GLXi Takes Big Step Toward Accreditation
“We are very grateful to you for your openness, interest in getting certified, and for hosting our visit. We are very pleased because the work you are doing is excellent. The teachers I managed to ask about the program spoke very positively. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. Keep going; it is a great support for education in Guatemala.”
This is an exciting time for Global Learning Exchange Initiative (GLXiⓇ)!
As many of you are aware, we have been seeking accreditation from the Ministry of Education of Guatemala. Becoming an “accredited” literacy program in the public-school system would be a significant step for our organization — especially for our participating teachers, who could receive “credit” for their work and potential pay raises.
This has thus been a major focus of ours in recent years. And a few weeks ago, we came one step closer, with a surprise visit from two representatives of the General Directorate of Accreditation and Certification (DIGEACE).
Not only did this give us a chance to highlight all of our program’s successes, but it also allowed our visitors to get a direct glimpse into the classrooms to see how our Open Books, Open Minds (OBOM) program is benefiting students.
The two Ministry of Education and DIGEACE representatives, Noemí Quiñónez and Laura Pérez, also had the chance to meet with teachers who have been participating in our ongoing teacher workshop program, Open Minds In Action.
We are so proud of our teachers and students for welcoming these visitors with open arms! It was incredibly exciting to showcase all that we are doing, every day, in Guatemalan classrooms.
Seeking Accreditation
The accreditation and certification process consists of 4 phases:
1. Induction and registration
2. Review of administrative documentation
3. Review of processes, programs, and educational processes
4. Verification visit.
With this recent visit now successfully completed, we are nearing the finish line!
We started our presentation of the program with a meeting at our Guatemala office. Jaime Vielman, our Executive Director Guatemala, welcomed the visitors and provided an overview of the GLXi organization. Our team also happily answered questions from our guests.
We explained the many resources GLXi provides teachers and students in the classroom: a physical library, educational materials, technological equipment and more.
We also shared the history of GLXi as an organization – its inception, mission, vision, values, and strategic direction, along with the different teaching and training methods employed.
This included some of our proud statistics: For example, the fact that we have now touched more than 15,000 students in 179 classrooms across 11 regions in Guatemala.
While numbers can sometimes be boring, the ones we shared with the Ministry of Education visitors were anything but! We saw this as crucial to demonstrating the importance of having resources in classrooms and teachers who can focus on their students.
In discussing our Open Books, Open Minds literacy program, we emphasized the importance of teacher training using techniques, strategies, and methodologies that respect the OBOM curriculum and integrate Guatemala's national curriculum base.
And in explaining our Open Minds in Action workshops, we stressed how these sessions benefit both the teachers and our program as a whole. For GLXi, the workshops provide an opportunity for evaluations to better gauge the successes of OBOM. For teachers, the workshops create a sense of belonging, and also show them how to best use their newly gained training and resources.
OBOM in the Classroom
After the overview of the program, we engaged in a little fun – visiting some of our participating classrooms!
Many thanks to the following schools for welcoming us during this important visit:
- Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Centro América in Santa María Cauqué
- Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta in San Cristóbal El Bajo
- Escuela Oficial Rural de Varones in Pastores Sacatepéquez
At our school visits, we discussed the stages of learning in reading and writing, and we demonstrated how students develop their literacy skills under the proper instruction. Teachers shared their experiences and program results. And, most importantly, our guests were able to directly observe how students respond to our curriculum.
We were also able to discuss the physical condition of the schools and some of their needs in that regard.
Afterward, we were thrilled to get this feedback from Noemí Quiñónez: “We are very grateful to you for your openness, interest in getting certified, and for hosting our visit. We are very pleased because the work you are doing is excellent. The teachers I managed to ask about the program spoke very positively. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. Keep going; it is a great support for education in Guatemala.”
We think her feedback says it all.
We also were pleased to hear what our teachers had to say during the visit:
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the GLXi teachers. The children benefit greatly from the resources and methodologies used in class… This year I had to change schools, and I continue to implement what I learned.”
“On behalf of my school, we are very happy to be part of this beautiful program. The children in my classroom feel very motivated and happy to meet you and are eager to show what they have learned.”
“We wanted to show you how the materials are used effectively, as well as our internal organization to make the most of the materials.”
You can help support GLXi by donating here.