Cathy Penelton, Administrator and Shantelle Matos, Principal Fundraiser for Global Shore Opportunities spoke to us today.
This Not-For-Profit was established by residents of Norfolk County in 2002 from a local farm group. An attachment to Guatemala showed the need for schooling K-12 grades. In Guatemala most students don't finish school. There is little government support. Rather most students drop out to support their families. Global Shore Opportunities thus started a school in the El Tizate countryside.
18 years later they have classes K-12, graduates, 33 Guatemalan staff and are becoming sustainable with graduates coming back to teach. They teach streams such as Graphic Design, Accounting and Secretarial. Students do a practicum (co-op) and are often hired as employees.
Global Shore Opportunities has a following. An office has since been opened in Pennsylvania to allow US tax receipts to be issued to US donors there. Of course Covid-19 has upset regular donations.
Visit them at https://globalshore.org/