Help Feed and Support 600 Students in Guatemala

These last months have been filled with activities at our school, The School of Hope, in Guatemala!

Since our last report we have finished our 2021 school year! So much has changed here at EFTC but what has not is the energy and enthusiasm of our teachers and students. The end of this academic year has been tough but our students have persevered and we implemented a number of different additional programs to support them in this. Such as specialised "Bootcamps" for our Junior High students to catch them up as they have sent a majority of this year learning from home.The students attended these classes for 4 to 6 weeks. Many of the students who took part in this program were able to catch up and graduate at the end of the year!

We also implemented specialised project based exams for all of our students from Kindergarten to 9th grade. Students were able to come into the school and complete these exams in person (individually) so our teachers could fully assess learning areas where students have grasped the concept and what we will need to reinforce in 2022. This information will help us support studente better as we prepare to open the school on January 31st 2022!

In regards to social services, all of our students received food hampers up until the end of the school year as well as Christmas presents from their sponsors and the local community. In December their food hampers were filled with chocolates, dried fruit for the traditional ponche drink, marshmallow and other treats to make their holidays special. As for health, our youngest students received a hearing screening at the end of the year to check for any auditory problems that may have gone undetected with students learning from home.   We also weighed and measured all of our students to check in on their development and prepare our 2022 nutrition program to meet their needs. 

Last but not least, in November we celebrated our 6th and 9th grade graduates with 51 students graduating from 6th grade and 30 from 9th grade. We also celebrated an amazing 5 university and 13 high school graduates.  We are so proud of the perseverance and dedication they showed this year, graduating despite all of the many challenges they faced. We can't wait to see what they do next. 

Happy New Year from EFTC, we can't wait to see what 2022 holds for our students. We are sure it will be filled with exciting goals, big challenges, and the same resolve to succeed against all odds that we have seen year after year! All of this is only possible due to your continued support! Without you believing in, loving, and cheering these students on, none of this would be possible. A BIG thank you to each and everyone of you!