Teacher Training and Updating Program

The Q’eqchi’ Association - Xch’ool Ixim, in its effort to improve the quality of education in the regions of the Cobán district, believes it essential to initiate a process for the development of a joint project of strengthening and updating teaching so as to foster an intercultural, bilingual education in the classroom. Through a dedicated team of trainers, this program has assisted approximately 900 teachers and 300 schools in Alta Verapaz.

The goal of this project is to improve the pedagogical practices in the classroom and strengthen the teachers’ theoretical and practical knowledge so that they can better assist their students in realizing their full potential. To do so, it draws on the experience of Alta Verapaz’s Board of Education in bilingual education, and also on the teaching methods implemented by Q’eqchi’ Xch’ool Ixim in the approach to language and culture. This joint effort responds to the policies of the Ministry of Education, and to the collective agreement signed by the National Assembly of the Magisterium, San Carlos University of Guatemala, and the Ministry of Education.

General Objective

Offer a pedagogical proposal of quality that is appropriate for an intercultural, bilingual education for the linguistic communities in the region.

Specific Objectives

1. Design and implement a plan of teacher training and trainers in the application of educational, theoretical, and methodological procedures that includes the social and cultural context of each educational community.

2. Develop and apply bilingual educational materials relevant to the realities and needs of the educational process in the communities.

3. Carry out the technical and pedagogical support necessary for the application of intercultural and bilingual education in the classroom, based on the received training.

4. Implement a plan for the community participation and advocacy at the regional level.

The K’amolb’e Maya Community School

The K’amolb’e Maya Community School is a non-profit learning center for the communities, which was created to drive the academic development of young people from the rural area focusing on cultural identity.

It’s K’amolb’e  (leader of positive changes). This center eases the learning and teaching processes, the construction of knowledge and the development of higher mental capacities.

The center was created to assist youth (male and female) graduates of primary schools of the Q’eqchi’ Xch’ool Ixim Association and other schools in the region. There was a need to establish a middle school program to educate young Mayas Q’eqchi’ in various fields of knowledge such as agriculture, education and the environment, with the intention of creating human resources for work and integral development as an alternative of positive changes for the communities and insert global development without losing cultural identity.

The learning center attends to the student population that has the need to continue their studies in the “ciclo basico” (middle school) and “diversificado” (high school) through the specialization: Magisterio (Teaching career) for Children’s Bilingual and Intercultural Education and Perito (Qualified Profesionals) in Rural Welfare and Community Development.

 

The K’amolb’e Maya Community School

It appears in January 2002 in the San José Peña Blanca I Community, created by the Xch’ool Ixim Association as a center attending students of a primary school level with the accreditation of IGER.

In 2010, it becomes an annex to the Maya Guillermo Woods Institute of Ixcan, Quiché, offering the “ciclo basico” and for the first time, the course  of Bachelor in Children’s Bilingual and Intercultural Education.

In 2011, through the project of a former pupil, it was transferred to the regional head of Nimlajakok caring for 45 students from different communities, still endorsed by Guillermo Woods.

In 2013, it got the agreement to operate the “Ciclo Basico” through the N° 465-2013 DIDEDUC-AC’s Resolution, and one year later, in 2014, came the authorization to operate the course of Bachelor in Children’s Bilingual and Intercultural Education through the Ministerial agreement N°499-2014.

Currently, the K’amolb’e Maya Community School attends to 85 students coming from 22 communities located in the Nimlajakok, Salacuim, Balbatzul regions, with also some coming from communities in Ixcán, Quiché.

The learning center is found at the head of the Nimlajakok region which is located 85 kilometers northeast of Cobán. Initially, you drive 40 kilometers on an asphalt road that leads to Chisec; then, from Balbatzul, one takes the dirt road leading to Playa Grande Ixcán, Quiché. At that point, it remains about 45 kilometers before reaching the head of the region.

Strengthening of the Maya Q’eqchi’ Culture

The Q’eqchi’ Association Xch’ool Ixim has always aimed to maintain the ancestral knowledge and save the values that have been lost. This is why the association works to strengthen the Maya Q’eqchi’ culture.

The involvement of the elderly, the community leaders and spiritual guides forms a part of our actions. The association has a nominated figure “Chinam” to lead spiritual and cultural activities. A Chinam is a community leader who leads the cultural, social and spiritual activities during one year, this leader can also be seen as the “year carrier”. Besides this, there is a mayan altar that is analysed by the elderly from the communities in the region.

Thus far, there are groups of elderly that lead the cultural activities, that guide the youth of the region and promote the existing resources in the communities such as the use of music and sounds, harp, candles and the practice of the mayan ceremony.

Strengthening the Organizations of Parents and Women's Collectives

This program aims to promote the rights of children and the elimination of any discrimination against women. The plan is to strengthen the impact of parent organizations -OPFs- to be the local groups whose purpose is to contribute with the educational community to ensure that children have access to quality education.

Today the family and particularly women, have acquired a leading role in ensuring that children and adolescents receive an education consistent with their culture and language. The involvement of the fathers and mothers in  education at school has a decisive role in the educational process.

Departmental Meeting of women on
November 13th, 2015 in Alta Verapaz >>>

This program includes actions in various communities in the municipalities of San Juan Chamelco, San Pedro Carcha, Cobán, San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz Alta Verapaz department.

Productive community-based projects

Support for community production : In order to improve the community production and encourage the management of self-sustaining projects, we have supported men’s and women’s organized groups, with the installation of cardamom dryers, corn mills for hominy, and local stores in 42 communities in the municipality of Cobán, Chisec, Lanquin and Alta Verapaz.

Since 1997, EPIG >>> ("Ensemble Pour les Indiens du Guatemala") has financed these projects for several communities. The list below enumerates the type of projects and the beneficiary communities: List of projects financed by EPIG >>>

Community training : To orientate the community leaders in project management and promote the use of local products, a training center has been created in the region of Nimlaha’kok, Cobán, Alta Verapaz, where different committees have received training on the community projects. Around 20 communities participate at the center.

Improving and processing local products : This project has installed a mill for processing cane and panela (unrefined whole cane sugar) and other derivatives. A craft workshop was also created for the production of typical cuts and fabrics for clothing. A group of young professionals specialize in these fields in order to improve and diversify production at these production sites.

Supporters of the Q’eqchi’ Association – Xch'ool Ixim

A special thank you to :

•    United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund – UNICEF,
•    Ensemble pour les Indiens du Guatemala – EPIG,
•    CDC Dévelopment Solidaire,
•    Enfants du Monde,
•    Walo Suter,
•    Jean-Yves Jégou,

Partners with :

•    Ministry of Education in Guatemala
•    Rural School Education Councils/Committee
•    Community Development Councils – COCODE
•    Indigenous authorities
•    Maya School “Guillermo Woods”


How do they support us ?

UNICEF – Strengthening of the Organizations of Parents -OPFs- and Women’s Collectives in the Department of Alta Verapaz. This project strengthens the education process in 35 communities or villages in the municipalities of Cobán, San Juan Chamelco, San Pedro Carcha, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Verapaz.

EPIG - Implementation of community-based projects. From 1996 to the present. Every year, the EPIG Association >>> has financed community economy-based projects in over 30 communities such as cardamom dryers, corn mills, local community stores, corn shellers , a mill for processing cane and panela, and a craft workshop. Furthermore, it has supported IMACK Maya Institute with the construction of perimeter wall, bath complex, desks, classrooms, water system and a dorm building.

 

CDC Développement Solidaire – Has financed 3 cardamom dryers, an electric generator and the auditorium at IMACK where community meetings are held to achieve development and improve production.

Enfants du Monde - From 2001 to 2014, EdM supported us with the implementation of the Teacher Training and Updating Program in Alta Verapaz. This year 2015, it helped us with the financial support to teachers at the K’amolb’e Maya Community School.

Walo Suter - From 2012 to 2014, Walo Suter >>> contributed with operating expenses by donating to the K’amolb’e School to salaries for teachers and building classrooms. In 2015, he made a one-time donation to the School.

Jean Yves Jégou – A French citizen, who has patiently volunteered as a webmaster for this organization.

Thank you all, to the general public, to all partners, and to the volunteer translators of our website from Spanish to English, as well as to our local volunteers.

Video presentation of the association Xch'ool Ixim

This is a fragment of the experience of The Q’eqchi’ Association - Xch'ool Ixim in Alta Verapaz, implementing a local level Curriculum and Teacher Education based on the Q’eqchi’ Maya Culture.

Children's song in Q'eqchi' language

Written by the Coordinator of The Q’eqchi’ Association - Xchool Ixim as part of the Intercultural and Bilingual Education experience using the Q'eqchi' language.

Short explanatory slideshow on Xc'hool Ixim

The Q'eqchi' Association - Xch'ool Ixim has helped many communities in the Nimlajakok region implementing development projects.

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Addresses ... and phone number of Xc'hool Ixim

Address No. 1 (headquarters) :
Xc'hool Ixim
16. calle, 5-62 Zona 11,
Cobán,
Alta Verapaz, Guatemala


Address No. 2 :
Xc'hool Ixim
12 Avenida 2-48 Zona 1,
Barrio Saclac,
Cobán,
Alta Verapaz, Guatemala


Address No. 3 (headquarters) :
Instituto Maya
Aldea Nimlajakok,
Ruta a Playa Grande via Salacuim,
Cobán,
Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

E-mail :  xchoolixim@hotmail.com

Phone number :  (502) 7728-1327

Xch'ool Ixim's team ...

Contact us >>>

Augusto Ba, Director and
legal representative

He is an Intercultural Bilingual Elementary Education Teacher and works as well as a secondary education teacher.

Eager as he was to excel, he began distance studies when he already had children and family, and besides these obstacles he managed to obtain his degree as an educator. He has been fighting for a long time for community development and higher quality in education. Augusto is ethnically Q’eqchi’ from Guatemala, his long experience in teaching at the primary and secondary education level has been a fundamental element in his ability to lead the association. He was the co-founder of the K’amolb’e Maya Community School.

José María Choc,
Chief coordinator

José María is a community leader, from the Q’eqchi’ ethnic group, who began his fight for the communities during his youth. His main focus and specialty is education and community development with higher education in Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil, specifically quality of education and development.

At the age of 17, he led a group of farmers during the Internal Armed Conflict. He also served as a regional mayor in Nimlahakok. During his governance, he consolidated the region and supported other regions such as Salacuim and Santa Lucía, Cobán, Alta Verapaz. His social struggle did not end there and in 1990 he joined the Q’eqchi’ community group in order to establish the Q’eqchi’ Association Xch’ool Ixim and later the K’amolb’e Maya Community School.

Teodora Tiul Coc -
Assistant Coordinator of the
Q’eqchi’ Association Xch’ool Ixim

She is a high school teacher of intercultural bilingual education, with a specialty in the language Q’eqchi’.

She is ethnically Maya Q’eqchi’. Since 2005, she has supported the implementation of the educational program based on the Mayan Q’eqchi' culture by the Association Xch’ool Ixim. She has also been a facilitator and a community educator with women’s groups and parent organizations in the schools in the rural area.

Mario Sebastián Caal Jucub,
Coordinator of the Maya Program

He holds a B.A. and a Master’s degree in intercultural bilingual education. He has an extensive experience with education at the departmental level. He has worked for over twenty years at the Ministry of Education and at private universities in Guatemala where he led initiatives for the search of intercultural bilingual education. Currently he directs the Maya Program, which seeks to strengthen the parent organizations and women’s groups in order to influence the education in the department of Alta Verapaz. This initiative has been developed among the communities Q’eqchi’ and Poqomchi’ in the municipalities of Cobán, San Pedro Carchá, San Juan Chamelco, Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal Verapaz.

Ruben Yalibat Paau,
Director of the K’amolb’e
Maya Community School

He is an expert in renewable natural resources with higher education in Agricultural Engineering.

During his work as a director of the school, he has implemented various projects related to development and production with high school youth. Currently he directs the youth network which fights for community improvement, working on initiatives to raise awareness, hygiene, reforestation and advocacy at community and regional level.