A collaborative network that brings together civil society organizations, government and philanthropy so that Guatemala’s education policies have greater impact.
Civil society organizations have developed local education models for marginalized populations that address gaps of gender, age, ethnicity and territory. Yet their participation in dialogue with the government has historically been intermittent.
In 2024, Guatemala’s new government opened the door to a “new pact for education” and, with it, renewed the expectation that civil society would take part.
Voces para la Educación was born in April 2024 as an advocacy platform for civil society and philanthropic organizations. It gives visibility to local education models that serve students in the highlands.
In 2025, the organizations ran “co-creation sprints”: joint pilots to showcase refined education practices and policies, which fed into teacher training workshops. These experiences are documented in infographics on methodology and results for advocacy with MINEDUC, Guatemala’s Ministry of Education.
Voces brings attention to the education policies that matter most for transforming education in Guatemala:
In 90 seconds
Teachers, supervisors and directors from the organizations share what changed when civil society and public schools sat down to work together. (Video in Spanish.)
New
A three-episode series, in Spanish, about how a group of organizations learned to trust one another, to engage with the State and to bring a jointly built proposal into the classrooms of Sololá.
Why was Voces para la Educación born? For years, different organizations worked for education from their own territories. An opportunity for dialogue with the State brought them together. The meetings and decisions that gave rise to the network.
When trust becomes collective action. Sharing a cause was the beginning; learning to trust was the next challenge. A new relationship among the organizations and with the State, until a challenge in Sololá tested what they could do together.
The big project. The time came to bring the ideas into the classroom. Organizations and teachers in Sololá put a jointly built proposal into practice: its challenges, lessons and results.
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Podcast production: Diego Melendreras · Kreative Lab Studio
The stickers are AI-generated illustrations based on the style of Sarha Sac’s artwork.
From workshop to classroom
From the first workshops on the shores of Lake Atitlán in 2024 to the closing of the teacher training course with teachers from Sololá in 2025.
The network
Each organization brings a model proven in its own territory. Together, they pool their experience to improve education policy.
Training and in-classroom coaching for primary school teachers to teach reading and writing.
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Spark program: literacy for preschool and primary teachers, with books and classroom visits.
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A school for adolescent girls that puts teacher training and supervision at the center.
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Remedial education to teach at the right level, and after-school clubs with young volunteers.
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A secondary school for Indigenous girls, a community library and scholarships in Chajul.
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Early childhood programs with guide mothers, plus school re-entry and technical training for young people.
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Scholarships for lower secondary, academic support in primary school and alternative education centers.
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A preschool, library and community center in Santiago Atitlán, with teacher training in reading.
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Education strategy advisory services for foundations, schools and NGOs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Safe spaces and peer mentoring for Indigenous girls in the highlands.
Learn about the program →
Further reading
Documents about the network, in Spanish, available in a public repository.
