Digital learning opens doors for Guatemalan youth, one click at a time
Story highlights
- In Huehuetenango, where education access is low and many adolescents and youth see migration as their only path, digital learning centers are equipping students like Meybelin with the skills to build a future at home.
- With support from the Ministry of Education, GPE, UNICEF and local municipalities, 34 Virtual Learning Environments are offering technology, tutoring and digital skills training in underserved communities across Guatemala.
- By building digital skills and exposing youth to technology in a safe environment, Virtual Learning Environments are opening new pathways for future economic opportunities – and helping rewrite the story for children who once saw their futures far from home.
This story was written in collaboration with UNICEF Guatemala.
In the highlands of Huehuetenango — one of Guatemala's most migration-affected and education-challenged regions — morning mist lingers over winding dirt roads and tin-roofed brick homes nestle among coffee plantations and hills.
Here, poverty and limited schooling opportunities shape daily life. For many, the future feels far away — across a border, in another country.
Huehuetenango is one of two departments in Guatemala that have the highest emigration rates to the United States, a reflection of the deep social and economic challenges families face.
When education slips away
At the basic education level, 523,696 adolescents aged 13 to 15 are currently outside the school system—having dropped out, fallen behind, or never enrolled.
The transition from primary to lower secondary is especially difficult: only 3 out of 10 students who finish grade 6 continue to grade 7. For girls, the odds are even worse.
In communities where education is fragile and migration feels like the only path forward, staying in school can be an act of quiet defiance.
Meet Meybelin
For 11-year-old Meybelin Yesenia Cobox Urízar, who is completing grade 6, staying in school means more than attending class: it’s a chance to keep learning, gain digital skills and take steady steps toward her dreams.
“My dream is to build a house for my mom,” she says with quiet determination.
She also hopes to become a veterinarian.
“I have a cat named Daisy. I don’t like how people treat puppies and kittens here. I want to help them.”
Every Monday, after morning classes at school, Meybelin and her mother walk half an hour — or take a bus when they can — to the local Virtual Learning Environment.
There, she is receiving something she has never had before: hands-on experience with technology.
“I’m learning how to use a computer and type,” she says. “It will help me when I become a vet.”
One day, she hopes to use her digital skills to research treatment for animals — and bring modern tools to her community.
“The first day was so exciting — I had never used a computer,” she says, smiling. “Now I am learning how to type and spell. And the teachers are so kind — that’s my favorite part.”
In a place where many young people dream of migrating to the United States, Meybelin’s dream is rooted in Guatemala.
“I wouldn’t want to go to the United States or any other country,” she says. “I like Huehuetenango — the food is delicious, and I like the local schools.”
She has seen what migration can do to families: “I know parents who left their kids behind, and the kids are left feeling sad.”
Her wish is simple: “If there were more jobs, less violence, and less mistreatment, kids wouldn’t feel like they had to leave,” she says. Her message to others? “Keep studying. Keep following your dreams.”
Meybelin does her homework with her cousin Abdiel at their home.
Meet Meybelin’s family
Inside the modest hillside home that Meybelin shares with her parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousin, her dreams are part of a larger family effort — one rooted in love, sacrifice and the hope for a better future.
Like many families in the region, theirs is a story shaped by migration. Relatives have gone abroad in search of opportunities that felt out of reach at home. Meybelin’s mother, Yesenia, once considered leaving too.
“I wanted to give Meybelin a better future,” she says. “I knew I would have more opportunities in the U.S. Here, I can only work as a cleaner because I don’t have an education."
Having grown up with few opportunities, Yesenia sees education as her daughter’s best chance to break the cycle.
“If she doesn’t study, she won’t be able to get a good job – and that matters,” she explains. “Education gives her freedom. I don’t want her to depend on anyone – not even a husband – if life doesn’t go as planned.”
Meybelin's grandmother, Nohemi, a guiding force in the family, puts it simply:
“The value of education is immense. When you study, you have great opportunities. If you don’t, you get stuck – you take whatever work you can find, such as domestic jobs or street vending. But with education, better doors open. I always tell my nine grandchildren: ‘Study, because without education, there is no future’.”
Nohemi explains the region’s struggles in practical terms:
“If you don’t finish school, you might end up working as a day laborer, earning 50 quetzales (US$6.50) a day. And how far does that go? A pound of potatoes costs 7 ($0.90) quetzals, tomatoes cost 6 ($0.78). Some families don’t have land and must pay rent. That is why people migrate — not for luxury, but to meet basic needs like food and housing.”
The digital learning center, she says, is opening another door. “It’s a big help. Children can learn typing, printing — even how to earn income through a computer. Some have already gotten jobs thanks to the center.”
Meybelin with her Father Cesilio and her mother, Yesenia.
Meybelin (front left) with her mother, Yesenia (behind her), her grandmother Nohemi, and her cousin Abdiel.
Meybelin does her school homework while her grandmother Nohemi Valdez cooks a snack in the family's home.
Meet Meybelin’s teacher
At the Virtual Learning Environment in Huehuetenango, lead instructor Erick Orrego guides students through their first encounters with technology. For many, it’s a journey that begins with hesitation and ends in confidence.
“When students first arrive, they’re shy and afraid of breaking something,” Erick says. “Some have never even touched a computer. They don’t know how to turn it on. The first thing I do is help them lose that fear.”
Erick teaches several groups throughout the week, rotating between basic computer use, internet navigation, Word and Excel.
Classes are held once a week for 3 to 4 hours, with around 120 students currently enrolled. "When we opened in October 2024, we had just 20 students. Now the classroom is full and interest is growing."
The center’s free access is a game changer, Erick says. “There are computer academies in Huehuetenango, but they are expensive. This is the first free space where kids can really learn.”
But what students gain, he adds, goes beyond technical knowledge: “Learning Excel, for example, opens doors to jobs in local businesses. These tools help young people work more efficiently, even in agriculture, or start their own ventures.”
And one student stands out: Meybelin.
“She’s very special,” he says with a smile. “She came with her mother, full of motivation. Always positive, always engaged. At first, she was a little shy, but now she’s one of the most active students. She even encourages others to keep learning.”
The power of virtual learning environments
Only 10.4% of school buildings in Guatemala have adequate facilities and technology for digital learning.
To bridge this gap, 34 Virtual Learning Environments are now operating across 17 departments, bringing technology, opportunity and access to some of the country’s most underserved communities.
These centers are funded in part by a US$10 million GPE Multiplier grant which mobilized US$47.19 million towards the country’s education priorities, demonstrating GPE’s financial leveraging capacity and partnership engagement.
Co-financers include several local foundations and associations: Carlos F. Novella Foundation, Sergio Paiz Andrade Foundation, IsraAID Guatemala, IsraAID Guatemala NGO Association, O.B.A.D.I, as well as international NGOs (World Vision and Save the Children) and UNICEF, illustrating the breadth and diversity of GPE’s partnerships across local, national, and international actors.
While the Virtual Learning Environments offer new exposure to technology, they are not stand-alone centers.
All programming is aligned with the national curriculum and complements formal education, helping students gain practical skills that can support school success - or reentry into the education system.
When learning sparks local change
In La Unión, Zacapa, the Virtual Learning Environment inspired more than just digital learning.
Concerned that dust from an unpaved road could damage equipment, the mayor launched a road improvement project – which soon expanded to include upgrades to a nearby school and the learning center itself.
What began as a classroom need became a catalyst for broader civic investment and lasting community improvements.
A model built on partnership
The Virtual Learning Environments are powered by strong partnerships: local municipalities provide space and services; GPE and UNICEF supply equipment and coordination; and the Ministry of Education offers trained personnel and technical oversight.
For many children and adolescents, the digital learning center is their first real contact with a computer. While mobile phones are common, few children have used educational software or online platforms.
The centers fills that gap — not just by providing access to technology, but through hands-on guidance and the chance to build digital confidence.
The program is inclusive and flexible, welcoming students who are out of school, recently returned from migration, or are struggling to keep up.
With accessible technology and free services, the centers are a powerful tool for reengaging students outside the formal school system – helping boost enrollment in both traditional and alternative education programs.
By offering a flexible, welcoming environment, hands-on digital learning, and the chance to take complementary open courses, several of which are certified by the Ministry of Education, the centers give students practical reasons to return to learning and, in some cases, to formal schooling.
“While Virtual Learning Environments aren’t the solution [to migration], they create hope and raise expectations. When opportunity arrives and children are able to make it work, they stay.”
Bridging the digital divide for Guatemala’s youth
Born out of the urgent education crisis exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic — when most students and teachers lacked the tools and skills for virtual learning — the Virtual Learning Environments are now laying the groundwork for a more resilient education system.
These are not short-term projects tied to a funding program, but part of a long-term vision rooted in local partnerships. There is no other public service like the Virtual Learning Environments in Guatemala: free, high-quality, and accessible to all.
By bridging the digital divide and meeting the needs of vulnerable learners, these centers are helping ensure that education continues, even in the most challenging situations.
“Sometimes families don’t have the money to attend a computer center. The Virtual Learning Environments allow students to come for free and earn a certificate backed by the Ministry of Education.”
Building skills
By equipping young people with the digital skills they need for today’s job market — from basic computer literacy to tools like Office and Canva — these learning spaces are opening new pathways close to home.
In some communities, partnerships with local businesses and call centers are already creating direct pipelines to employment, offering training that prepares youth for real-world opportunities.
With every keystroke, students like Meybelin are building the skills to thrive in their own communities — reducing the pressure to migrate and unlocking new ways to imagine a future where they belong, contribute and lead.
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