Operating a School for 80 Children in 2017

A big hello from Guatemala,

The Integral Heart Family's Education Center in Antigua Guatemala, which serves 80 children, will be re-opening for the new school year on Monday, January 15th. 

We are looking forward to a wonderful year in 2018and would like to thank you for your help thus far and also we invite you to participate in our success. 

We will be sending 4 newsletters this year about the progress of our school, education programs and scholarship programs which we hope you will enjoy.

With deep appreciation,

Mick Quinn & Debora Prieto
Co-founders

And all 80 Children and 5 staff of Integral Heart Family.

Warm greetings from Guatemala,

The rainy season has passed without much trouble this year so we are grateful for that!

We are also grateful to you for all your support of our work thus far this year. We are still a little short on our budget and we are confident that coming into this giving season we can all close this gap together.

October 1st was “El Día del Niño” (The Day of the Child) in Guatemala therefore we decided at La Academia to celebrate with all our little ones. Normally the schedule if full of classes for the kids and teenagers and this day was a very welcome break to just play!!

So all involved in our family, including staff, volunteer students-in-practice, teachers and even the dogs, listened the inner voice of the little child, and everyone participated and had fun.

They had a special meal prepared with love and flavor by our chef Moma Sonia, cake, candy, sodas, music, piñatas, games, little gifts and even a clown. During the whole day our children could do what they do best; simply be children, enjoying themselves and not having to worry about anything.

We would like to appreciate you again for helping make this space open to creativity, innocence and safety.

Mick and Debora (co-founders)
And the staff and children of
The Integral Heart Family in Antigua Guatemala.

Greetings from Guatemala,

One of our goals when we opened our school in 2016 was to empower our all Guatemalan staff to manage and operate every aspects of the programs and classes offered there to our 80 children and their families. This dream is now becoming a reality and a great test is currently underway.

As the founders, Mick and Debora traveled back to Europe for the first time since moving to Guatemala in 2009 to visit their families in Ireland and Spain they left the school in the most capable hands of the staff they have been working with since they created Integral Heart in 2010.

And, as you will see from the photos all is going really great. The Critical-Thinking classes for teens are being led by two of their senior students as well as the homework help and creative classes for the younger children. The food and education sponsorship program is in the capable hands of their social worker who has been with IHF Guatemala since 2010.

We hope you enjoy and thank you again for all your support,

The All-Guatemalan Staff of Integral Heart Family in Guatemala.

A huge hello from sunny Guatemala!!

Our school just passed ONE YEAR open!  One Year Open! Thanks To YOU!!!

We are celebrating this momentus occasion with some happy photos of our students, ranging in ages from 4 to 23 years old, in this newsletter.

Our kitchen is busy preparing and serving over 1,600 meals and snacks every month and our sign-in book, which records and tracks all students, staff, volunteers and visitors every month totalled 756 for the month of March! Amazing amazing!!

At La Academia,we are hosting the following programs for sponsored students and families:

 - Critical-Thinking (CT) Programs for Teens
 - 3-year fulltime Teacher-Training Program
 - English Classes
 - Spanish Classes
 - Psychology Classes
 - Counseling for students and family members
 - Homework Study / Tutoring for Teens
 - Classes and playtime for our junior students and siblings
 - Daycare for a small group of most involved families
 - Programs for moms and dads
 - Home base for our social worker/family liaison
 - Special events and invited speakers
 - Food program serving almost 1,500 meals and snacks per month
 - and the resident street dogs, Chispa, Muneca, and puppy Tasha!

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerly thank you again for all your help in support our work.

A big hello to you all from summer in Guatemala!

Our school, La Academia, which is now coming up on its first anniversary has reopened after the Holidays.

In addtion to the English, Spanish, Psychology, Critical-Thinking and Homework Study classes, we have added to the schedule new classes in English for 5th and 6th graders, and additional classes on Tuesday and Thursdays for our Critical-Thinking students, and a study class on Wednesday of Eckhart Tolle's book, Stillness Speaks, in English for our Teachers-in-Training. There is also new yoga classes and breakout groups for the both the girls and the boys!

So, many new things at La Academia this year!

And much of this is due to the addition of an wonderful, dynamic new volunteer, Sunny Rucker, who originally came just to continue the English classes with our Teachers-in-Training but after a few meetings with Mick Quinn, one of the co-founders, she came up with the idea of adding this whole new array of new classes.

From all accounts, Sunny and our staff, students and ourselves, are really loving it!!

With your help in funding our school, we hope to continue this success throughout the year.

Thank you again for all your help and encouragement,

Mick Quinn and Debora Prieto

Co-Founders.