Scholarship Student Update

Our scholarship program is growing! In 2019, we have 25 scholarship students located in 4 municipalities.  The vast majority of the students are from the communities outside of Santiago Atitlan, but we also have five scholarship students in Chichicastenango, two in Tamahu, Alta Verapaz, and one in Chua Cruz, Solola.  In order to provide the individualized attention that we see as being so important, we have two tutors this year.

2019 Scholarship students from Santiago Atitlan

​Apart from their required 6 hours of tutoring sessions and 6 hours of volunteer hours a month, the scholarship students have been busy this year.  In February, the students prepared the entertainment for the elder’s Valentine’s Day party.  They sang songs, played games, performed skits, recited a poem, and danced.  The elders loved the activity, and the scholarship students charmed the elders.  It was neat to see the intergenerational exchange. 

​In March, the scholarship students participated in a workshop on environmental education.   They learned about the importance of taking care of the environment and ways that they can do so, such as not using styrofoam and not littering.  Although these things may seem elementary to us, taking care of the environment is something that is not commonly talked about in Guatemala.  After the workshop, the students were assigned to come up with and execute a community service project.  Working with the other scholarship students from their communities, the students planned community clean-up days.  The students from Tzanchaj and Chukmuk spent a morning picking up trash in Santiago, and the students from Chacaya spent a Saturday picking up trash in Chacaya.  We are very proud of the initiative that the students took with this project.

Scholarship students participating in the environmental education workshop

​In April, we held our annual scholarship student get-together. Although we normally have all of the students come together in one town, we decided to hold two get-togethers this year, one in Chichicastenango and one in Santiago.  At both activities, the students listened to a speaker on a topic related to their health and wellbeing.  They also played games and had lunch together.

The elementary school aged scholarship students in Santiago participate in an educational activity during the get-together

Scholarship students in Chichicastenango share lunch during the get-together

​This year, we have continued with the reading circle.  Due to the large number of students and the difference in reading levels, we have formed two groups that meet twice a month. During the reading circles, the students read together and then do activities that help them to analyze the readings and think critically.  The reading circles also help to foster a love of reading in the students.

Scholarship students participate in a reading circle activity

Thank you to Thrivent Financial in the US for all of the grants and for their support to Sharing the Dream in Guatemala. The extra t-shirts go to the scholarship students, where we really strive to fulfill the motto of living generously. ​

Please help us to continue to provide tutoring, worskhops, the reading circle, and other essential support to the scholarship students.  Make a donation to support children in Guatemala.