Pat Doerr and Lauralton Hall Students on the First High School Service Trip in 2013

“More Highs Than Lows”: Remembering Our First School Trip to Guatemala

Patricia Doerr, Lauralton Hall (Retired)
December 10, 2025

A look back at the very first School the World student service trip to Guatemala — led by teacher Patricia Doerr and her Lauralton Hall students in 2013.

EVELIN #3

Beyond the Scholarship: How Evelin and Ángel Kept Climbing After Middle School

December 6, 2025

School the World’s middle school scholarships help students navigate one of the hardest transitions in their education. For Evelin and Ángel, that support played a key role in getting to high school—and graduating. Their stories show how early encouragement can open the door for students to keep going, even after formal support ends.

Jacqueline Fanning on a School the World Service Trip as a student

From Student to Leader: Jacqueline Fanning’s School the World Journey

December 3, 2025

Nearly ten years ago, Jacqueline Fanning took her first School the World trip as a high school student—and it changed everything. Now a middle school math teacher and veteran chaperone, she shares the moment that shaped her career and her advice for students and parents considering their own journey.

IMG_8065_edited

Beyond Service Hours: The Science Behind Why Service Trips Transform Teens

December 3, 2025

Parents send teens on service trips for cultural experience, service hours, and maybe some gratitude. But research on adolescent development reveals something deeper happening—these experiences build the empathy, agency, and prosocial habits that shape who teenagers become as adults.

Parents as First Educators

When Parents Lead: How a Community United for Education

November 28, 2025

After a devastating storm, one Guatemalan community came together—not just to rebuild a school, but to reshape their future. Marina shares how School the World’s Parent Engagement Program transformed her village, and how parents learned to become their children’s first educators.

School the World Honduras Receives Recognition from the Government

Honduran Government Recognizes School The World’s Holistic Approach to Rural Education

November 28, 2025

School The World Honduras received official recognition from the Departmental Directorate of Education of Choluteca for its holistic approach to rural education. The Departmental Director specifically praised our tripartite community model, parent training program, and comprehensive infrastructure work that’s transforming 28 schools across the southern region.

francisco alternative education student in guatemala

Second Chances: Stories from Our Alternative Education Program

November 17, 2025

From a 12-year-old escaping bullying to a 31-year-old learning to read for the first time, our Alternative Education Program is giving 1,403 students across Guatemala and Honduras a second chance at education. Meet five students whose stories show why flexible, once-a-week classes are transforming lives and communities.

School the World Fall 2025 Interns

Behind the Scenes: Meet Our Fall 2025 Interns

November 17, 2025

Meet the students powering our mission! From fundraising to tech innovation, this fall’s interns brought passion and purpose.

Pat Doerr 6

The First Chaperone: How Pat Doerr Helped Shape Our Service Learning Program

November 13, 2025

A single college trip to Mexico changed everything for Patricia Doerr — inspiring her to adopt a daughter from Latin America, dedicate her life to service, and help lead School the World’s very first student service trip.

School the World’s Accelerated Learning Recovery Program has once again been selected for the HundrED Global Collection

For the Third Year in a Row, School the World Selected for the HundrED Global Collection

November 11, 2025

School the World’s High-Dose Tutoring Program has been selected for the HundrED Global Collection 2026—highlighting our continued impact in advancing equity, strengthening teaching, and helping children in Latin America recover from learning loss.

codirectora de operaciones

Lara Hoyem

Lara se unió a School the World en 2025 y supervisa nuestro trabajo de marketing, administración y tecnología. Con 25 años de trayectoria en puestos de liderazgo en Silicon Valley, siempre se ha sentido atraída por ayudar a los equipos a adaptarse al cambio y a utilizar nuevas herramientas para que su trabajo sea más sencillo, claro y eficaz. Tras su transición al sector de impacto social, descubrió una profunda pasión por apoyar a organizaciones sin fines de lucro que a menudo se encuentran al límite de sus recursos, ayudándolas a fortalecer sus operaciones y a servir mejor a sus comunidades. Originaria de California y ahora residente en Boston, a Lara le encanta viajar, las experiencias globales y pasar tiempo con su familia.