NOTE: in late 2024, our club contributed $500 through Rice Lake Rotary as part of District 5960 collective support of the GLP, the largest multi-district, multi-club Rotary project.
David Gehret got to tour Guatemala in February, seeing many parts of the country. Guatemala has a population of about 18 million people: 56% of Spanish descent, 41% indigenous. The country has a varied landscape, including several active volcanoes. The indigenous populations don’t see much benefit from the resources of the country.
The overall illiteracy is high – about 33%. Parents pull children out of school early because they can’t afford to keep them in. The country has seen high rates of migration to flee poverty and gangs.
David said that there are three pathways out of poverty: literacy, technology skills, and graduation from high school. The GLP’s literacy focus is in 3 parts: Spark for pre-K through 6th, access to textbooks for 7-9Th grade, then RISE scholars for 7th-12th grades. The GLP has a total enrollment of around 312,000 students at the 3 levels. Click READ MORE for the rest of the summary and to read about the speaker.
The Spark Program consists of 163 local operations: 1/3 of the indigenous population can’t read & write. Spark teachers are trained and monitored. Results show that Spark students learn 2 times as fast as non-Spark, and reading comprehension is 43% better.
Textbook Program – 90% of classrooms have no textbooks. Books make learning more effective and efficient. The GLP uses a sustainable revolving fund to help maintain and eventually replace the books on about a 5-year schedule. Program uses both virtual and in-person teacher training. GLP leaders used the Covid period to advantage by maximizing remote opportunities.
The Technology Program gives access to computers, which are not commonly available. RISE program selects students, and the program has proven that it can improve high school graduation rates from 10% to 80%. The staff also provides mental health support to meet the needs of students. Many factors challenge students, given the environment around them.
Employed students can often support families with excess income, in many cases enabling younger siblings to continue in school. There is an annual trip in February for GLP supporters to go to Guatemala to see the results of the work GLP does.
About the Speaker: David Gehret has been working as a Development Coordinator with the GLP for ahout 1-1/2 years, based in Cincinnati, OH. He is originally from Springfield OH and moved to Cincinnati in 2018 to attend the University of Cincinnati. He describes himself as a big sports fan and added that he loves to travel.