Provide Scholarships to Mayan High School Students

The final phase of construction of the Mayan Center is under way. Doors and windows have been installed and the interior work is proceeding apace. The local Maya are currently doing the construction, and it is with great hope and enthusiasm that they—and we—anticipate the opening of the center in 2008 for full-time classes. The creation of the center is a monumental achievement that is owing to the generosity of our donors and volunteers and the hard work of the residents of the surrounding villages. For the first time in this area of Guatemala, Maya youth who qualify for admission will have the opportunity to receive a high school education and all the benefits such an education will provide.

While final construction is taking place, the center is being used to hold practicums and seminars. In February an expert carpenter from the United States taught a series of carpentry classes to local Maya youth. In May another accomplished American carpenter gave on-the-job training and assistance to the Maya who are helping to finish building the center. Presently, several Maya youth are carpentry interns at the center. Later this year noted Maya author and educator Senor Gaspar Pedro Gonzalez will teach classes on Maya culture, including language and arts.

One volunteer described her experiences at the center during a recent visit. “I was awed by the group of 20 teens who rose at 4 a.m. and hiked 17 kilometers, much of it uphill, to participate in a carpentry class at the new Mayan Center. Despite the effort, at the day’s end, they were reluctant to stop planing and sawing the wood for the beds they would finish building the next day.” This volunteer continued: “Among many other things, students at this residential high school will have the chance to learn to farm in a way that will preserve the precious rainforest that surrounds the school. It’s thrilling to see this project become a reality, a viable opportunity for youth who otherwise would have no chance for advanced education.”

AAV continues to fund-raise for students’ scholarships. As the center nears completion, the need for scholarship funds becomes more immediate and critical. The Maya need financial assistance to realize their long-denied dream of obtaining an education that will afford them the skills they need to improve their own lives and those of their fellow villagers. Please join us in this endeavor. To those who have already provided donations for scholarships, AAV thanks you on behalf of the very appreciative Maya.