Bridge the Digital Gap for Guatemalan Students

As we near the end of January 2026, we are excited to share that our new Computer Center has now been set up in Colonia Molina school! In our previous update, we outlined that we had finalized the agreement with the school and were partnering with the local Rotary club to implement this project. With these plans finalized and the equipment ready, we were able to begin electrical installation at the end of October, which coincided with the school year coming to a close.

Colonia Molina is a tremendous example of a school whose partnership with CoEd continues to deepen. Since introducing our Textbook Program at their school in 2016, they have successfully managed the collection of student fees into a revolving fund model that will enable them to replace the textbooks through community savings. Their successful management of this sustainability model indicates how well-versed school leadership and teachers are in this program, as well as their commitment to maintaining it for future generations of students to have access to the same opportunities.

With the Computer Center based off the same revolving fund model, the school shows great promise in excellently maintaining the center and again expanding the opportunities available to their students through digital literacy. Only 5.2% of all public schools have computer labs and of those, 0.6% have internet connectivity. At Colonia Molina, with your support, this statistic is improving. Their 21 workstations, which are accessible to 170 students, signify the barrier to technological training being overcome. With the Textbook and Technology programs, rural, Indigenous youth at Colonia Molina are better-resourced and more likely to stay in school, secure higher-wage jobs, and permanently raise their standard of living.

The included photos show CoEd staff installing equipment and preparing teachers and school administration to manage the project. As the new school year starts in February, we look forward to students beginning their journey to digital literacy with these computers and being able to share more about what they are learning in our next update.

Links:

• http://coeduc.org

As of early October, 2025, we have made significant progress on establishing the new Computer Center for 2026. We have finalized an agreement with a school to receive the center: Colonia Molina in Quetzaltenango. We have also reviewed purchasing plans with the local Rotary club with whom we are partnering to implement this project for their suggestions and approval, and are now ready to move forward with purchasing. Once purchase orders are placed, it normally takes 5-6 weeks to receive the equipment and for the provider to prepare the equipment for delivery. We are planning to begin electrical installation in the lab in the last week of October.

Colonia Molina is already well-versed in CoEd’s sustainable revolving fund model, having successfully operated a Textbook Program with local investment and management since 2016. Every program participant “rents” a set of books in core subjects for a small monthly fee (about $1.50). These fees are collected into a revolving fund, which is used to replace the books as they wear out. CoEd’s Technology Program operates under the same model, and the addition of a Computer Center will open up new opportunities for students at Colonia Molina. As Enrique, a student in CoEd’s Technology Program expressed, “These computers give us the opportunity to learn, communicate, and explore the digital world. Your generous gesture not only impacts us directly, but also the education of the community.”