By Chiara Petruzza | Marketing and External Relations Coordinator
Young women hold a unique power to change the world for the better when their ambitions are met with the right opportunities to learn and grow. Structural barriers, discrimination, a culture of machismo, and a global pandemic are all threatening girls' ability to continue their studies and achieve their goals. The transition from primary to secondary school has the highest dropout rate for girls. At MAIA, we are committed to identifying outliers, girls who are at risk of ending their education after elementary school, who when provided the opportunity will shift paradigms and set a bold new standard of expectations for girls in Guatemala. We call these young women Girl Pioneers, and for too long, this population has been perceived as the problem. MAIA shows that girls are the solution that will illuminate the path for others.
Each year MAIA conducts a yearlong recruitment and onboarding process in preparation for welcoming a new cohort of Girl Pioneers to the Impact School. Proyecto Impulso, a weekend preparatory program, is the culmination of this process and creates a smooth transition from primary to secondary school by working with aspiring Girl Pioneers to reinforce academic skills and strengthen their and their family’s commitment to their education goals. Throughout this 6-month program, educators support students to create a strong academic foundation, while mentors work with families and their daughters to create a common vision of the future centered around her education.
The Impact School’s design and dosage make it impossible to replace students who drop out. Proyecto Impulso enables MAIA to evaluate the resiliency and commitment of girls and their families, ensuring that the MAIA scholarship goes to young women who are going to see this challenge through to graduation.
The strength of this academic preparation lies in its adaptability and innovation. Proyecto Impulso activities are continuously revised and evaluated by MAIA Academic Director Victor and the team of MAIA educators to improve effectiveness and adapt to the unique needs of each new cohort. “Compared to previous years, we have improved mostly in reading comprehension and analysis in Spanish language arts, and in basic concepts of arithmetic for mathematics,” shared Victor.
Along with building an academic foundation, Proyecto Impulso aims at sparking transversal skills that are critical to socioemotional development. Jerónima, Recruitment Coordinator and Kaqchikel Educator with years of experience in leading and supervising Proyecto Impulso, tells us, “The ability to lead a group, apply critical thinking, and use an empowered voice to meet one’s needs are only a few of the key skills future Girl Pioneers have grown to manage during this intentional onboarding process.”
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