Guatemala

For over a decade, FHI 360 has worked in partnership with local communities and organizations to improve education and maternal and child nutrition in Guatemala.

FHI 360 leads the Realizing Equitable Access, Retention and Completion in Higher Education (REACH) project, which expands access to higher education and training for marginalized students in Guatemala, Honduras and Paraguay. REACH works closely with local higher education institutions to enhance their capacity to provide sustainable academic, financial and psychosocial support services so students can thrive academically, professionally and personally.

REACH leverages lessons from the Advance program, which worked to increase the employment of young people in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras and Jamaica. Advance focused on strengthening curricula, teacher professional development, career services, and recruitment and admissions in select institutions. The program also provided scholarships to promising students.

Guatemala is one of five countries in which FHI 360 Partners, a subsidiary of FHI 360, conducts the LEGO Playful Parenting Implementation Research Project. The research aims to generate insights into the implementation and scaling of global playful parenting interventions and their effects on service providers, caregivers, and children.

Drawing on our experience with the Active Schools project, we implemented the Secondary Education Quality Improvement Program to improve the quality and relevance of lower secondary school education, increase graduation rates, and prepare students for the job market. In partnership with Guatemala’s Ministry of Education and National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM), we strengthened professional development programs for teachers, directors and ministry advisors; developed learning communities and education networks for families, teachers and students; and enhanced the ministry’s capacity to make data-driven decisions to support the sustainability of reforms.

FHI 360 has also provided technical support to improve nutrition and food security, particularly for children younger than 5. We also designed evidence-based interventions, strengthened links between agriculture and nutrition activities, and advised on program costing to assist the government in achieving its national nutrition objectives.