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.