Education for the Children Foundation
Why choose Education for the Children Foundation ?
Founded in 2003, Education for the Children works in partnership with disadvantaged families, children, and young adults in Guatemala to ensure they develop the tools they need to break free from the cycle of poverty. Our School of Hope, founded in 2005, has more than 650 children and young adults in our program. We have a holistic approach to education, which means in addition to school we provide access to clean water, nutrition, health care, hygiene and psychological support. Our students come from areas where extreme poverty, crime, domestic violence and alcoholism are everyday realities. Many of our students are the first in their families to receive an education and their achievements provide new hope for generations to come. For this reason our students love coming to the school and absolutely love to learn! The School of Hope offers a fully bilingual program from reception to 2nd grade, and then provides English classes every day from 3rd grade through junior high. For graduating students, the Foundation offers a full scholarship to study a career of choice. The students learn computer skills and work towards fluency in English. They can express themselves through dance, drama, and creative writing. They can cook, make music, write for the school newspaper, and excel in sports club. Our school works hard to attend the needs of students and families in order to remove the barriers that prevent them from completing their education. A key component of our school is the hard work of our volunteers. Volunteers play such an important role in supporting our incredible teachers, students, and staff. They provide the time, the skills, and the experiences we may not always have access to as an NGO. Whether you’re looking for a little work experience, a way to help others, or you simply have some free time you’d like to spend at our project, volunteering can be impactful and rewarding. Your role as a volunteer can vary depending on your interests, experiences, length of stay, and language level. We are always looking for volunteers with unique skill sets. If you do not see a role that fits your qualifications or expectations, contact the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss other possibilities!
Founded in 2003, Education for the Children works in partnership with disadvantaged families, children, and young adults in Guatemala to ensure they develop the tools they need to break free from the cycle of poverty. Our School of Hope, founded in 2005, has more than 650 children and young adults in our program. We have a holistic approach to education, which means in addition to school we provide access to clean water, nutrition, health care, hygiene and psychological support. Our students come from areas where extreme poverty, crime, domestic violence and alcoholism are everyday realities. Many of our students are the first in their families to receive an education and their achievements provide new hope for generations to come. For this reason our students love coming to the school and absolutely love to learn! The School of Hope offers a fully bilingual program from reception to 2nd grade, and then provides English classes every day from 3rd grade through junior high. For graduating students, the Foundation offers a full scholarship to study a career of choice. The students learn computer skills and work towards fluency in English. They can express themselves through dance, drama, and creative writing. They can cook, make music, write for the school newspaper, and excel in sports club. Our school works hard to attend the needs of students and families in order to remove the barriers that prevent them from completing their education. A key component of our school is the hard work of our volunteers. Volunteers play such an important role in supporting our incredible teachers, students, and staff. They provide the time, the skills, and the experiences we may not always have access to as an NGO. Whether you’re looking for a little work experience, a way to help others, or you simply have some free time you’d like to spend at our project, volunteering can be impactful and rewarding. Your role as a volunteer can vary depending on your interests, experiences, length of stay, and language level. We are always looking for volunteers with unique skill sets. If you do not see a role that fits your qualifications or expectations, contact the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss other possibilities!
Education for the Children Foundation Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
Volunteering for 4 Months with EFTC!
November 16, 2024by: Sydney Segrell - United StatesI have had an incredible experience volunteering with EFTC! Their mission is absolutely amazing and all of the staff is very welcoming and passionate about providing great education to these kids. The volunteer coordinator especially is very supportive and wants to ensure that you find a place in the school that you love, and one that meets your personal goals and comfortability. The homestay accomodation is incredibly helpful, as it is a great location to live in Antigua, the food is delicious, and you can practice your Spanish! EFTC's whole volunteer program does a great job at prioritizing your interests and being flexible with your schedule, and the foundation itself is making such a difference in each students' life, so it is an amazing experience to have and a great team to be a part of. I could not recommend it enough!
Everyone should get involved with EFTC!
July 23, 2019by: Claire Kaminski - United StatesI loved my time volunteering with EFTC! Everyone that works there is so friendly and dedicated to providing the best education and services for not only the students but their families and the community. The volunteer coordinator is super helpful and checks in to make sure you are having the best experience possible. The Teachers are so grateful for the help even if it is just grading papers or helping make posters that gives the teacher more time to focus on lesson planning and helping the students who need it. This is an absolutely incredible organization and I can’t wait to volunteer with them again!
Volunteering for 2 months
May 13, 2019by: Lucy Bergeron - United StatesI had an amazing experience with this wonderful program. The staff were incredibly supportive and welcoming, and did a great job working with me to find a place at the school for me where I could meet my personal goals and have a meaningful impact. They organized my transportation from the airport and my housing for me, but their flexible and you can ask for more or less structure to meet your needs. They made my volunteer experience everything I could've wanted, and the organization itself is very worthy and does an impressive job supporting the kids and their families in a holistic way.
Awesome volunteer opportunity in Guatemala!
June 13, 2017by: Steph Esp - AustraliaIf you are looking to volunteer overseas with a supportive, sustainable and fun project, then Education for the Children Foundation is for you! Volunteers are all supported every step of the way through the entire process, and you can choose which area you want to help in, depending on your skills and Spanish level - eg. arts, mathematics, English etc. They can also organise awesome homestays and accommodation, as well as transport and airport pickup for all volunteers. I had a great overall experience volunteering at the school, in my friendly and welcoming homestay, as well as a fun, great experience living in Antigua, Guatemala.



Volunteering at EFTC
September 07, 2016by: Helen - EnglandThis is my first time in Guatemala and at EFTC, I have loved it! Education For The Children Foundation are an incredible charity who are passionate about helping children and families. There is lots of room at the organisation to volunteer where you feel your skills will be most valuable. I have been here for 10 weeks and have been able to do a huge variety of things. I started helping out in English classes for 6th-9th grade but have also have the opportunity to help out in the office, helping in the younger classes, making display board and help create new activities which can be used in lessons. All the staff and other volunteers are very friendly so we have been able to do lots of cool things outside the project as well. I really recommend visiting other places in Guatemala whilst you are here as it is such an interesting and beautiful country! I am looking forward to returning one day! :)
The greatest experience
August 25, 2016by: Marie - FranceVolunteering is a great experience that anyone should do at least once, no matter for how long. Doing even small things for the community makes it so much better. EFTC is a great place to volunteer. A place that really helps the children and give them the hope and the chance for a brighter future and I was glad to be part of it for a bit. Every actions, every events at the school are made to provide not only the best education but also to improve all the children's health habits. And you will not only help them, but it will also help you : help you with a better knowledge of yourself and of the world with the discovery of a new culture and the understanding of global issues. So I can assure you that you would have the best experience here in Guatemala with the EFTC.
Genuinely fantastic and life-changing organisation
July 05, 2016by: Lauren - ScotlandI spent just over 7 months with EFTC for my languages year abroad from September 2015 to April 2016. I honestly can't say enough great things about the organisation. In terms of project organisation, it is absolutely fantastic. They can arrange as much or as little as you want and their staff in charge of visitors and volunteers was always quick to get back in touch and provided a wealth of information. During your placement, there is a staff member dedicated to visitors and volunteers who will always put you on the right track. As for what you can do, it depends on your interests and your skills. I spent most of my time in the classroom giving the teacher a helping hand with anything that she needed a hand with whether it be activities with the children, marking, preparation etc. I also got a chance to see more of the office side of the foundation as I have an interest in NGO management and so I did various things in order to help out on that side as well so whatever your interests and skills are, there will be something for you at EFTC. It is a genuinely fantastic foundation that makes such a difference to the lives of the children and their families from many different angles and you will leave wondering when you will be able to book your next trip.
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Education for the Children Foundation
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Education for the Children (EFTC), founded in 2003, is a registered charity in Guatemala, the UK, and the US. EFTC works in partnership with disa...