2026 School Year Brings High Hopes and Smiling Faces
The 2026 school year in Guatemala is off to a great start! Classrooms are buzzing with activity, desks are packed with materials, and whiteboards are working overtime as our Open Books, Open Minds curriculum is once again implemented in the pre-Kindergarden through third grade levels.
The start of school is always a sentimental time for us because it allows us to reflect on our program’s growth, and also gaze towards the future. Did you know that Global Learning Exchange Initiative (GLXiⓇ) is in its 13th year of bringing our innovative curriculum to schools across Guatemala?! That’s right. Thirteen fulfilling years of bringing tools and resources to 244 classrooms and 108 schools across 14 regions in Guatemala.
To date, we have trained 325 teachers and counting! In this year’s teacher training class alone, we welcome 47 new teachers who will be able to immediately start implementing our programming, and bringing our tools and resources to their classrooms.
It can be difficult for many in the U.S. to truly comprehend the impact of our programming. But these numbers help. And how about this number: 27,006 students have been impacted by GLXi’s program since we first began bringing OBOM to schools!!!!
As the scale of our impact continues to grow, so does the value of our programming. GLXi students consistently outrank their peers on the IDEL assessments, which we offer at the beginning and end of each school year to measure progress and consider changes to our curriculum.
For example, last year, GLXi students demonstrated superior, grade-level reading skills on the IDEL assessment, achieving a rate of 96.5%, compared to the national average of 15% for grade-level reading skills, according to data from MINEDUC and PISA. This is something to celebrate.
Given all of this success, we were, of course, chomping at the bit to check in with the teachers and students in our participating schools, to see how their first couple days and weeks of school went. Their palpable excitement, and desire to learn and grow, is truly infectious. We think you will agree.
María Ixchíu, 1st Grade, EORM Cantón Mactzul IV, Quiché
Luis Fernando Tecú, 4th Grade, EORM Aldea Pachaj, Quetzaltenango
Rosa Martínez, 3rd Grade, Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Aldea Buena Vista, Chimaltenango
Miguel Ángel López, 2nd Grade, EORM Aldea Pachaj, Quetzaltenango
Juan Pablo Choc, 2nd Grade, EORM Aldea Rancho de Teja, San Francisco El Alto, Totonicapán
“I feel happy to start the 2026 school year because I enjoy coming to school and learning. I hope to learn more things and play with my classmates. Notebooks and books help me practice, and my teacher teaches me with patience. My goal is to learn well, read better, and continue studying to know more.”
“I feel eager to start the 2026 school year because I enjoy coming to school. I hope to learn things that will help me in the future and spend time with my friends. Books and classroom activities help me understand better and learn more about things I like. My goal is to successfully complete the grade, help my classmates, and continue studying. I want to teach my younger siblings that going to school is a good thing and that it will help us move forward.”
“At the beginning of the school year, I feel motivated and happy because I know that school is an opportunity. I hope to learn new things, spend time with my friends, and continue making progress in my studies. Books and homework help me better understand what my teacher explains. My goal is to learn more, write better, and not give up when something is difficult.”
“At the beginning of the school year, I feel happy and eager to learn. I hope to come to school every day because my parents work far away and we have to travel a lot. I enjoy being with my friends and learning what my teacher teaches. Notebooks, the blackboard, and books help me learn better. My goal is to learn a lot, behave well, and continue coming to school.”
“I feel happy to start the 2026 school year because I enjoy coming to school and learning. I hope to learn more things and play with my classmates. Notebooks and books help me practice, and my teacher teaches me with patience. My goal is to learn well, read better, and continue studying to know more.”