One note on empathy. It really struck me after listening to staff today and to our scholar in Chuiquel the other day about what school is like for elementary school children here. Most are afraid of their teachers. Although they may no longer physically grab them by the ears or hit them, they still are…
We attended Agustin’s graduation today. Agustin was one of the kids that really didn’t score high on the admissions process, but Daniel (our Program Coordinator) wanted to accept him anyway. I told Daniel that it was on him, then, to make sure Agustin succeeded – and he did! Agustin lives in a small community way down below…
Most of our teens are initially attracted to our program for the scholarship component. Who could blame them? But we are not just a scholarship program. We are a leadership development, community development organization. So while every teen who applies to our program is in need of a scholarship, we are also looking for those…
What makes the final day matter? Lessons from teens teaching us how to make tortillas? From the harvesting of corn, to the adding of lyme before boiling and then the grinding by hand on the ancient Maya stone. Did I mention that every day, every member of the family eats four tortillas for each meal?…
“We believe that every child should be able to grow up free to express their fullest self, with access to the resources and in possession of the capacities to contribute to their families, their communities, their countries, and our world.” – Linda Smith, Reading Village Founder & Executive Director General Efraín Ríos Montt only needed…
When Reading Village was in its first stages of development, I received some sage advice from a colleague who had learned the hard way. “Don’t spread your communities all around the country,” he said. “Grow regionally. It will allow you to take advantage of organic connections between the communities and allow you to maximize your…
“Reading is the ultimate weapon, destroying ignorance, poverty, and despair before they can destroy us. A nation that doesn’t read much doesn’t know much. A nation that doesn’t know much is more likely to make poor choices in the home, the marketplace, the jury box and the voting booth. And those decisions ultimately affect an entire nation –…
The days go quickly here. So do the weeks. For five days our travelers dive full-tilt, whole-heart into our literacy work. With eyes wide open they ride buses, share meals, read stories, meet scholars, greet families, and express gratitude. For five days we ask them to think, feel, act, create, inspire, and be inspired, only…
It’s not every day that 60 Guatemalan kids come out of the fields and step away from their schools to watch ten gringos make complete fools of themselves. I saw it with my own eyes, it happened – both the kids and the comedy. This morning, our travelers were troopers of the most intrepid variety…
The third day of this adventure was a long one. Full to the brim with all the waiting and patience that is typical of life in Guatemala. From here to there and then wait a while. To this rhythm we passed a day in Concepcion, Reading Village’s first community and a huge source of pride….