities are ready to invest in their children’s futures.
We don’t build schools for communities—we build them with communities who are leading the way.
Local governments co-invest in infrastructure. Parents and community volunteers show up—literally—to mix cement, paint walls, and create spaces where their children will learn.
But the dedication ceremony is just the beginning. Each school represents the start of a five-year intensive partnership that includes:
These safe, colorful spaces become sources of pride for entire communities—places where children are eager to show up and learn, developing academic foundations alongside critical social and emotional skills through both classroom experiences and play.
The 200th school dedication included 32 service learning students from nine high schools who witnessed firsthand how local communities lead their own educational transformation.
“Service learning is core to our mission because it creates opportunities for students to learn from communities,” Curran explains. “These young people witnessed communities choosing their own path forward and creating educational opportunities for generations to come.”
This reciprocal learning—where students aren’t observers or tourists, but partners and learners—is essential to School the World’s model. It shapes not just the communities we serve, but the next generation of global citizens who understand what community-led partnership looks like.
While the 200th school dedication took place in Central America where School the World began its work, the organization is expanding its reach. New schools are currently under construction in the Philippines, marking School the World’s first work beyond Central America.
The same principles apply: community leadership, government partnership, local investment, and long-term commitment to educational success.
At a recent all-staff meeting, the School the World team was asked a simple icebreaker question: What superpower makes you good at your job?
The answers were revealing.
Some were beautifully practical: using a pencil, analyzing, transparency, responsibility. Others were deeply human: enthusiasm, wisdom, resistance to the challenges that come with this work. And some reached for something bigger: time travel, flying, magic.
But the responses that capture the heart of this work? The power to change people’s mentalities. Making people believe in themselves. Transforming communities.
This is what our staff does every single day—from Guatemala to Honduras to the Philippines. Every person on this team brings something irreplaceable to this work.
Two hundred schools weren’t built by superpowers in the traditional sense. They were built by communities who believed their children deserved better. By governments willing to co-invest in rural education. By parents who showed up day after day to build with their own hands. By teachers committed to transforming lives through education.
And by supporters—individuals, foundations, and corporations —who believed in a model that centers community vision and leadership.
This milestone belongs to all of us: the communities who lead, the staff who guide, the students who build, and the supporters who make it possible.
To everyone who has made this possible: you are part of these superpowers. Here’s to the many more schools still to come. Please watch our celebration video that captured this milestone!
We just reached a historic milestone! Thanks to our community of supporters and local partners, we’ve officially dedicated our 200th school in Central America.
This isn’t just about a building—it’s about 17 years of community-led transformation and the start of a five-year commitment to the children of Tululché II.
From Guatemala to the Philippines, our co-investment model ensures every dollar you give creates a self-sustaining foundation for education.