Montessori education pushes back Guatemala poverty

Unidas Para Vivir Major (UPAVIM) Community Development Foundation continues its efforts to break the cycle of poverty and violence in La Esperanza, Guatemala.  UPAVIM is working to help their elementary teacher, Brenda acquire the necessary visa to travel to Mexico City for her inperson training.  Brenda has completed all her online training and is applying her Montessori knowledge in her elementary classroom while waiting.

The restrictive political circumstances surrounding a visa application for underserved, low-income individuals has complicated and slowed down approval for Brenda’s visa application. UPAVIM has submitted supporting documentation and bank information for her application as well as identifying contacts knowledgable about the Mexican visa procedures.  They have connected with one such a person with contacts at the Mexican consulate who assures UPAVIM staff that they can help with Brenda’s application.

Once the visa is issued in 2026, Brenda will spend several months in Mexico City observing elementary Montessori classrooms, demonstrating her knowledge and guiding skills under the tutorage of her Montessori trainer and do her practicums in Montessori elementary classrooms.  Upon satisfactory completion of these hands-on training elements, Brenda will return to UPAVIM with an AMI Elementary Certificate.

Once Brenda returns to La Esperanza, Guatemala, she’ll not only guide elementary students, she’ll also serve as a facilitator, providing training and professional development opportunities for other teachers.  In addition she’ll conduct workshops for parents and community members. In this way, more children and their families will benefit from the deep Montessori training Brenda receives.  Through this Montessori training effort, UPAVIM will accelerate its efforts to reduce poverty and violence and enhance education in La Esparanze. 

MGGF is proud of the effort UPAVIM has made to empower Brenda and others in their community to overcome the wrenching poverty, and lack of jobs by training Montessori educators.  We know that they will continue to support Brenda and others and by so doing, enrich the lives and education of the local children in La Esperanza.

Demonstrating ongoing determination and passion, UPAVIM continues to make a difference in the lives of children and their local community, using Montessori education to meet the individualized learning needs of their students. Thanks to your support, MGGF has enabled one of their dedicated elementary teachers to pursue her elementary guide training at the AMI Montessori Instiitute in Mexico City.

Despite setbacks due to political restrictions delaying a necessary visa, Brenda is well on her way to acquiring her certification, having completed online training, practice time, and practicum experience. We are all grateful to the training center for making accomodations for her to complete the remaining requirements for certification with the upcoming cohort. UPAVIM remains tireless in their efforts to ensure the completion of this training which will further enhance the quality of education experiences for children served by this vital community organization.

UPAVIM (Unidas Para Vivir Mejor, United For a Better Life) is the result of a collective grassroots effort organized to address urgent needs of La Esperanza through collaborative action, mutual support, and community development initiatives. Using Montessori education, their dedicated participants work daily to provide a safe, nurturing environment for local children to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially--disrupting cycles of poverty and violence and empowering children with futures of opportunity.