Our Story
What is the GSSG?
The GSSG was founded in 2003 by John Bodoh, a retired university administrator who travelled widely in the rural, impoverished areas of Guatemala. Dr. Bodoh recognized that the best and most sustainable way to improve the lives of people living in these areas was to provide better educational opportunities for their children. At that time (and still today), most villages had, if anything, only a small elementary school which provided a minimal education. The few high schools available to village children charged tuition that was beyond the means of most families, and college was an unattainable dream.
Dr. Bodoh envisioned an organization that would identify entering high school students that showed exceptional academic and leadership qualities, and provide them with a scholarship to not only attend high school, but also college. In addition, GSSG would provide workshops to develop academic skills, leadership qualities, and a commitment to community service. Dr. Bodoh felt that over time, the positive effects of higher education would extend not only to the student, but also to the student’s family and village.
What does a scholarship cover?
Our scholarships cover a wide array of expenses, depending on the need of the student. The total costs vary depending on the need.
To maintain their scholarship, students must maintain a certain grade-point average. write three letters a year to their sponsors, and give back to their community by volunteer work, etc. As in the USA, some students take longer than others to graduate, but as long as they are progressing, their scholarship will continue until graduation.
- Tuition
- Room and Board
- School Supplies
- Transportation Costs
How does it work?
Up until 2021, GSSG offered primarily college scholarships to promising high school seniors and occasionally first-year college students. However, recent events in Guatemala (primarily the effects of Covid on the educational system) have caused us to re-evaluate our selection process and focus on students about to enter high school. There are several reasons for this: First, this gives us three years of high school to prepare the student for the rigors of college. Second, it also gives us three years to evaluate the student as to whether we think they can succeed at the college level. Even if the answer at that point is no, our feeling is that the student will still come out of our program with the economic and social advantages of graduating from high school, which only 5-10% of the Guatemalan population achieves.
Our Selection Process
Every year, one of our staff members in Coban, the main city in the Central Highlands of Guatemala, notifies principals of all of the middle schools in the surrounding towns and villages that GSSG is interested in awarding scholarships to their top graduating students, particularly those whose family finances would not be able to support the burden of high school tuition. The recommended student’s grades and educational records are reviewed, and if they are satisfactory, the student, the student’s main teacher, and the student’s family are interviewed by a member of the GSSG staff.
What Do We Look for in a GSSG Student?
Particular attention is paid to the following criteria:
- The student resides in a rural area or an impoverished area of a city or town.
- The student has an outstanding academic record.
- The student demonstrates leadership potential.
- The student demonstrates motivation, determination, and commitment to furthering his/her education.
- The student shows a strong desire to help others through ongoing community/family service and also a strong desire to improve conditions in their community.
- The student is aware of barriers to accessing education and is able to propose solutions.
- The student is responsible and punctual in turning in tasks and homework.
- The student is able to work in teams or groups.
Once the interviews are finished, a report is written and a staff member presents the report to the full GSSG Board, who makes the decision whether to support the student or not.
How Do We Support Our Students?
A GSSG scholarship, in addition to the usual tuition, fees, and school supplies, also covers transportation costs. These latter can be quite expensive due to the long distances many of our students have to travel to attend school. In addition, based on the experience of other non-profits in Guatemala, family involvement in a student’s education has been shown to be crucial to the student’s success. We thus require each family to contribute a small portion of the student’s academic expenses. As mentioned previously, financial support is continued as long as the student can show appropriate academic progress.