What I learned from Guatemala: Meaningful educational outcomes can be achieved anywhere
Chip Paucek, CEO 2U
A few months ago, I had the honor of joining a group of our 2U employees on a Pencils of Promise Field Trip to the Boca Costa region in Guatemala. The experience was overwhelming. We were given the opportunity to visit one of the three schools our company funded this year in Guatemala through employee-run philanthropic efforts. It was truly incredible to see these efforts manifest in such a real and impactful way. Together, we were able to reaffirm our commitment to creating life changing educational experiences.
Here are my top three takeaways from this amazing experience:
1. Life changing trip.
I’ve had the opportunity to travel a lot, but this trip was different. It was life changing to see the impact PoP is making, witness the real, sustainable difference the work has in these communities and to interact with the people in the community. Not to mention, Guatemala is a truly beautiful place.
2. Blown away by the reception to us and PoP.
When I say I was blown away, I mean it. Every village we visited welcomed us with such warmth and gratitude. Parades of community members came out to meet us, some of them clapping; live performances and ceremonies were planned, and we were each given thoughtful gifts and food. These moments strengthened our connection to the community members and helped build a genuine human connection.
3. So impressed by Pencils of Promise.
The people are incredible. The mission is incredible. The way they approach the work they do is incredible. As a for-purpose organization, PoP is changing the landscape of what it means to impact communities and the world. I, and everyone at 2U, are so lucky to have found them as a partner.
Throughout the years, it has become abundantly clear that community outreach is important to our team at 2U and is deeply synergistic with 2U’s mission and culture. The passion for what we do every day at 2U is part of what allows us to deliver high quality outcomes for our university partners, their students and faculty, and our employees. Our partnership with Pencils of Promise extends that passion into both our local and global communities.
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Check out #PoPFieldTrip on Instagram to follow our adventures in Guatemala, Ghana and Laos.
To learn more about PoP’s work, visit pencilsofpromise.org or click here to learn more about 2U’s work with PoP.
