Dear Family and Friends,
I want to let you know about an amazing opportunity I will
get to take part in during the summer of 2023. I was invited
by one of my amazing coworkers to join her team to provide
professional development training for teachers in Guatemala.
While there, our team will provide training to educators and
other community leaders who rarely, if ever, receive professional
development opportunities.
Guatemala’s population of 15 million is one of the poorest in
Latin America. Nearly 25% of the country’s population is
illiterate, ranking Guatemala 174 out of 194 countries in terms
of literacy rate. The average schooling in Guatemala is four
years and only three in ten children graduate from sixth grade.
It also has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition in children
under five in all of Latin America.
As we spend time with educators and community leaders we will
also gain an understanding of the challenges they face and learn
from their experiences. I am sure the learning will be mutual,
and the experience I gain will support all of my future
learners.
Poverty affects each of our schools in various ways. I am
thankful for this opportunity to be of service, sharing my
passion for education, communication, behavior management,
rapport building, and helping children, while exploring a
new place!
Each team member has been asked to raise funds to cover the
expenses and resources for this service opportunity. If you
would like to be a part of my support team and help me raise
these funds, all contributions are 501(c)3 tax-deductible
donations, and they can be made online at
http://ingageunlimited.org/donate. Just select my name in the
Guatemala Education Team. This is a volunteer service trip
facilitated by the non-profit organization INGAGE
UNLIMITED.
Thanks in advance for your love and support,
Jamie Gross