Chances are you’ve seen this golden wheel around, but do you know what it represents?

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Diego proudly displays the textbook that will help him achieve his dreams.

The enormous toothy grin he wears from ear to ear gives him away—Diego Set Cuc is thrilled. Today Cooperative for Education and the Guatemala Literacy Project is delivering all-new textbooks to Chumanzana Cooperative School in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, where Diego is in the eighth grade. Today is a good day.

“This is my first time using books in class,” Diego says, “and my first time meeting people from North America!” He is amazed that people would come so far to visit his school, saying, “It is incredible for you to travel all this way, and for me to have the opportunity to learn more about the United States and Canada.” (more…)

Ever wondered what this Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) thing is? We mention it every now and again – and it plays an important role in the work of CoEd in Guatemala.  So what is it?  Since 1998, Cooperative for Education has been proud to work with individual Rotary International clubs (432 of them to be exact) to bring books, computers, training, and other resources to the poorest in Guatemala.  Each year a large group of Rotarians help the programs come into new communities in Guatemala.

Since March is Literacy Month for Rotary we wanted to take a moment to interview Mary Jo Jean-Francois, Rotary International’s (RI) Area Focus Manager in Basic Education & Literacy.  In February we were pleased to have Mary Jo join us in Guatemala to see the work being done. Here’s what Mary Jo had to say to us after her recent trip to see the GLP in action.

Mary Jo (right) spent time visiting the GLP in February. Pictured here with Rotarians from Guatemala City.

Why has Rotary International designated March as Literacy Month?

Rotarians around the world do thousands of literacy projects each year.  Some projects are funded by The Rotary Foundation, but the majority are not.  The Board of Directors for Rotary International wanted to highlight this work, recognize Rotarians for the endless volunteer hours they put toward their projects and to encourage clubs and districts to continue on with such an important initiative.  Having one month dedicated to literacy allows the organization to collectively promote efforts supporting education. (more…)

CAUTION: Winning this prize may cause sunburn. Donate at your own risk.

Are you brave enough to chance it? After you hear what this wonderful package includes, we think you just might be…

Check out that crystal clear blue water! Now check out the details of this amazing package that you could win for only $20/ticket (or 3 for $50)… Photo via Lacovia

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Well, another successful tour to Guatemala is in the books and we can’t wait to share all of the exciting moments that occurred during those ten days! A little background info for you: 31 Rotary International volunteers participated in the Guatemala Literacy Project Tour from February 1-10th (with a little help from the CoEd staff, of course). Trekking in a caravan of nine vehicles from Guatemala City to San Marcos and back, we saw a ton of the sights of Guatemala, both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking.  There are just too many stories to cram into one blog post, so you’ll have to be satisfied—for now—with one highlight from each day…

Enjoy our top 10 moments of the 2013 GLP Tour!

Friday: Volunteers assembled nearly 1,000 school supply kits to hand out to a CORP school.  That’s right, one THOUSAND. We had a regular leaning tower of school supplies!

Saturday: Lake Atitlán provided the most spectacular backdrop for an informal tour introduction meeting.  As if that wasn’t enough, we were graced with a rainbow. A good omen for the remainder of the trip? You betcha. (more…)

For Jeff and Suzanne Taylor, making a difference in their community means going beyond their hometown boundaries of Jefferson, North Carolina. They continually ask, “What’s next? How can we help more people in need?” Not gonna lie, they are doing a pretty terrific job of answering those questions and we here at CoEd couldn’t be more grateful. Want an example of their initiative? Great, because we were going to give you one anyway…

Jeff presenting textbooks to a school on one of his seven trips to Guatemala! Impressive, Jeff, impressive.

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