Student Education Program – Retalhuleu, Guatemala 2024 and beyond
This is a Rotary operated, city-wide educational program supporting students of all ages in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. Upon being accepted into the program, students are supported through high school graduation, an amazing opportunity for kids in Guatemala where the average student grade level is 5.7 years (2.5 years for indigenous Mayan youth). Currently the program supports 65 students, at a very minimal cost of $200 per year per student. Club members support the educational component, which is to provide direct financial support to the families so as to reduce financial pressure to have children begin working in low paying jobs at a young age, and thus drop out of school. Other club support is directly used to provide important nutritional support to these 65 families in the form of food staples provided four times a year and include rice, oatmeal, sugar, beans, and pasta. In addition, the program takes a holistic approach beyond just education, and provides health and behavioral checks for each child annually, followed by additional support as needed. Students are carefully evaluated and chosen based on low-income status and aspirant profiles of the children. Academic, behavioral, and health evaluations are conducted through the academic year running from Jan-Oct.