Global Education and
Community Development

OUR WORK

a group of students in Haiti smile for the camera while doing school work

Education changes everything.

Through REACH, IAPW’s global Rural Education and Community Development program, we break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by building schools and providing resources to rural communities in some of the most economically disadvantaged countries. We believe that every child deserves access to education—and that education is the key to unlocking a brighter, more equitable future.


Breaking the Cycle

Around the world, millions of children living in extreme poverty—especially Indigenous children—face systemic barriers to education, from discrimination to long, unsafe walks to the nearest school.

With 35 school projects in 8 countries, IAPW has provided thousands of children with safe, nurturing classrooms where learning can thrive. Each project is unique: some bring a school to a remote village so children no longer walk 10 kilometers for class; others remodel unsafe buildings into bright, clean learning spaces. Every school is a step toward breaking the cycle of poverty.

IAPW 2015 in Review | Happy Student

Beyond Classrooms

REACH doesn’t stop at building schools. We collaborate with local elders, educators, and parents to identify remaining barriers to learning—then implement wraparound supports like:

  • Clean water and sustainable farming initiatives

  • School meal programs and solar power

  • Adult literacy and teacher training

  • Technology and social-emotional learning resources

Building Leaders, Not Just Schools

REACH also empowers the next generation of changemakers to transform lives—both their own and those of the Indigenous communities they serve. Through immersive trips to Guatemala, U.S. teens become part of the soultion, helping build classrooms in rural indigenous communities. Along the way, they develop empathy, leadership, and a lifelong commitment to creating a more equitable world.
IAPW Youth Ambassadors in Guatemala
Our REACH teens in Guatemala build not just classrooms, but bridges of understanding and global connection.

Global Impact

Thank you infinitely for the classrooms, the environment, the joy and the games. Children used to not go to school. This new school has improved the children’s study habits by 100%. The materials are excellent. The quality of education has improved. Thank you very much for caring about the future of our children. We love you!

Noé Tzarax Torres, Director of School

Featured Projects

Milca Msewa is 13 years old and in the 6th grade. Her favorite subject is English and she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. With a school in her community, she’s now much more likely to achieve her dream.


Our Global Impact

Breaking the cycle of poverty and illiteracy is critical to empowering the next generation of leaders. So far, we’ve built 34 schools in 8 different countries. Collectively, our schools serve more than 7,000 students and their families.

Guatemala

Global Reach

In 2019, 2023, and 2025, our Youth Ambassadors traveled to build classrooms in support of a rural, indigenous community in the Quichė region of Guatemala. We also provided additional infrastructure and resources by installing a playground and sharing social emotional learning opportunities for the students. Guatemala is one of the most economically challenged countries in the Western Hemisphere. Only 74.5% of Guatemalans aged 15 and over are literate, the lowest literacy rate in Central America. 

50% of Guatemalans live below the poverty line
50% of Guatemalans have only a primary education
two Guatemalan students smile while working on school project

REACH Updates

Mbongozi Secondary School

Why is this secondary school so important? Currently, only nine percent of students who complete primary school in Malawi go…

a group of Mbongozi Students jumping in the air in celebration of their new school standing in front of one of the new buildings

Tablets for Students in Guatemala

When schools closed due to the pandemic, students in Guatemala would not re-enter the classroom for 2 years. Children in…

young students in Guatemala wave and hold up tablets that were donated to help their schooling

Youth Ambassadors in Guatemala

Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world. Education reduces poverty, empowers women and helps…

Support Youth Changemakers

Meet Our Youth Ambassdors