Every October, as Guatemala’s school year winds down, something different happens at a small number of Christian schools across the country. Students don’t simply go home for the holidays and put a pause to learning and enrichment. Instead, they show up, sometimes students from other schools too, for six weeks of learning that is as much about discipleship as it is about academics.
This is part of Missionary Ventures’ School Strengthening Program, and for the schools that have participated, it has changed what the impact of a Christian education looks like beyond the traditional school year.
What the Program Is
The Programa de Reforzamiento Escolar Cristiano, Christian school reinforcement program, is a six-week extracurricular initiative offered to private Christian schools in Guatemala during the final weeks of the school year, typically October through late November. It’s designed to do three things at once: reinforce students academically, strengthen Christian education within the school community, and create a natural bridge between the school and the surrounding neighborhood.
Each morning, students gather for hands-on, Bible-integrated instruction across a range of subject areas:
- Christian Education
- English language lessons
- Arts and Technology
- Optional – Sports & Recreation, and Personal Development
Sessions run several hours each day, with each subject area receiving around 24 hours of instruction across the six weeks. The curriculum is not one-size-fits-all, it’s adapted to the specific context and needs of each school, and teachers receive practical training and mentorship before the program begins.
Participating schools can open the program to not just its enrolled students but to other students within their community. Schools appoint a local coordinator, provide facilities and scheduling support, staff teachers and volunteers, and actively promote the program within their community.
“A Tremendous Help and a Great Blessing”
At Colegio Discípulos de Jesús in Santa Cruz del Quiché, director Karina Quiñones describes the rhythm clearly: the school promoted the program through social media and within its community beginning in late September, held planning meetings with teachers to map out the curriculum and schedules, then launched six weeks of morning classes that became something far bigger than anyone anticipated.
Students who came for the academic reinforcement found themselves drawn into daily devotionals and Bible-based lessons. Students were invited to Vacation Bible School in the afternoons at the church connected to the school. Two brothers who came with their grandmother ended up attending VBS — and their grandmother came too. Other families followed the same pattern: mornings of learning, afternoons of worship, and for many, a first invitation to accept Jesus.
“Our students were exposed to the Word of the Lord through daily devotionals. The educational content itself was Bible-based, focusing on biblical stories and incorporating prayer support for the families, shared Karina. “Many families were registering for the following [school] year before the current term had even ended.”
The program didn’t just serve students, it grew the school. Her school has now participated for three years, remind her and all of us of the words of Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
“Christ Is at the Center of Our Educational Mission”
Nearly 200 kilometers northwest, in the mountain town of Aguacatán in the Huehuetenango region, José Ezequiel Castro Simón leads the Maya Wacatequi Co-ed School. When the extended school year program came to his school, it brought something his students hadn’t expected to find: belief in themselves.
The program offered academic recovery classes for students who had struggled during the school year, plus six weeks of enriching activities and English, drawing students not just from his school but from other institutions in the municipality.
One student, a seventh-grader named Jamie, put it simply:
“Being in these kinds of classes is good because it really helped me practice and work on things that were hard for me to understand. I loved it because it helped me a lot.”
A fourth-grader named Edison had his own highlight, “I’ve really enjoyed the basketball classes. That way, when we play a match, we’ll already know exactly what to do.”
For principal Castro Simón, the program’s value goes beyond academics.
“We are convinced that Christ is at the center of our educational mission, so we use these opportunities to strengthen Christian values, encourage prayer, and share biblical principles that contribute to the holistic development of our students.”
The results bear it out. Families’ confidence in the school grew. Enrollment increased. And students who had believed they lacked the skills to succeed discovered they were capable of more than they thought.
The Impact Schools Are Seeing
Across both schools, four consistent outcomes have emerged from the program:
- Spiritual growth that extends beyond the classroom. The program’s Christ-centered framework isn’t a separate add-on — it’s the foundation every subject is built on. Biblical principles, prayer, and discipleship are embedded in everything from math lessons to sports.
- Academic growth and skill-building for students and teachers. Students get additional, focused academic attention and English language learning opportunities, providing a shorter gap of learning before the next school year. Teachers get additional training and coaching opportunities through working with program’s curriculum specialist, MV missionary Teresa Harwood.
- Stronger schools with deeper community roots. Both schools report that the program has grown their enrollment. Families who participated returned, and brought others. At Colegio Discípulos de Jesús, some families registered their children for the following school year before the current term had even ended. For small Christian schools operating in competitive local markets, that kind of visibility and trust-building is significant.
“I am deeply grateful to the organization for focusing on helping these institutions and the children, as they represent the future of our country,” shared parent Freddy Alcón, whose son Alan participated in the Aguacatán program.
A Platform for More Schools
The vision is for this to become an annual program: not just academic reinforcement, but a repeating cycle of discipleship, community outreach, teacher training, and school growth — year after year, school after school, across Guatemala.
With additional support, the goal is to expand the program to more schools each year, providing financial support to help cover staff honorariums, educational materials and logistics, refreshments, and operational expenses related to the program.
Missionary Ventures is working to expand the program to more Christian schools throughout the country. Because every school that says yes is a community that gets six weeks of the gospel woven into daily learning. Taking the gospel to students and families who might not have walked through those doors otherwise.
Learn more about Missionary Ventures’ School Strengthening ministry online here.