El Hato, Guatemala Literacy Center

The El Hato Literacy Center offers a variety of free literacy services to the El Hato community, including:  

• tutoring before and after school hours for students;
• a library with computers, internet access and a good collection of books;
• a vacation camp to keep children active between school years.

This program comprehensively addresses the community's educational challenges. 

Relevant activities include: 

1. Our team supports the children enrolled in our programs by reinforcing school content, helping them understand their homework, improving reading comprehension, and developing technological skills.
2. We reinforce values such as empathy, emotional expression, and critical thinking through our humane education curriculum.
3. Our library provides the entire community with free access to books, technology and educational materials. We strengthen intergenerational literacy and support mothers and fathers in reaching the education goals they have for their children.
4. At the end of the 2025 school year, we organized a six-week vacation camp that combined gardening activities, plant-based cooking classes, art, games, and reflection time. This time, we also hiked to a local spring. It was a wonderful experience.
5. The year 2025 was the first time we were able to bring together the mothers participating in the mentoring program to celebrate Mother's Day with the children. There were contests, raffles, and a lively and joyful atmosphere. This event was made possible thanks to the donations.
6. The students had the opportunity to exchange experiences with students from the AIS school in Antigua.

It takes a village to move a literacy center and El Hato has really stepped up! Huge thank you to our community who helped to move the literacy center into our brand new space!  Everyone helped with this "walking distance" move by carrying books, supplies, furniture, and equipment to our wonderful new space!   We are now in the process of making this new space extra special for even more students.  Also, a big thank you to Global Fund for Women staff who donated a variety of Spanish language reading books for the library.  In the Literacy Center, we provide after-school tutoring and library services to children in the community.