Demand for teacher training surges in Guatemala’s Quiché
November is a month of giving thanks. And here in the U.S., we have so much to be grateful for. For many of us, that includes knowing that the young people in our lives have access to a quality education – everything they need to learn and grow, right at their fingertips.
But today, we want to travel with you to the Quiché region of Guatemala.
Here, the children also have many things to be grateful for. However, access to a quality education is more of a dream than a given.
As with many Indigenous and rural communities in Guatemala, educational resources in Quiché are scarce. Yet the demand and thirst for these resources is strong.
This year, Global Learning Exchange Initiative (GLXiⓇ) received a record number of teacher applications from the region – 120 – far exceeding any other region that we serve. This is in part due to our outreach efforts, and part due to our growing reputation for educational success in the country, particularly in poor and Indigenous communities of need.
But the reality is we only have a yearly capacity to support 40 teachers. While our long-term goal is to continue to grow in such a way that we can meet the demand in all of the neediest regions of the country, we can’t do it without your help.
We hope, in reading more about Quiché, you will be inspired to find ways to continue to support us in our mission of bringing more books and educational resources to Guatemala.
A multi-grade class of students in Quiché, Centro Educativo Ri Tinamit Kuwalsaj Rib No.11
LIFE IN QUICHÉ: LACKING RESOURCES BUT NOT MOTIVATION
For a student today in Quiché, resiliency is the key to educational success.
The region is home to proud and motivated Indigenous communities that are mostly living in poverty, facing significant social and economic challenges in accessing quality education.
Many students in Quiché lack access to computers and the internet in their homes, limiting their ability to engage in educational activities outside of the school day.
Their parents frequently have low levels of education and/or lack literacy skills, inhibiting their ability to support their children’s learning.
Often, the focus at home instead turns to the daily domestic, work or agricultural responsibilities that keep the family afloat. Homework and studying take a backseat.
A multi-grade class in Quiché, EORM Aldea San Alfonso
Even at school, resources are scarce.
A lack of books, teaching materials and access to technology are among the challenges.
In many cases, one teacher is responsible for students of multiple academic levels within one classroom. This presents undeniable obstacles when trying to teach a single lesson plan.
Quiché also has a strong Indigenous cultural and linguistic identity. While this is a community strength, it can present learning challenges. Classes are taught in Spanish even though many students speak Maya languages as their first language.
Teachers must be creative and adapt their teaching methods to make learning accessible to all students, but without additional training and support to help them navigate the challenges.
Further, they must figure out how to fit it all into a five-hour school day, knowing that many students do not have the same support, or ability to do homework or studying, at home.
BARRIERS TO HIGH STUDENT PERFORMANCE
These barriers at home and in school can greatly affect students’ academic performance in reading, writing and math.
Teachers make significant efforts to adapt to the circumstances, often investing their own resources and time. But the realities of the home and educational environment are hard to overcome.
According to the Ministry of Education of Guatemala, most students in Quiché did not meet the expected level of reading proficiency for the 2023 school year:
Only 28% of first-grade students met the expected level.
Only 44% of third-grade students met the expected level.
Only 22% of sixth-grade students met the expected level.
Only 16% of ninth-grade students met the expected level.
Only 20% of graduating students met the expected level.
This underscores the critical importance of foundational training in reading and writing, as it provides the basis for students’ academic development as a whole.
Fortunately, this is exactly what GLXi is working to bring to Quiché and other similar regions in Guatemala.
BRINGING BOOKS AND RESOURCES TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
GLXi is committed to reaching the most underserved populations in Guatemala, with a special focus on Indigenous communities, given the significant social and economic challenges that they face.
We aim to support teachers and schools in need nationwide. This is in recognition of the fact that not all have access to resources or infrastructure, nor do they benefit from a sufficient number of teachers or educational materials.
A student proudly shows off a book at a classroom in Quiché, Centro Educativo Ri Tinamit Kuwalsaj Rib No.11
To this end, we have established a communication strategy with local leaders, school principals and teachers in some of the more underserved populations in the country.
That is how Quiché became a bright spot on our radar screen.
Community leaders in Quiché – and that of Chichicastenango, a town within the region – approached us upon learning about the benefits and scope of our program. They wanted to help implement the Open Books, Open Minds program locally where teachers and schools with the most limited resources could benefit.
They recognized the appeal of the program with students, and also the population’s specific needs – both socioeconomic and cultural.
The result – as word spread, and interest peaked – was a surge in applications from the region for our upcoming 2025 teacher training cycle.
GLXI IS WORKING TO MEET THE DEMAND
GLXi received a whopping 139 applications from teachers across Guatemala for next year’s teacher training.
The majority of the applicants come from rural areas, with a significant representation from Indigenous communities.
The number of applicants by region is as follows:
Guatemala: 2 applications
Sacatepéquez: 8 applications
Jalapa: 6 applications
Totonicapán: 1 application
Quetzaltenango: 1 application
San Marcos: 1 application
Quiché: 120 applications
This is a number to be celebrated – demonstrating a growing interest in our program, which is a testament to the successes we’ve had in the schools we have served so far.
But it also serves as a clarion call for where our program needs to grow in the future, if we want to reach all of the children and teachers who need it most.
Currently, we only have a yearly capacity to support 40 teachers in grades pre-school through three.
The official cohort of teacher trainees for 2025 will be announced in December. We expect 90 percent of this next class of teachers to come from Quiché.
Still, with 120 total applicants from that region, we simply cannot meet the demand.
Students raise their hands in a multi-grade classroom in Quiché, Centro Educativo Ri Tinamit Kuwalsaj Rib No.11
Notably, 47 of the total number of applications also came from school principals, and from teachers in grades 4 through 6 – groups that our program does not yet address.
We are actively seeking additional funding to expand our program and support as many passionate educators as possible. These teachers are particularly eager for more educational materials and resources in their classrooms, given the limitations and challenges their students face.
We need your help to get there.
The purpose of Open Books, Open Minds is to foster and strengthen the reading and writing skills of Guatemalan children, paying special attention to the most vulnerable communities.
The daily lives of students and teachers in Quiché are filled with challenges, but also a deep commitment to learning and teaching.
If we are able to grow our program to meet the demand, we will not only be delivering more supplies and training to these classrooms and teachers – we will be empowering their lives, families and communities.
You can help support GLXi by donating here.