Scholarship Program:

Whether public or private, middle schools and high schools in Guatemala charge tuition and fees, and they also involve additional costs, such as books, transportation and uniforms.  In a country where the largest industry is agriculture and much of the work force depends on the informal economy, earning even less than the minimum wage, those costs are often an insuperable barrier and effectively perpetuate the poverty into the next generation.

In 2003 Tom Sullivan, later President of Open Windows Foundation, gave three students scholarships to continue their studies beyond primary school.  That initiated an ongoing scholarship program that has provided support for more than 240 youth.  The scholarships usually begin in the seventh grade, and as long as the student continues to perform satisfactorily the scholarship continues as far as the student wishes to go.  At present, four are studying at the university level.

The cost of a complete scholarship, not including computers, varies depending on the school the student chooses, but on average middle school costs $500, high school $800 and the university $1100.  As modest as these amounts are by first world standards, in Guatemala they often spell the difference between a lifetime of poverty and a chance to become a leader in the community.

In return for the support they receive, the scholarship students come to the learning center during our annual “reinforcement” sessions at the end of the school year and help conduct classes to ensure that the primary students have retained what they were taught during the year and to help sixth graders qualify for their own scholarships to middle school.

2023 saw a substantial increase in the number of scholarships we were able to give, in large part due to additional support from Developing World Connections. In 2024 the numbers increased further and we now have 55 scholarship students. More scholarships mean more youth with a chance to escape poverty.