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THE PROBLEM; ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG WOMEN.

WOMEN DO NOT HAVE VALUE, therefore they do not have the opportunity of advanced schooling. Spirit Education Foundation is committed to helping the least of these, the young women. the ones that, by no choice of their own, are victims of poverty.

Spirit Education Foundation, a non-profit organization, is committed to changing the lives of Guatemalan girls, by providing education scholarships, materials, equipment and support, so they can grow and develop in a supportive environment.

At home, at school, at play and at work, Spirit girls are making a positive difference by contributing to society, being role models, and providing positive alternatives in their world. We cannot change the entire world, but we can change the entire world of one girl. Then, she will be able to change future generations, her family, neighbors and work place.

EDUCATION IN GUATEMALA

A poster in the Coatepeque hospital shows only 12% of the population has some education beyond primary school. We are targeting the 2.5% of students in the small red section. The 2.5% has to grow for Guatemala to prosper. We look for those girls whose families have managed to afford a middle school education, who want more, but can't afford the much higher fees.

Statistics don't tell the whole story. Many young women are committed to improving their lives and are dedicated to completing their education. However, the constant wall they hit is the lack of resources and the monthly struggle for their family to meet basic needs- food water and shelter.

COATEPEQUE REGION, GUATEMALA. . . .

Coatepeque is located at the red dot in the western part of Guatemala, 4 hours from Guatemala City (the blue dot). Coatepeque is the region's major city, surrounded by many satellite villages. It is also the location of the diversificada (a post middle school type of career school) and the university that our scholarship students attend.

This is an economically devastated region due to;

The elimination of the low land coffee industry: employment for thousands
replacement industries are rubber, cattle and bananas, employing few workers
a high birth rate and impoverished families
education is not free; tuition, uniforms and supplies prevent attendance
An uneducated population, results in few job opportunities and high unemployment.

OUR MISSION

We believe that each girl has the right to have their emotional, intellectual, physical and social needs met in their own community with the love and support of their families and godparents. Our vision is to provide educational scholarships for bright young women from impoverished families with incomes of $60-200 per month.

Spirit Education Foundation, through Godparents, offers scholarships for girls to three year high school and five-six year university programs, as long as they continue to meet our requirements of academic excellence.

Scholarships are for commerce programs only. We believe that tourism and business will employ more in the future, at better salaries.
Core business skills are developed in general accounting, marketing, administration, tourism, law and computers.
Weekly English classes are a requirement, giving Spirit girls an added benefit to future employers.
Build a foundation of integrity in our girls as a basic characteristic to become a successful community and business leader.

OUR VALUES AND OBJECTIVES

We seek to educate and empower women in a traditional culture, giving them value and self-worth.
We engage our girls in developing and meeting personal goals allowing then to compete for careers in the future of Guatemala, tourism and business, leaving behind the social and economic barriers of poverty.
We create role models of our girls to provide hope and inspiration to her “younger sisters”.
We develop English skills which will make our girls more employable through weekly private English classes.
We expect academic excellence in our Spirit girls. Recent group GPA average was an incredible 86%. These standards are important to help instill the excitement, knowledge and basic values, such as hard work, that will set our girls on the right track.
We instill a “PAY IT FORWARD” commitment in each girl, as she agrees to pass on her opportunity when she can afford to do so.