Support literacy and learning for 1,900 Maya youth

Pedro, a seven-year-old from Chajul became a member of the Limitless Horizons Ixil Community Library about a year ago, drawn in by the games and math activities. Soon, Pedro found himself picking up new skills — in math, science, drawing, and writing — and something just as valuable: new friends. The library, he adds, has helped him study, learn new things, and practice good manners.

And Pedro isn't alone. This year, Limitless Horizons Ixil, with the help of three Colegio Horizontes students, set out to better understand how the Community Library is shaping young learners like Pedro. Staff and students surveyed library members ages 6–14, and the results were striking: 100% of respondents said the library helps them be better students. Nearly all (96%) said they enjoy the library and its activities, and more than 90% reported making new friends and feeling engaged by programming.

The library's reach and programming continues to grow and serve as an important place for local students like Pedro to jump-start learning and reading, get homework help, and continue their education beyond the four hours they spend in public school each day. By the end of 2025:

• Homework help had surged — hours of homework assistance jumped 85%, with average daily attendance holding strong around 41 students
• Math classes expanded — hours of math instruction grew 45%, with average attendance more than doubling
• Science instruction grew by 80%
• Book lending increased by 60% 
• And membership renewals have risen 12% — a sign that students like Pedro keep coming back

The library also got a fresh look this year. New signs now identify key areas, a Dewey Decimal System guide helps members find books on their own and new Values, Emotions Traffic Light, and Library Rules signs help create a clean, welcoming space for everyone. What makes these signs especially special: the cartoon characters featured on them are drawn in traditional Ixil dress, adapted from photos of actual library members, like Pedro, reflected back to themselves.

Your support makes all of this possible. Thank you for helping create a space where children feel seen, supported, and excited to learn.

In December, twelve-year-old Yenzi completed her 7th-grade prep course at Colegio Horizontes, celebrating the culmination of five months of twice-weekly intensive math and literacy classes which took place after her half day of public school in the mornings. But this milestone is just the latest, and one of many to come, in her journey with Limitless Horizons Ixil, which began eight years ago in our Limitless Knowledge Community Library. 

At age four, Yenzi learned to read with the help of Community Library Director David Imul, catapulting her ahead of many students three times her age who often graduate from elementary school with a first grade or lower reading level. Since Yenzi’s family of eight didn’t have books at home, the Community Library became her learning space, her playground, and her doorway to imagination. 

In addition to early literacy, the library was there to support Yenzi with her homework during elementary school, an economic relief for her single mother who struggled to pay for the craft supplies schoolwork so often demands in Guatemala. Plus, the library provided Yenzi with math and science learning throughout elementary school and was the first place she ever got to look through a microscope!

Just last year at the library, Yenzi learned of the opportunity to join Colegio Horizontes. As the youngest of her six siblings, Yenzi will not be the first in her family to continue her education beyond 6th grade. However, her middle and high school experience will be a far cry from what her older siblings experienced at local public schools, starting with her 7th grade prep classes.

This math and literacy reinforcement is critical in a country where less than 30% of 6th graders meet learning standards in math and less than 4% meet grade-level literacy standards. These five months were also a chance for Yenzi and her peers to to experience the school culture of Colegio Horizontes for the first time: learning about our hygiene routines, discovering what mentorship looks like, practicing our unique school cheer, and beginning to feel part of a supportive community that believes in them.

“I feel like here we learn so much more than I did at my old school. I have already learned so many new things. One thing that stands out are life skills lessons like ‘empowered voice,’” says Yenzi. 

She also shared how striking the environment felt compared to her current school: “My first thought was that Colegio Horizontes is so pretty. I really like it here.”

Your support help ensure students like Yenzi can thrive from their very first storybook, through prep classes, middle and high school, and on to higher education and professional careers.