Building a Brighter Future, Together

Earlier this year, we had an amazing opportunity to bring GLXi’s U.S. and Guatemalan leadership together with a much anticipated trip to visit partner schools in Guatemala. 

For U.S. Executive Director Ana Schulz, the trip underscored the importance of spreading awareness of Global Learning Exchange Initiative’s efforts and mission in Guatemala.

She and GLXi Board Chair Amy Inman visited two schools to deliver school books, talk with teachers and visit with students.

They were accompanied by Executive Director - Guatemala, Jaime Vielman, and Guatemalan Training and Curriculum Coordinator Marleny Andrino.

The May trip was part of a larger agenda: furthering GLXi’s reach and impact in Guatemala by becoming a nonprofit in the country and gaining accreditation.

We share her account here:

Partners in Education

This was my first trip to Guatemala, and it was something I had looked forward to doing since being appointed U.S. executive director in October 2021. Not only did the visit help us connect with our partners in the country and the teachers and students in the classrooms, but we were able to cultivate new relationships and begin the year-long process of becoming a non-profit there and gaining accreditation.

Students arriving to school!

Of course, what was most delightful was seeing the impact that GLXi is having in the classrooms. 

I was immediately struck by the general sense of excitement you could feel amongst all of the teachers and students.

The pandemic has been hard on teachers and students everywhere. Still, I don’t think people quite realize how dire the situation was and is for many of our neighboring Latin American countries.

In the U.S., we have educational resources and training that help us keep students on track with learning even when they aren't in their physical classrooms.

In countries like Guatemala, where teacher training and support are historically lacking and where many families do not have access to computers or the internet at home, the challenges were immense. They are still catching up after returning to classrooms, and we plan to talk more about this “crisis within a crisis” in the future. 

Students waiting to enter San Juaneritos classrooms

That’s a bit of a side note to explain better the palpable energy that we felt upon entering these schools. The teachers were kind and enthusiastic; the students were SO excited to be at their desks and especially grateful to receive books.

The book delivery, by the way, was the largest ever, with each teacher receiving 83 books to use with their students!! 

What’s That Humming?

The first school we visited was Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta (EORM) San Juaneritos in San Juan Sacatepéquez. Because of the massive traffic we encountered, we were very late to the second school, Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta (EORM) Aldea Zorzoyá II in San Lucas Sacatepéquez. 

Despite the delay, the teachers and children patiently waited for us.

We were accompanied by our Executive Director - Guatemala, Jaime Vielman, and Guatemalan Training and Curriculum Coordinator, Marleny Andrino (It was so nice to meet both of them in person after so many phone calls, zooms and emails!). 

Training and Curriculum Coordinator Marleny Andrino helps a student who has a question

And I want to describe this moment we experienced because it still moves me when I think about it. When we walked into one of the classrooms and opened the boxes, and the students saw the books, these kids were literally jumping up and down, they were so excited.

I was standing back, taking it all in, and I heard this humming. At first, it was in the background, so it didn’t quite register. But as the buzzing grew louder, I stood back in wonder. It was the sound of all of these amazing students reading their new books aloud at the first chance they could get.

What a fantastic moment.

There’s just something about holding a book, seeing the pretty pictures, and trying to connect the pictures to the words – I was so excited for these students. And for me, that was a defining moment on this trip. 

It reemphasized how important GLXi’s efforts are to these students and classrooms – particularly now, in the wake of the pandemic. It left me more determined than ever to spread the word of our mission and of the need in Guatemala. 

Building Futures

There were, of course, many other memorable moments. 

Executive Director - Guatemala, Jaime Vielman, delivers books to a first grade class.

Jaime invited us over for dinner at his house, where we could spend time with his family and enjoy one of the many delicious meals we experienced in Guatemala. We really appreciated getting to spend time with him and Marleny and being able to share ideas and ambitions for our program. 

We had several meetings where we worked through details of the non-profit and accreditation processes. And on the fun end of things, we had opportunities just to be tourists and even purchased some great, authentic items for our upcoming fiesta!

This trip was definitely a highlight of my time so far as U.S. executive director. I am so excited to continue our hard work back here to help our friends over there! Their work and dedication are a continued source of inspiration for me. I love collaborating to create brighter futures for so many Guatemalan kids and their families.

Ana Schulz

U.S. Executive Director

Global Learning Exchange Initiative