Help Feed and Support 600 Students in Guatemala

Earlier this week the staff and teachers at EFTC had our holiday party to celebrate before going on school break but also to reflect on everything we have accomplished this year. As we went around in a circle reflecting on our biggest accomplishments and happiest moments it was impossible not to feel a sense of pride. Many teachers talked about seeing their students in-person for the first time in 2 years this past January and working hard to help them catch-up and succeed. Staff talked about the return of additional programs and activities which have included fluoride treatments, anti-cyberbullying presentations, math fairs, health and hygiene workshops, as well as onsite pediatric evaluations just within these past few months. 

These past months have been building to this moment as we got to celebrate with the students earlier this November after watching them work so hard all year. We had graduation ceremonies for 6th graders who will move on to middle school at The School of Hope and 9th graders who will attend high school with scholarships from EFTC. 99.9% of our high school students also passed the year which is a huge accomplishment, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in comparison with their peers. 

Additionally, we had summer school where our students received reinforcement in math and literacy but also completed holiday activities such as cooking, making decorations, and an end-of-year performance. Our next batch of kindergartens attended summer school as well to get accustomed to being at school. Having them around made everyone so excited to see our smallest EFTC community members! Next week we will be giving out food baskets to our families so that they can have some extra treats over the holidays and our students can eat well as they will not be receiving our nutrition program until they return to school in January. 

We have already onboarded many new teachers for next year and are beginning to prepare for our upcoming 20th year celebration this upcoming July. Thank you for your support this year and we look forward to seeing what our students will accomplish next year with your help.