Guatemalan Relief Assistance for Childrens Educational Services

GRACES goal is provide holistic educational opportunities through physical, emotional and spiritual support for children living in extreme poverty in Guatemala. Our vision is to improve the lives of our students by overcoming generational poverty, child labor and violence and empowering them to live a life of hope, purpose and opportunity, sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

GRACES fully funds two educational programs in Guatemala- Escuela Integrada and Proyecto Capaz.

Through Education:
-A normal school day in Guatemala is a half day however all students at Escuela Integrada go to school a full day.
-Students receive a quality education that includes extracurricular classes they would normally not be exposed to
-Older students receive weekly workshops on gender equality, sexual education and developing skills of self confidence
-Proyecto Capaz gives after-school tutoring that is available to all students at Escuela Integrada and in the community
Through Nutrition:
-According to recent studies, 50 percent of all children in Guatemala under five-years-old experience stunted growth due to malnutrition (US Aid, 2016)
-Each child that walks through Escuela Integrada receives full breakfast and lunch every school day
-Students receive supplemental nutritional support through occasional food bags given to families. The neediest students are able to take home food from leftovers at lunch.
-After school snacks are given to children who attend Proyecto Capaz, an after-school program
Through Spiritual Formation:
-All grades receive weekly Bible classes through the “Bible Blast” program
-The whole school participates in a morning devotions four days a week
-Escuela Integrada partners with local and foreign churches and parishes so students can be exposed to extra faith-based activities
-Students at Proyecto Capaz receive one on one discipleship
Through Emotional Support:
-Escuela Integrada has two on staff psychologist that work with the students individually and in group settings
-Psychologist perform weekly home visits to students’ houses, working not only with the student but with the whole family unit
-Students engage in weekly sessions each week where they practice the Tapping technique as a way to relieve stress
-Proyecto Capaz serves as a safe space for students to be after school

Escuela Integrada started as a school to serve children who were working on the streets. The school greatly impacts the community by meeting children’s basic needs and working closely with the families so that they understand the importance of education. Escuela Integrada exists to combat child labor and focuses on the physical, emotional and spiritual health of the students. Escuela Integrada is managed and run 100% by Guatemalans with foreign support in English classes. Nearly 50% of staff members have been working at Escuela Integrada for more than 10 years and 3 staff members used to be students at the Escuela Integrada. Over the past 17 years, Escuela Integrada has helped nearly 600 students. Likewise, Proyecto Capaz is managed and run by an Escuela Integrada alumni.

GRACES fully funds Escuela Integrada, school that was started over 15 years ago in Antigua, Guatemala for children living in poverty. The name in English means “Integrated School for the Working Children.” Escuela Integrada started as a school to serve children who were working on the streets. Many of their families could not afford to put their children in school or desperately needed the extra income the children could collect to help provide for their families. There has been an estimated 40% decrease in the children at our school who are working. This is directly related to the school’s influence in their lives, meeting their basic needs and working closely with the families and educating them so that they understand the importance of education. Escuela Integrada exists to combat child labor and focus on the physical, emotional and spiritual health of the students. Escuela Integrada provides both breakfast and lunch five days a week for the students, as well as counseling, case by case benevolent care and extra curricular classes not required by the public education system. These classes include Bible, art and music. Escuela Integrada also provides after school programs. The middle-school aged children receive workshops weekly by a program called SERniña which focuses on issues of gender inequality in Guatemala. For the elementary aged students there is an after-school program specifically for young girls to have a safe space to do their homework. Along with this, the children receive physical education classes each week, computer, English and Mayan language classes. GRACES, through partnering with churches and organizations, sends missions teams to Escuela Integrada to provide supplemented support for the school and the families- providing food bags, wood burning stoves, hosting family nights and more. Escuela Integrada also has had a scholarship program for 7 years. This program provides scholarships to graduates of Escuela Integrada to continue either a vocational or general high school degree. Likewise, Escuela Integrada has a dedicated and committed staff of 24 people, ranging from cooks, teachers, cleaning staff, physiologist and administration. Each and every one of the staff members are an essential part of nurturing the holistic education experience at Escuela Integrada. Because of this, the Graces Gratitude program was created as a way to provide supplemental support to staff members through scholarships and food vouchers.

Escuela Integrada hopes to implement a