Global Grant Application GRANT NUMBER STATUS
GG1865581 Draft
Basic Information
Grant title
Young Mayan Women as Engines of Economic Growth in Guatemala through Empowerment and
Education
Type of Project
Humanitarian Project
Address community needs and produce sustainable, measurable outcomes
Primary Contacts
Name Club District Sponsor Role
Alan Steger Evergreen 5450 Club International
William Boegel E-Club of Lake Atitlán-
Panajachel
4250 Club Host
Committee Members
Host committee
Name Club District Role
John Van Lente E-Club of Lake Atitlán-
Panajachel
4250 Secondary Contact
Emilio Crespo Morales E-Club of Lake Atitlán-
Panajachel
4250 Secondary Contact
International committee
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Name Club District Role
Robert Rose Evergreen 5450 Secondary Contact International
Jim Kreider Evergreen 5450 Secondary Contact International
Do any of these committee members have potential conflicts of interest?
Yes
If so, please briefly explain.
We do not believe any potential or real conflicts of interest exist with any of the committee members. However, we have
checked YES so that, in the interest of transparency, we could point out some relationships between Rotarians and
benefiting organizations that could be perceived as possible conflicts. Theodore Ning, a member of the Rotary Club of
Evergreen, is a founder of Starfish One-by-One , the US 501(c)3 non-profit which provides financial support to
Asociacion Estrella de Mar. He has not been on the Board of Directors for the past two years but continues to provide
support in a volunteer capacity only. Estrella de Mar is a separate legal organization established under Guatemalan law.
He has no role or influence in its governance. His son, Travis, is the Executive Director of Starfish One-by-One and was
a former member of the host club, RECLA. However, neither Ted nor Travis has a direct role in the administration of
this grant.
The primary contact for the international committee, Alan Steger, has been to Guatemala numerous times and is
familiar with the cooperating organization, Estrella de Mar, and its personnel. He has performed volunteer work for the
organization in Guatemala and in the U.S. and is a donor. However, he has no employment relationship, leadership
responsibility, or financial role in the organization. Other members of the international committee have no connection to
Estrella de Mar except as donors. Similarly, no member of the host committee has any connection with Estrella de Mar.
Project Overview
Tell us a little about your project. What are the main objectives of the project, and who will benefit from
it?
This project builds upon two previous Rotary global grants: 1426078 "Guatemalan Community Development through
Workforce Readiness among Mayan Youth" and 1525485 "Creating Economic Opportunity and Community
Development through Unlocking the "Girl Effect" in Rural, Mayan, Guatemala." In those projects, the focus was on
encouraging girls to remain in school beyond the normal sixth grade education through an intense program of mentoring
and support. This project is different, in that it addresses goal achievement through changes in the educational system
itself.
Asociaciόn Estrella de Mar (EdM), the cooperating organization in the two previous grants, has again been selected as
the implementing organization for this grant. EdM has been operating a very successful program since 2010 focused on
girls' education and empowerment. Over 200 graduates of the program are currently engaged in various activities
including university studies, employment in the local economy, and building their own businesses. As successful as the
program has been to date, EdM has recognized that the quality of the education system itself continues to be a barrier
for many of these graduates to reach their full potential.
As a result, EdM has embarked on a new venture. In 2017, it opened its own school, Colegio Impacto (CI), or "Impact
School." Beginning in 2017 with only one class of 47 7th graders, it plans to add one grade each year until the full
compliment of approximately 300 students, grades 7 through 12, is reached. A new building is under construction and is
expected to open in late 2018. Unlike the public school system, a major focus of this new school is the development of
skills relevant to the 21st century economy, namely STEM topics (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics),
information technology, and critical thinking. The timing of this endeavor is ideally suited for this grant.
This grant will allow EdM to enhance and accelerate the development and implementation of the CI curriculum,
including instructor training, which aligns closely with Rotary's focus on basic education and literacy. It will seek to
accomplish three of Rotary's goals for this area of focus: involving the community to support programs that strengthen
the capacity of communities to provide basic education and literacy to all; working to reduce gender disparity in
education; and supporting studies for career minded professionals related to basic education and literacy.
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The benefits of the grant will not be limited to basic education. It will also allow EdM to continue to serve young adults
who are graduates of its original mentoring program, providing the resources and additional support necessary to
transition to the 21st century economy. These activities will be closely aligned with another of Rotary's focus areas,
economic and community development. It will seek to accomplish three of Rotary's goals for this focus area: building the
capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to support economic
development in impoverished communities; developing opportunities for productive work; and reducing poverty in
underserved communities.
Proven methods will be proactively shared with public schools and other organizations through EdMs Chispa Network.
Chispa, meaning "spark," was launched in 2015 to connect youth-focused organizations throughout Guatemala. The goal
of the Network is to share best practices, enhance credibility, create social capital among the girls, and position girl's
education on the national agenda. There are currently ten member organizations in the Chispa Network.
The primary beneficiaries of this project will be the young women themselves as they will be prepared to assume
increasingly responsible and valuable positions in the local economy. This includes current students at the CI school,
which will be the "laboratory" for implementing many of the initiatives included in this project, and recent graduates of
EdM's mentoring program who are now in universities, seeking employment, or starting their own businesses. The
families of these young women will also benefit as the young women assume a greater responsibility for providing the
income that many of these families' lack and instill in their families the appreciation for education. The communities will
benefit as these young women enter into the job market and bring much needed skills to the business sector, as well as
new services which are now totally lacking. Perhaps the largest impact will be on the greater community as the lessons
learned are shared and applied to the educational system, allowing future students to reap the benefits derived from this
project.
Areas of Focus
Which area of focus will this project support?
Basic education and literacy
Economic and community development
Measuring Success
Basic education and literacy
Which goals will your activity support?
Involving the community to support programs that strengthen the capacity of communities to provide basic
education and literacy to all;Working to reduce gender disparity in education;Supporting studies for careerminded
professionals related to basic education and literacy
How will you measure your project's impact?
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Measure Collection
Method
Frequency Beneficiaries
Number of new female school-age students --- Number of
young women accessing secondary school. The vast majority of
the school's students would have discontinued their education
upon completing primary school.
Grant
records and
reports
Every year 100-499
Other --- Number of teachers from public schools and
practitioners from organizations attending the two STEM for
Girls summit trainings that will be facilitated by Teachers 2
Teachers Global and hosted by the Colegio Impacto.
Grant
records and
reports
Every six
months
1000-2499
Other Number of female students who exceed 1 year of
academic growth in math and literacy based on semesterly
MAP and Lexile assessments.
Testing Every six
months
100-499
Other --- Number of public school teachers and NGO
representatives attending critical thinking/literacy training from
ConTextos, El Salvador. The Colegio Impacto will host these
two trainings and invite public secondary schools as well as
other youth-focused organizations operating in Sololá.
Grant
records and
reports
Every year 1000-2499
Other --- Growth in content mastery among Colegio Impacto
educators receiving content coaching in STEM-related
subjects.
Testing Every six
months
1-19
Do you know who will collect information for monitoring and evaluation?
Yes
Name of Individual or Organization
Asociación Estrella de Mar
Phone
502-7762-0842
Email
info@estrella-impacto.org
Address
Plaza Mayasersa, Ave Rancho Grande, Zona 2, Panajachel, Solola, Guatemala
Briefly explain why this person or organization is qualified for this task.
Asociaciόn Estrella de Mar has many years of experience measuring the long-term impact of its programs. It
employs measures of effectiveness in all its programs and these will continue throughout the life of this project
and beyond. It has a full-time, Guatemalan social anthropologist on staff to monitor progress and impact. It also
has a customized database developed specifically for measuring the progress and impact of its programs. Below
are a few examples of measures currently employed:
1. Economic Independence and Mobility - The number and percentage of participants with an annual income in
excess of the average income in Guatemala after completing the program. The percentage of program graduates
gainfully employed. The percentage of graduates engaged in post program studies.
2. Reproductive and Relationship Autonomy - Percent of program graduates that have delayed marriage and
family until at least age 25
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3. Life-long Learning - Percentage of participants achieving a target level of 15 years of formal education
compared to an average of 2.5 years in the indigenous adult population of Guatemala. Percentage of students
currently enrolled in university.
4. Unlocking Leadership Potential - Percentage of graduates working for NGOs, involved in community service
projects, and/or have been elected to voluntary positions of leadership
This strong track record of not only measuring but evaluating the impact of its programs makes Estrella de Mar
ideally suited to carry out this task.
Economic and community development
Which goals will your activity support?
Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to
support economic development in impoverished communities;Developing opportunities for productive work;
Reducing poverty in underserved communities
How will you measure your project's impact?
Measure Collection
Method
Frequency Beneficiaries
Number of entrepreneurs supported Grant records
and reports
Every six
months
20-49
Number of youth employed in income-generating activities Grant records
and reports
Every six
months
100-499
Other ---Number of recent high school graduates acquiring
first-job experience in the formal sector through
internships.
Grant records
and reports
Every six
months
20-49
Other ---Number of emerging female leaders attending the
annual leadership training and networking event
Grant records
and reports
Every year 50-99
Other ---Number of recent high school graduate girls
successfully completing a three-day small-business
incubator program
Grant records
and reports
Every six
months
20-49
Other Number and percentage of participants with an
annual income in excess of the average income in
Guatemala after completing the program
Grant records
and reports
Every year 50-99
Other Academic success rate of first-generation female
university students. Completion of university will
significantly increase employment opportunities.
Grant records
and reports
Every six
months
20-49
Do you know who will collect information for monitoring and evaluation?
Yes
Name of Individual or Organization
Asociación Estrella de Mar
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Phone
502-7762-0842
Email
info@estrella-impacto.org
Address
Plaza Mayasersa, Calle Rancho Grande, Panajachel, Solola Guatemala
Briefly explain why this person or organization is qualified for this task.
See the above explanation for a description of Asociación Estrella de Mar's qualifications.
Location and Dates
Humanitarian Project
Where will your project take place?
City or town
Sololá
Province or state
Sololá
Country
Guatemala
When will your project take place?
2018-07-01 to 2019-06-30
Participants
Cooperating Organizations (Optional)
Name Website Location
Asociación Estrella de
Mar
www.estrellaimpacto.
org
Edificio Mayasersa, Primer Nivel, Ave. Rancho Grande
Panajachel Guatemala
Why did you choose to partner with this organization and what will its role be?
Asociación Estrella de Mar will be the principal implementing organization for this grant. It is an ideal partner
chosen for its outstanding reputation. Based in Sololá Guatemala, it is one of the few organizations in
Guatemala that is led and run by indigenous women for indigenous adolescent girls. Estrella de Mar's Colegio
Impacto represents an ideal venue to equip teachers and students with the essential competencies and skills for
the 21st century. This school, which launched in 2017, will be the primary venue for the education and economic
growth activities in this project.
Estrella de Mar's ongoing programs have been enormously successful. Today, the hundreds of beneficiaries of
their programs are evidence of the catalytic economic impact that empowered young women can have on their
communities. Academically, these "girl pioneers" have already reached unseen heights. Fifty six percent of
program graduates have continued their education beyond high school, in contrast to their mothers who average
only two years of schooling.
The leadership of this organization is one of its defining attributes. Director Norma Bajan has been invited by
two different Administrations to visit the White House to honor her commitment to women in Guatemala. Her
team possesses the critical context and language skills to align educational innovations to rural Guatemala.
Ninety five percent of the staff of the organization is female and indigenous, an attribute which allows them to
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understand the issues the students face because they have experienced these issues themselves. It also allows
them to identify with and relate to the parents of students who are critical to their continued education.
Estrella de Mar has a proven track record with respect to grants and has evidenced its ability to successfully
execute projects of this scale. It has successfully managed two other global grants with Rotary and has a deep
relationship with a wide variety of Rotarians both in Guatemala and abroad. A 2015 inspection by a member of
the Rotary Cadre of Technical Advisors, Cecelia Babkirk, provided the following testimony after visiting Estrella
de Mar: "I have to say that of all the Cadre site reviews I have done, this was absolutely my favorite. What a job
they are doing here. Best of all, while it would seem from the grant application and other documents that the
benefit would be delayed while the young women attend school, they are not. The project is making a big,
immediate difference in the lives of these women and their families. What a delight and honor to get to see this
project."
Most importantly, Estrella de Mar's has an efficient and transparent financial system. Annually there is an
external audit of all financial activities. This is expected to make for a streamlined reporting process.
Partners (Optional)
List any other partners that will participate in this project.
This project will evidence best-educational practices and is designed to be accessible for local adaptation from
other organizations and public schools. In 2017, Estrella de Mar facilitated access to innovation for 20 schools
and organizations. This project will build upon that platform to continue to share contextualized best practices
among other youth-focused organizations and schools.
This project will also serve 8-10 girl-focused programs operating throughout Guatemala who will send delegates
to the annual Chispa networking and social capital gathering.
Volunteer Travelers (Optional)
No. Name Email
Describe this person's role in the project.
Host sponsor confirmation of volunteer travelers
Rotarian Participants
Describe the role that host Rotarians will have in this project.
The Rotary E-Club Lake Atitlan (RECLA) is a small club with a high degree of geographic diversity around
Lake Atitlán as well as around the world (it is an E-Club). While these characteristics of the club do represent
some challenges, this project will maximize one of RECLA's assets as a club: it's high prevalence of diverse
entrepreneurs. The club features several members who reside in Panajachel (near the primary
implementation location of this project), and will engage them as entrepreneurship coaches for emerging girl
leaders. For young women whose families have always survived in the informal economy, the professional
perspectives of local Rotarians represents an invaluable knowledge base. Among these coaches are the
following individuals:
Mayra Tobias, a female attorney who runs her own law practice
Emilio Crespo, a manager of a successful hotel catering to international tourists
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Vivian Harvey, an English language instructor and tour guide
Dr. William Bogel, the primary contact for the host club and Founder of Opal House Guatemala serving the
area
Eliza Strode, Founder of a Thread of Hope cooperative of weavers
The proximity of these entrepreneurship experts to the Estrella de Mar program allows for structured
presentations (interventions during entrepreneurship class) as well as informal opportunities (RECLA
members will be invited to have lunch with students and to lead conversations around entrepreneurship).
This project also considers professional internships in Antigua, Guatemala where the Antigua Rotary Club
would serve as a primary networking space to connect Girl Pioneers with established business leaders. These
Rotarians would host short-term (3 month) interns in their businesses.
In addition to their role as entrepreneurship coaches and providing internships as described above, RECLA
will be intimately involved in financial and program oversight of this project. Its role, as well as the role of the
international sponsor, are further described in the next section.
Describe the role that international Rotarians will have in this project.
Rotarians from the US and Guatemala have been a part of Estrella de Mar's impact since the organization
was founded in 2010. In 2015, Estrella de Mar opened an office in Antigua, Guatemala to conduct more
outreach to business leaders, including those in the Rotary community, to engage them in the design of the
Colegio Impacto. Since 2010, over 150 Rotarians (from Colorado, Minnesota, California and Washington)
have visited the Estrella de Mar project.
Rotarians Ted Ning, Al Steger and other representatives from the Evergreen club will conduct field visits to
monitor the advances of this project. One or both of them will conduct semi-annual trips to Estrella de Mar to
monitor the progress of the organization, particularly among the recent graduates of high school. Over 15 RC
Evergreen Rotarians and their families have visited this program since 2010. Al and Ted will lead a delegation
from the Evergreen club in early 2019. During this visit, International Rotarians will experience firsthand the
impact of this project while also providing professional career insights to Girl Pioneers.
In addition to their role in providing program oversight, the members of the Rotary Club of Evergreen will
provide financial oversight of this project. Its role, as well as the role of the host sponsor, are further described
below.
Financial and Program Oversight Procedures:
1. The international club, Rotary Club of Evergreen (RCE), will collect the funds from all participating clubs
and districts (except the host club) after application approval. These funds will be deposited in a separate
holding account maintained by the Evergreen Rotary Foundation until all funds have been accumulated, at
which point they will be transferred to the host club.
2. The host club, RECLA, will deposit all project funds in a separate account and will be responsible for all
disbursements. Funds will be disbursed monthly.
3. If an advance of funds is needed for any month, the implementing organization, Estrella de Mar (EdM),
will submit a request to the RCE detailing the work to be done and reasons for the advance. RCE will review
the request for consistency with grant agreement and recommend to RECLA approval or denial of the
request. If found acceptable, RECLA will approve the request and disburse the funds. An initial request may
be made for the first month of the project. For subsequent months, a request may only be made concurrently
with submission of the monthly accomplishment report (see step 4).
4. EdM, in consultation with the RCE, will be responsible for the preparation of all reports. A report will be
prepared at the end of each month detailing the tasks completed during the preceding month. The report will
be transmitted to the RCE together with copies of invoices and receipts supporting charges. RCE will be
responsible for first level oversight of work accomplishment.
5. When the RCE is satisfied with a monthly report, it will forward it to the RECLA with a recommendation
for approval and payment, less any advances.
6. RECLA will perform second level oversight of the monthly accomplishment report and request for advance
of funds. Upon acceptance, it will disburse funds for work completed and advances for the upcoming month.
8. Upon completion of all work under the grant, the RCE and EdM jointly will prepare the final report. The
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final report will be reviewed by the RECLA and endorsed before final submission to The Rotary Foundation.
Budget
What local currency are you using in your project's budget?
The currency you select should be what you use for a majority of the project's expenses.
Local Currency U.S. dollar (USD) exchange rate Currency Set On
GTQ 7.4 06/12/2017
What is the budget for this grant?
List each item in your project's budget. Remember that the project's total budget must equal its total funding,
which will be calculated in step 9. Every global grant includes a match of at least $15,000 from The Rotary
Foundation's World Fund. Project budgets, including the World Fund match, must be at least $30,000.
# Category Description Supplier Cost in
GTQ
Cost in
USD
1 Training Training of middle school
entrepreneurship educator. Weekly
one-on-one coaching of Colegio
Impacto teacher to help her design and
implement the most effective activities
to hone small business skills. Some inperson,
but the majority will be on-line
via Skype.
Pomona
Impact Social
Investment
Firm
11100 1500
2 Training Accelerator for aspiring small business
owners. A three day intensive
accelerator to help young women
narrow their entrepreneurship concepts
to create a business plan.
Pomona
Impact Social
Investment
Firm
7400 1000
3 Training 20 internships for recent high school
graduates to gain first-job experience.
Local
businesses
66156 8940
4 Training Weekend and evening English training
for recent HS grads to increase
employment prospects
ACCESS
English
62900 8500
5 Training Summer academic tutoring for
university students to ensure continued
academic success
Local tutors 25900 3500
6 Travel Two round trips from Panajachel to
Guatemala City for 12 girls to
participate in mentoring sessions (see
item 7)
Salvador
Raxtun
3700 500
7 Training Meals and venue for two mentoring 1001 Noches 3700 500
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sessions for 12 girls with female
professionals in Guatemala City.
8 Training Tutoring for university students
throughout the year. These will be
afterschool sessions with independent
tutors in Santiago, Xela and
Panajachel.
Local tutors 25900 3500
9 Training One-on-one coaching for 4 STEM
focused educators by external coaches
to ensure that each educator knows her
content. Coaching will be done online
via skype on a weekly basis.
Teachers 2
Teachers
59200 8000
10 Training Training in basic computer skills for
Colegio Impacto and university
students
Local
technology
consultant
59200 8000
11 Equipment 50 Laptop computers to equip
computer lab (2) for IT training in the
Impact School
SEGA SA 185000 25000
12 Equipment Surge protectors for 50 computers SEGA SA 2590 350
13 Equipment Classroom projectors (4) SEGA SA 14800 2000
14 Equipment Software (Microsoft Office) and
antivirus (Norton) for 50 computers
Techsoup 14800 2000
15 Equipment Charging stations- laptops SEGA SA 14800 2000
16 Equipment Printers (4) SEGA SA 7400 1000
17 Supplies School library to foster critical thinking
and literacy
ConTextos, El
Salvador
148000 20000
18 Training Training of Colegio Impacto educators
and staff of eight other youth-focused
organizationson and public schools on
instructional techniques to foster
critical thinking skills through literacy
and classroom management techniques.
ConTextos 88800 12000
19 Training Two multi-day conferences to
introduce cutting edge STEM teaching
methods to the Impact School as well
as to the faculty of 10 public secondary
schools
Teachers 2
Teachers
66600 9000
20 Monitoring/evaluation Assessment systems for Colegio PowerSchool 47665 6441
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Impacto students to support tracking
and manage formative evaluation of
each student
21 Monitoring/evaluation Standardized assessment of math
proficiency to monitor student growth
Achieve 3000 33720 4557
22 Monitoring/evaluation Standardized assessment of literacy
proficiency to monitor student growth
MAP Growth 17294 2337
23 Accommodations Housing for three-day social capital
summit for 50 female pioneers from
across Guatemala. Connects adolescent
girls from 6-8 girl focused organizations
during a three-day leadership summit
to focus on community development.
This is an opportunity for local and
national Rotarians to engage with this
audience
Eagles Nest
Retreat
Center, Solola
29600 4000
24 Travel Transport for participants on four daytrips
during the summit
Flor de Paisaje
Transportes
1480 200
25 Supplies Materials for use during the Summit Libreria El
Progreso
2220 300
26 Project management 15% standard overhead for
administration
Asociacion
Estrella de
Mar
149991 20269
27 Project management 5% for contingencies Asociacion
Estrella de
Mar
49994 6756
Total budget: 1199910 162150
Funding
Tell us about the funding you've secured for your project. We'll use the information you enter here to
calculate your maximum possible funding match from the World Fund.
# Source Details Amount
(USD)
Support* Total
1 Cash from Club Evergreen 10,000.00 500.00 10,500.00
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2 Cash from Club Denver 3,000.00 150.00 3,150.00
3 Cash from Club Westminster 7:10 2,000.00 100.00 2,100.00
4 Cash from Club Westminster 1,500.00 75.00 1,575.00
5 Cash from Club Mountain Foothills of
Evergreen
2,000.00 100.00 2,100.00
6 Cash from Club Golden 2,000.00 100.00 2,100.00
7 Cash from Club Conifer 3,000.00 150.00 3,150.00
8 Cash from Club Parker 1,000.00 50.00 1,050.00
9 Cash from Club Highlands Ranch (Littleton) 2,000.00 100.00 2,100.00
10 Cash from Club Denver Tech Center 1,000.00 50.00 1,050.00
11 Cash from Club Boulder 2,000.00 100.00 2,100.00
12 Cash from Club Littleton 1,000.00 50.00 1,050.00
13 District Designated Fund
(DDF)
5450 36,750.00 0.00 36,750.00
14 Cash from Club Greeley (Centennial) 2,500.00 125.00 2,625.00
15 Cash from Club Fort Collins-Breakfast 2,500.00 125.00 2,625.00
16 District Designated Fund
(DDF)
5440 5,000.00 0.00 5,000.00
17 Cash from Club Billings 4,000.00 200.00 4,200.00
18 District Designated Fund
(DDF)
5390 4,000.00 0.00 4,000.00
19 Cash from Club Lacey 3,000.00 150.00 3,150.00
20 District Designated Fund
(DDF)
5020 3,000.00 0.00 3,000.00
21 Cash from Club Novato 500.00 25.00 525.00
22 Cash from Club E-Club of Lake Atitlán-
Panajachel
100.00 5.00 105.00
*Whenever cash is contributed to the Foundation to help fund a global grant project, an additional 5 percent
is applied to help cover the cost of processing these funds. Clubs and districts can receive Paul Harris Fellow
recognition points for the additional expense.
How much World Fund money would you like to use on this project?
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You may request up to 70,300.00 USD from the World Fund. 70300
Funding Summary
DDF contributions: 48,750.00
Cash contributions: 43,100.00
Financing subtotal (matched contributions + World Fund): 162,150.00
Total funding: 162,150.00
Total budget: 162,150.00
Sustainability
Humanitarian Projects
Project planning
Describe the community needs that your project will address.
This project will address three critical needs: academic access, educational quality, and pathways to economic
participation by females.
Academic access - Improving academic access for young females in rural Guatemala requires an
understanding of the obstacles. A major obstacle is economics. Through 6th grade, public education in
Guatemala is free and more accessible since schools tend to be nearby. Secondary school gets significantly
more difficult since materials and transport expenses increase, as does the pressure for young women to work.
As a result, many youth, especially girls, are not educated beyond the primary grades. Most families subsist
below the poverty line and are unable, even if they wanted, to provide further education for their daughters.
An equally great obstacle is the macho culture that exists in Guatemala. If children are educated beyond 6th
grade, it is much more likely to be the males in the family. A girl's place is generally considered to be in the
home, cooking, doing household chores, and taking care of younger siblings. In fact, girls are often needed to
perform these functions due to the large family sizes and sometimes poor health of the mothers. This demand
weighs heavily on the decision to limit the educational opportunities for girls. To further compound this
problem, when girls reach their mid-teenage years, there is often pressure within the family for them to marry
because of the relief it will give the family in providing for them financially.
Recognizing these obstacles, Estrella de Mar has implemented measures to increase the likelihood of success.
First, girls are selected based on a rigid screening process involving interviews to gauge motivation and
academic capability. Home visits and interviews with the family members are also conducted to evaluate
family support. Families must "buy in" to their daughters continued education and agree to provide a home
environment conducive to study. Those who pass the selection criteria earn a full scholarship to attend the
Colegio Impacto school. (No grant funds will be used for scholarships.)
Educational Quality - The quality of education in Guatemala is abysmal. According to 2010 Ministry of
Education data, 50% of third graders reach national standards in mathematics and just over 50% reach
national standards in reading. Even when students are able to complete primary school, many do not acquire
the necessary skills to advance. In 2017, 9% of high school students nationally were considered proficient in
math, and 30% in literacy. Furthermore, while there are nominal national differences in school enrollment
between boys and girls, the enrollment gap between rural and urban areas is significant.
In Guatemala, more than two million out-of-school youth between the ages of 15 and 24, including 600,000 in
the Western Highlands, do not have basic life or vocational skills to enter the workforce. Youth face
increasingly difficult conditions, including high levels of unemployment, social and economic marginalization,
rapid urbanization, increasing crime, and lack of basic services. Long-term, sustainable development and
improved equity in Guatemala will only be possible if education of children and youth continues to improve.
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In contrast to the public schools, Colegio Impacto provides content and instruction aligned with the needs of
the 21st century. Emphasis is placed on such things as critical thinking, STEM, and use of information
technology to better prepare students to meet the needs of the modern economy.
Pathways to economic participation - This project addresses one of Guatemala's most glaring challenges: the
lack of economic participation among its female population. With the hemisphere's worst gender equity gap
(an annual study conducted by the World Economic Forum of women's economic and political participation
as well as their access to health and educational services), Guatemala's fragile economy struggles to thrive
with large portions of its female population residing outside the margins of the formal economic sector. In the
Department of Sololá, where this project is focused, the census reveals that the population is 96% indigenous
and 81% of youth reside in poverty. In Sololá, almost 60% of girls aged 15-19 are married or mothering.
Nationally, 73% of economically active citizens are trapped in the informal economy where they have no legal
protections, cannot pay taxes, and have no set wages. In the rural villages, the limited access and abysmal
quality of education impede young women from being able to access the economic opportunities that are
emerging in the 21st century. Without the knowledge and know-how to compete, they remain trapped in the
long-established cycles of inter-generational poverty.
Through combining rigorous academic preparation for future high school graduates with "first-job"
internships, opportunities to extend their education at the university level, entrepreneurship training to begin
their own businesses, and contacts through networking with organizations and successful individuals in the
economic sector, a generation of girls will know how to navigate and engage with the current economic
landscape of opportunities.
Citations:
Global Gender Gap 2017: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-gender-gap-report-2017
Population Council "The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most
Vulnerable People" http://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/PGY_AdolDataGuides/Guatemala2002-06.pdf
Council of the Americas: https://www.as-coa.org/articles/weekly-chart-latin-americas-informal-economy
UN Women: http://lac.unwomen.org/en/donde-estamos/guatemala
Prenza Libre, http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/comunitario/mineduc-presenta-resultados-deevaluacion-
nacional-de-graduandos-2017
USAID, Education situational analysis https://www.usaid.gov/guatemala/education
How did your project team identify these needs?
These project needs were identified mainly through direct observation and extensive consultation with
community leaders, including both indigenous members and local business members. Much of this effort is the
work of Dr. Ted Ning, a member of the Rotary Club of Evergreen. He has been spending time in Guatemala
for over 20 years and owns a home in Sololá where this project is based. He is well known in Guatemala and in
Colorado for his service. As founder of Starfish-One-by-One, the U.S. affiliate of Estrella de Mar, he has
worked directly with the indigenous educators, mentors, and staff of Estrella de Mar learning first-hand of the
challenges and needs of the area. He is also well connected with the Rotary community in both Guatemala
and in his home state of Colorado.
During this time, he has been connecting the Rotarian community with various women's empowerment
initiatives, including Friendship Bridge and Asociaciόn Estrella de Mar. His son, Travis, is a founding member
of RECLA, the host club, and Ted has enjoyed deep friendships with several of the members of the club. In
conversations with both host and international clubs involved in this project, Ted noted a shared enthusiasm
to support a program to stimulate the local economy through addressing the systemic challenges that keep
young women from becoming agents of economic change.
In recent years, Ted has been joined by Al Steger, a member of the Evergreen Club and the primary contact
for this project. They have personally led several Rotary insight trips to rural Guatemala over the past seven
years, introducing at least 15 Rotarians and their family members from the U.S. to the problems and issues
surrounding this project. Together, they have participated in numerous first-hand interviews of young women
and their families. In the course of these interviews, one theme always emerges: the families, especially the
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mothers, want a future for their daughters that is better than the lives they have experienced. They see
education as the means to escape poverty.
This extensive contact with the girls and their families, as well as the interaction with the business,
educational, and Rotary community in Guatemala and the U.S. are clear indication that the community has
been involved in identifying the needs for this project.
How were members of the benefiting community involved in finding solutions?
This project serves young women and families in rural villages around Sololá. Members of these same
communities collaborated in the design of the project, primarily through exhaustive consultation with the
team and beneficiaries of Estrella de Mar. This unique organization is led and run by women from the
communities targeted by this project. As an intervention co-designed by members of the communities, this
project possesses a unique level of culturally attuned involvement at every stage of planning and
implementation, and thus a very high likelihood of success.
How were community members involved in planning the project?
The key to involvement of community members in planning the project was the selection of Estrella de Mar as
the implementing organization. Estrella de Mar is an organization led and staffed by community members
with 95% of its employees of indigenous descent from the communities they serve. Integrated into its staff are
graduates of the program, with approximately 20% of current staff being graduates of its successful
mentorship program who continue to reside in their communities. Its Board of Directors includes local Mayan
leaders and business leaders from Guatemala City. Estrella de Mar is thus uniquely situated to navigate the
very challenging cultural boundaries and beliefs that accompany girl-focused empowerment programs in
Guatemala.
These individuals were consulted regarding every aspect of this project. Most of the activities included in the
budget were identified by Estrella de Mar staff as needed enhancements to their ongoing program, or
activities that would accelerate the pace of implementation. No activity has been included in the budget that
does not have the full support of these community members. Estrella de Mar staff were also involved in
costing each item in the project budget, relying on local vendors and suppliers, thus ensuring reasonable cost
estimates consistent with local market conditions.
Project implementation
# Activity Duration
1 Weekly content coaching for Colegio Impacto's entrepreneurship
educator
July 2018 - June 2019 (12
months)
2 Small business incubator program for recent high school graduate girls
to formalize concepts into formal business plans
August 2018
3 Three-month internships in Sololá with formal businesses and NGOs
(recruitment for host companies and organizations will center on
Rotarians)
July 2018 - June 2019 (12
months)
4 Employment-focused English language training for recent high school
graduates
July 2018 - June 2019 (12
months)
5 Afterschool academic tutoring for first-generation university students to
ensure success
July 2018 - Oct 2018 (4
months), Jan 2019 - June
2019 (6 months)
6 Weeklong intensive Spanish language and math academic reinforcement Nov 2018
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classes for first-generation university students during school break
7 In-person professional mentoring sessions matching recent high school
graduates with female business leaders in Guatemala City (recruitment
for mentors will center on Rotary clubs)
Nov 2018 and June 2019
8 Weekly, online content coaching from Teachers 2 Teachers Global of 4
STEM-focused educators at the Colegio Impacto
June 2018 through May
2019
9 Technology consultant uses computer lab to provide daily training to
students of the Colegio Impacto
June 2018 through May
2019
10 Technology consultant provides weekly training on IT workplace
readiness for recent graduates of high school
June 2018 through May
2019
11 Provision of 50 laptop computers (and related accessories) for the IT
training in the classroom
July 2018
12 Purchase of books for critical thinking, literacy and STEM
reinforcement resources in the school library
July 2018
13 Training of Sololá-based schools and organizations on classroom critical
thinking techniques (training privided by ConTextos, El Salvador)
July 2018 and Feb 2019
14 Two "STEM for Girls" summits focused on Sololá-based schools and
organizations (facilitated by Teachers 2 Teachers Global)
Nov 2018 and June 2019
15 Social capital/network summit to build female leadership and
connectivity
November 2018
16 Monitoring and evaluation of student progress in Colegio Impacto July 2018 - June 2019 (12
months)
17 Administration and project management July 2018 - June 2019 (12
months)
Will you work in coordination with any related initiatives in the community?
Yes
Briefly describe the other initiatives and how they relate to this project.
This project leverages several powerful partnerships that provide additional training to young women. These
include the Universidad del Valle's ACCESS English program (supported by the US Embassy) that will
provide English-language training to the young women in this program.
Please describe the training, community outreach, or educational programs this project will include.
This program features several training elements. They are:
1) Content coaching for local, indigenous women who educate adolescent girls in the Colegio Impacto. These
trainings occur throughout the year on a weekly basis via individual skype calls. Asociación Estrella de Mar
will leverage its network of contacts to identify culturally-attuned content experts in the fields of math, science
and entrepreneurship to secure these training relationships.
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2) A training for recent high school graduates (from Pomona Impact, a social-investment firm based in
Guatemala) will be an incubator program for young women already with small enterprise concepts. As a
result, each will have access to a mentor, the guided development of a business plan, and a clear financial plan
to launch and operate her enterprise.
3) The project features a structured internship-focused concept for recent high school graduates. These
internships support girls' as they gain invaluable first-job experience in structured, supportive environments in
Sololá. The project will engage Rotarians from the nearby communities to create these training opportunities
for the beneficiaries.
4) Technology is a critical skill in the modern economy, and this project supports an IT consultant who
provide training for 150 girls in middle school as well as fifty recent high school graduates. This consultant will
also provide training to Asociación Estrella de Mar staff on the topic of proper care of hardware.
5) The program features a training of Asociación Estrella de Mar staff on the subject of integrating critical
thinking techniques into the classroom. This will train approximately 12 school educators to identify and
maximize opportunities to create deliberate critical thinking practice in lesson planning and classroom
management.
6) This project also features two STEM conferences/trainings targeting 70 public school teachers. Teachers 2
Teachers Global (who will provide the yearlong STEM content coaching in item 1 of this section) will
introduce best-practices for including and educating girls in STEM-focused classrooms.
Community Outreach
1) This program reaches out to an additional 10 girl-focused organizations for the social capital/networking
event that will gather 50 female leaders from around Guatemala, including Sololá. This event identifies and
connects high-potential girl leaders and builds rapport and specific communication platforms where each can
access a supportive, safe environment. As these young women increase in economic activity, this space will
become a useful venue for business networking and personal support.
2) Young women served by this project are found through rigorous promotion in rural villages in Sololá. This
campaign is conducted by two Kachiquel women who consult village councils, church leaders and families who
are fully aware of the projects goals.
Educational Programs
1) The bulk of this program is built around the Colegio Impacto, a middle school designed specifically to
foster the full participation of young women in the 21st Century.
How were these needs identified?
Both International and Host clubs consulted Asociación Estrella de Mar's staff and graduates to identify the
most high-impact, culturally-attuned ways to unlock the economic capacity of young women. The activities
outlined reflect the input of women and young women from the communities this project serves. Estrella de
Mar conducts rigorous and continual consultation with village elders, religious leaders and families in the
communities served by this project.
What incentives (for example, monetary compensation, awards, certification, or publicity), will you use, if
any, to encourage community members to participate in the project?
The young women served by this project have either received or are receiving a scholarship to attend
secondary school. Upon graduating, they will receive diplomas. Those attending formal trainings on
entrepreneurship will receive certificates.
The educators and public school teachers who receive formal training via this project will receive formal
certificates of participation.
List any community members or community groups that will oversee the continuation of the project after
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grant-funded activities conclude.
Sustainability is a core pillar of this project's design. Investing in local, Mayan educators ensures the long-term
impact of this project. For this reason, the bulk of this project centers on training and knowledge-transfer into
local hands. This knowledge will be systematized to be offered continually to future generations of young
women coming through the Colegio Impacto, eventually serving thousands of girls who would otherwise
remain economically marginalized.
Budget
Will you purchase budget items from local vendors?
Yes
Explain the process you used to select vendors.
Whenever possible, this project will invest in the local economy. Within the internal controls of Estrella de
Mar, expenses in excess of Q3,000 (roughly $400) require three bids to ensure the most competitive price.
Did you use competitive bidding to select vendors?
Yes
Please provide an operations and maintenance plan for the equipment or materials you anticipate
purchasing for this project. This plan should include who will operate and maintain the equipment and
how they will be trained.
This project includes the purchase of computer equipment. The technology consultant (also a part of this
project) will train the staff of Asociación Estrella de Mar on the proper maintenance of this equipment. Major
maintenance will be provided by local vendors.
Describe how community members will maintain the equipment after grant-funded activities conclude.
Will replacement parts be available?
Asociación Estrella de Mar will continue to provide computer maintenance as a part of its school operations.
Major maintenance will be performed by local vendors who are staffed and equipped to do so.
If the grant will be used to purchase any equipment, will the equipment be culturally appropriate and
conform to the community's technology standards?
Yes
Please explain.
One of the stated goals of this project is to provide adolescent girls with access STEM knowledge and skills.
This intervention is designed by women from the communities targeted by this project and is therefore aligned
with cultural realities of this context.
After the project is completed, who will own the items purchased by grant funds? No items may be
owned by a Rotary district, club, or member.
Asociación Estrella de Mar will retain ownership of any supplies and equipment resulting from this grant.
Funding
Have you found a local funding source to sustain project outcomes for the long term?
Yes
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Please describe this funding source.
Asociación Estrella de Mar receives funding from a variety of sources, including donors in Guatemala, the US
and Europe. Additionally, the organization receives institutional support from the US Embassy as well as
several international foundations. Estrella de Mar has a small revenue-generation program that also produces
income via a variety of initiatives. It is anticipated that beneficiaries of this program will themselves become
donors as they become established in the local and national economy. The vision for Estrella de Mar is to
become independent of international donors.
Will any part of the project generate income for ongoing project funding? If yes, please explain.
No.
Authorizations
Authorizations & Legal Agreements
Legal agreement
Global Grant Agreement
I confirm and agree to the following:
1. All information contained in this application is, to the best of our knowledge, true and accurate.
2. We have read the Terms and Conditions for Rotary Foundation District Grants and Global Grants ("Terms
and Conditions") and will adhere to all policies therein.
3. The grant sponsors ("Sponsors") shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Rotary International (RI) and
The Rotary Foundation (TRF), including their directors, trustees, officers, committees, employees, agents,
associate foundations and representatives (collectively "RI/TRF"), from and against all claims, including but
not limited to claims of subrogation, demands, actions, damages, losses, costs, liabilities, expenses (including
reasonable attorney's fees and other legal expenses), awards, judgments, and fines asserted against or
recovered from RI/TRF arising out of any act, conduct, omission, negligence, misconduct, or unlawful act (or
act contrary to any applicable governmental order or regulation) resulting directly or indirectly from a
Sponsor's and/or participant's involvement in grant-funded activities, including all travel related to the grant.
4. The failure of the parties to comply with the terms of this Agreement due to an act of God, strike, war, fire,
riot, civil unrest, hurricane, earthquake, or other natural disasters, acts of public enemies, curtailment of
transportation facilities, political upheavals, acts of terrorism, or any similar cause beyond the control of the
parties shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement. In such an event, the Agreement shall be deemed
terminated and the Sponsors shall refund all unexpended global grant funds within 30 days of termination.
5. TRF's entire responsibility is expressly limited to payment of the total financing amount. TRF does not
assume any further responsibility in connection with this grant.
6. TRF reserves the right to cancel the grant and/or this Agreement without notice upon the failure of either
or both of the Sponsors to abide by the terms set forth in this Agreement and the Terms and Conditions.
Upon cancellation, TRF shall be entitled to a refund of any global grant funds, including any interest earned,
that have not been expended.
7. The laws of the State of Illinois, USA, without reference to its conflicts of laws principles, shall govern all
matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement, including, without limitation, its interpretation,
construction, performance, and enforcement.
8. Any legal action brought by either party against the other party arising out of or relating to this Agreement
must be brought in either, the Circuit Court of Cook County, State of Illinois, USA or the Federal District
Court for the Northern District of Illinois, USA. Each party consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of these
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courts, and their respective appellate courts for the purpose of such actions. Nothing herein prohibits a party
that obtains a judgment in either of the designated courts from enforcing the judgment in any other court.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, TRF may also bring legal action against Sponsors and/or individuals traveling
on grant funds in any court with jurisdiction over them.
9. This Agreement binds and benefits the parties and their respective administrators, legal representatives,
and permitted successors and assigns.
10.If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining
provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
11.Sponsors may not assign any of its rights under this Agreement except with the prior written consent of
TRF. Sponsors may not delegate any performance under this Agreement without the prior written consent of
TRF. Any purported assignment of a Sponsor's rights or delegation of performance without TRF's prior
written consent is void.
12.TRF may assign some or all of its rights under this Agreement to an associate foundation of TRF. TRF
may delegate any performance under this Agreement to an associate foundation. Any other purported
assignment of TRF's rights or delegation of performance without the Sponsors' prior written consent is void.
13.Sponsors will comply with all economic and trade sanctions, including those implemented by the Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of Treasury, and will ensure that they do
not support or promote violence, terrorist activity or related training, or money laundering.
14. This Agreement constitutes the final agreement between the parties. No amendment or waiver of any
provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in the form of a writing signed by the parties.
15. Rotary International (RI) and TRF may use information contained in this application and subsequent
reports to promote the activities by various means such as The Rotarian, Rotary Leader, rotary.org, etc.
Unless indicated otherwise in writing, by submission of the photos, the parties hereby grant to RI and TRF
the worldwide right to publish and use the photos, including but not limited to, in RI and TRF publications,
advertisements, and Web sites and on social media channels and to license use to others, including, but not
limited to, media outlets and its partners and through RI's online image database, for the purposes of
promoting Rotary. By submitting the photos, the parties represent and warrant that all persons appearing in
the photos have given their unrestricted written consent to use their likenesses and to license use to third
parties.
16. The Sponsors agree to share information on best practices when asked, and TRF may provide their
contact information to other Rotarians who may wish advice on implementing similar activities.
17. The Sponsors will ensure that all individuals traveling on grant funds have been informed of the travel
policies stated in the Terms and Conditions and have been made aware that they are responsible for obtaining
travel insurance.
Primary contact authorizations
Application Authorization
By submitting this global grant application, we agree to the following:
1. All information contained in this application is, to the best of our knowledge, true and accurate, and we
intend to implement the activities as presented in this application.
2. The club/district agrees to undertake these activities as a club/district.
3. We will ensure all cash contributions (as detailed in the grant financing) will be forwarded to The Rotary
Foundation (TRF) or sent directly to the global grant bank account after Trustee approval of the grant.
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4. Rotary International (RI) and TRF may use information contained in this application to promote the
activities by various means such as The Rotarian, the RI international convention, RVM: The Rotarian Video
Magazine, etc.
5. We agree to share information on best practices when asked, and TRF may provide our contact
information to other Rotarians who may wish advice on implementing similar activities.
6. To the best of our knowledge and belief, except as disclosed herewith, neither we nor any person with
whom we have or had a personal or business relationship are engaged, or intend to engage, in benefiting from
TRF grant funds or have any interest that may represent a potential competing or conflicting interest. A
conflict of interest is defined as a situation in which a Rotarian, in relationship to an outside organization, is in
a position to influence the spending of TRF grant funds, or influence decisions in ways that could lead directly
or indirectly to financial gain for the Rotarian, a business colleague, or his or her family, or give improper
advantage to others to the detriment of TRF.
All Authorizations & Legal Agreements Summary
Primary contact authorizations
Name Club District Status
Alan Steger Evergreen 5450
William Boegel E-Club of Lake
Atitlán-Panajachel
4250
District Rotary Foundation chair authorization
Name Club District Status
Gail Lehrmann Parker 5450
Julio Villalta
Rivera
Real de Minas-
Tegucigalpa
4250
DDF authorization
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Name Club District Status
Abbas Rajabi Denver Southeast 5450
Gail Lehrmann Parker 5450
James Epstein Loveland 5440
William Emslie Fort Collins After
Work
5440
Sue Carstens Whitefish 5390
Joseph McBride Butte 5390
Judith-Ann Byron Sidney By The Sea 5020
Thomas Carroll Gateway-Thurston
County
5020
Legal agreement
Name Club District Status
William Boegel E-Club of Lake
Atitlán-Panajachel
4250
Laurence Caine Evergreen 5450
Bank Information
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