Give It up for Guate, now an official not-for-profit!
Our education fund has a new name and a new status! Give It Up for Guate (GIUG) is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is the same as before - to help Guatemalan children and young adults achieve higher levels and improved quality of education than is otherwise accessible.
During the last year, we have funded the education expenses of 12 students. Expenditures included payments for tuition, books, supplies, activity fees, and school uniforms. Funded students included seven in elementary school, two in middle school, and three in professional school. Two of the college students graduated from nursing school in December. The third is on course to graduate from electricians’ school later this year. 
Through our involvement with a middle school student, Jose, we realized that we could have a positive impact on far more students by updating the computer lab at his school, Instituto Mixto de Educacion Basica en Cooperativa (a.k.a. INSBAPA) in Panajachel. Upon visiting the school, we learned that the computers in the lab were all 10 to 12 years old, many dysfunctional. So, we initiated our INSBAPA Laptops project to provide the school with 30 modern laptops to upgrade their lab. We will deliver the last 10 of the promised laptops in July. (See in the picture the looks on their faces when using their first touch screen.) 
We sincerely thank our donors for your help in making quality education accessible to youth, mainly in the Mayan highlands of Guatemala, where children typically have very limited opportunities.