Innovative Educational Center in Jocotenango, Guatemala

In Guatemala, there is an ancient city where the skyline is met with imposing volcanoes, and the preserved cobblestone rattles your car as you traverse the streets. Flowering trees canopy over buildings while vendors sell fresh, tropical fruits on every street corner. The draw of rich nature and history floods the city with tourists, all full of wonder and eager to experience the unique UNESCO World Heritage Site of Antigua. 

Just outside of Antigua, life isn’t always as picturesque for Guatemalans. The city of Jocotenango is one of grit, anchored by a struggling economy, gang violence and the destructive aftermath of Covid-19. Yet, there is a village of people dedicated to fracturing the cycle of violence and earnestly dismantling the structures which systematically drive poverty in their community. To do this, they have used the most powerful weapon of all—education. 

The story begins more than 15-years-ago, when JustWorld International Founder Jessica Newman was across the world in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games. There, she was introduced to a Guatemalan show jumper, Juan Andrés Rodriguez, who would soon emerge as even more than an Olympian. Upon learning about JustWorld, Juan Andrés became impassioned about bringing the mission to his home country of Guatemala. It is perhaps with a bit of luck, or the work of destiny, that they met Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes, a community leader in Jocotenango who was running a school out of his garage. It wasn’t before long that the program outgrew the garage, and learning spilled into the entirety of his family home.

The ambitious educational initiative soon took the name El Patojismo. JustWorld International and El Patojismo realized they had a common goal; create a school with a comprehensive educational, healthcare and nutrition program to support the youth of Guatemala in the way they have always deserved.

“This used to be the most dangerous area of Jocotenango,” said Romero Fuentes, while pulling up to a bright yellow, sprawling building. “We have taken something negative and created something beautiful instead.”

That something beautiful is El Patojismo’s first school site–a K-4th grade elementary school, but the positive energy is hardly contained by the building walls. Laughter, chatter and learning in action are the sounds which greet you before you even walk through the doors, and once you do, the scale of its impact comes into focus. A monkey, larger than life, playfully sticks his tongue out at you. A giraffe cranes its neck, eager to greet the new visitors while a hive of bumble bees work together to make delicious honey. These are murals, of course, but the bright colors inspire imagination and endless creativity while celebrating the art, culture and nature which is abundant in Guatemala. 

The vibrant energy is channeled into exhilarating chess tournaments, dynamic discussions in language, science, history and mathematics, and shooting hoops in gym class. For JustWorld and Romero Fuentes, the thriving elementary school has been a dream come true, but dreams evolve, as do the students, and the need to reach the next milestone was evident to all. 

The next big step was a high school, a place where students can further their education and discover themselves as individuals. The concept for the Centro de Oportunidades (CDO) grew from some rough sketches in a notebook to a massive, three story structure architecturally designed as a modern Mayan pyramid. In addition to offering the full scale of academics, the CDO welcomes collaboration, new ideas, and promotes entrepreneurship by hosting industry mentors to teach students specialized skills with real-life application. After graduation, they will have improved and direct opportunities to enter the workforce.  

At present, the CDO also has a space designated as “Fat Cat Coffee School”. Fat Cat Coffee is one of the most visited cafes in Antigua, and industry mentors from the cafe train students on how to become specialized baristas. Fat Cat Coffee School is just the beginning, with plans to offer training in apparel and textiles, software engineering, mixology, digital animation and more.

“I’m feeling the same energy, the same drive, and the same hope that I felt 15-years ago, and it’s not stopping. I can see this going forward, growing, and looking at all these young kids with new opportunities is very exciting,” said Rodriguez. 

On March 6th, the CDO celebrated their official Opening Day, where an auditorium full of guests were welcomed to catch a glimpse of students realizing their dreams and potential. A full fashion show, concert featuring blossoming vocalists and traditional marimba, heartfelt speeches and tours of the school represented the final phase of an idea becoming a reality. “Dreams and ideas in action” is the El Patojismo slogan for good reason, and the CDO has created a unique space where children can safely express their interests and individuality with all of the facilities and support they need.

“To see this amazing structure and to see how many students have thrived and created such incredible lives for themselves is what reminds me of why I get up every morning and do what I do, because there is nothing more important than that. All of you make me so incredibly proud and it’s truly an honor for me to be here,” Newman said as she addressed the crowd. 

Just weeks after accepting students the CDO is already full of life, with students often arriving early and staying past the bell hanging out with their friends and collaborating on new projects. According to Romero Fuentes, this is just the beginning, with the CDO taking root and growing its impact in Jocotenango. 

“We were able to build history, to transform, and to show the entire country that when people work together we can create a better world— a JustWorld. To me, this is a very special moment, because we have opened the door to all these beautiful people here, and now it is just the beginning,” said Romero Fuentes. “It is the beginning of something that has never been done, and now we can do this together.” 

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JustWorld International

Established in 2003, JustWorld was founded to provide equestrians with a way to support carefully vetted education programs for impoverished children around the world. Thousands of JustWorld Ambassadors from more than 40 countries have since committed to “ride for the cause” and assist JustWorld in accomplishing its mission to help build brighter futures for these children and their communities. Equestrian-based companies and events worldwide support JustWorld’s efforts, and the governing body of the global equestrian sport, the FEI, has endorsed JustWorld as its official charity partner. In 2022, JustWorld is helping improve the lives of nearly 10,000 impoverished children around the globe daily.

To donate, become an Ambassador, or learn more about JustWorld, please visit www.justworldinternational.org or @justworldinternational on Facebook and Instagram.

JustWorld International is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States and tax-deductible donations are accepted in the United States. JustWorld International has no political or religious affiliation.