We are MAIA, an organization led by Indigenous women for Indigenous girls in Guatemala.
We are not a government, religious, or political organization. We are funded by donations from individuals and organizations who believe in the power of education and women. We pronounce our name “Maya”.
Our mission is to maximize and amplify the transformative power of women.
Our vision is to create a society with equity and opportunity.
We have a unique impact model. Each year at MAIA, we serve nearly 450 young women and their families—approximately 2,800 people—from over 47 rural highland villages in the department of Sololá, Guatemala.
We call our students “Girl Pioneers” because many are the first in their families to continue their education beyond primary school.
Our model creates a support system that empowers young women to break cycles of exclusion and poverty.
Our students, whom we call Girl Pioneers and their families, commit to 7 years of programming. However, upon completing the program, we continue to provide professional networking, university support, and workplace training.
Girls receive the academic and socioemotional support they need to successfully transition from primary to secondary school, addressing the learning gaps caused by an underfunded and inequitable education system in Guatemala. Each year, approximately 60–75 girls participate in this program. They attend public primary school in the morning (6th grade) and attend the MAIA Impact School in the afternoon for academic and socioemotional reinforcement.
The MAIA Impact School is the only secondary school of its scale in Central America designed for young Indigenous women. Our full-day program blends Maya culture with STEAM learning, digital literacy, and practical skills that prepare 250 young women for higher education and formal employment.
MAIA graduates are supported as they move into university, employment, entrepreneurship, and other leadership opportunities. Through one-on-one coaching, workplace skills training, and internships, young women gain the confidence and practical experience needed to thrive. An alumni network and university support fund further strengthen opportunities for students who are often the first in their families to attain higher education.
Strengthens the social and emotional well-being, leadership skills, and reproductive health knowledge of Girl Pioneers and their families. Mentors – Indigenous women from the same communities – provide personalized support in school and at home, and our nurse and nutrition team deliver preventive health services that help girls lead choice-filled lives.
At MAIA, we strengthen education in rural Guatemala by developing the skills and leadership of educators, mentors, and local leaders. We provide ongoing professional development for our team using innovative, girl-centered, and culturally relevant practices. We also share our approaches with public school teachers, community leaders, and partner organizations through collaborative training and advocacy. As co-founders of Eduk’at, Ellas al Frente, and VOCES, we help scale evidence-based practices that expand opportunities for Indigenous girls and strengthen Guatemala’s education system.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Girl Pioneers entered 7th grade at the MAIA Impact School with an average academic level equivalent to 4th grade in math and reading. These levels dropped further due to prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response, we launched the Impulso Program. Girls receive the academic and socioemotional support they need to successfully transition from primary to secondary school, addressing the learning gaps caused by an underfunded and inequitable education system in Guatemala. Each year, approximately 60–75 girls participate in this program. They attend public primary school in the morning (6th grade) and attend the MAIA Impact School in the afternoon for academic and socioemotional reinforcement.
We call our students Girl Pioneers because they are forging a new path.
The Girl Pioneers are Indigenous girls who live in rural areas and live below the poverty line in Guatemala. All Girl Pioneers receive a scholarship to be part of MAIA.
A Girl Pioneer is any girl who studies at MAIA Impact School, and it is a noun, not a descriptor. When a girl enters MAIA, she becomes a Girl Pioneer.
In Guatemala, young Indigenous women confront highly challenging social and structural obstacles. Statistics show that 57% of Indigenous girls become mothers before they are 20 years of age. Three out of 10 are forced into early marriage, and only 2 out of 10 graduate from high school. Conventional thinking in rural Guatemala is often ruled by machismo and the notion that girls should remain at home.
At MAIA, we seek to expand educational opportunities for Indigenous girls, who historically have had less access to education and personal and professional development in Guatemala. Therefore, as an organization, we give priority to women, which is in line with our mission to reduce inequality gaps.
Girl Pioneers and their families come from 47+ rural highland villages in the department of Sololá, Guatemala.
Sololá is 98% Indigenous Maya and has the second-highest poverty level in Guatemala.
Each year at MAIA, we serve nearly 450 young women and their families—approximately 2,800 people—from over 47 rural highland villages in the department of Sololá, Guatemala.
Approximately 40-60.
To select future Girl Pioneers, we consider economic needs, academic achievement, motivation, and the proximity of their location to the MAIA Impact School. This one-year selection process includes community mapping and engagement, interviews, socioeconomic studies, written applications, and academic assessments.
Girl Pioneers are often the first women in their families to continue their education beyond primary school. When they apply to the Impact School, they are currently studying in primary school, live within a 90-minute distance from the Impact School, and come from families whose parents average 3 years of formal education.
Each Girl Pioneer receives a scholarship (free education). This includes two meals a day (lunch and snack), books, a backpack, uniforms, hygiene kits, access to technology, and support from a mentor for the family.
The scholarship does not cover transportation from school to each student’s home, breakfast, or any additional expenses that may arise (e.g., medical costs).
There is no application fee or payment required to apply to MAIA. Admission is based on a transparent and comprehensive selection process. Every Girl Pioneer admitted to the Impact School receives a scholarship that includes all of MAIA’s services and programs. Each family undergoes a socioeconomic evaluation to determine how much they can contribute financially to their daughter’s education. In addition to this financial contribution, all families participate in volunteer hours throughout the school year, strengthening the partnership between MAIA and families and reinforcing a shared commitment to each Girl Pioneer’s education and growth.
No, our school day is Monday through Friday, from 7:45am to 4:30pm. .
At MAIA, we do not directly provide full university scholarships to all graduates, but we do offer two different ways to support access to higher education.
The first option is through our Postsecondary Success Program, designed for MAIA’s graduating Girl Pioneers. Through this program, we connect them with a network of universities and scholarship-granting organizations, helping facilitate both their access to and continued participation in higher education.
The second option is through vocational guidance, personalized support, coaching for university and scholarship access, and partial financial assistance.
We are firmly committed to our philosophy: “If she can see it, she can be it.” When a Girl Pioneer sees that her math educator, English educator, or mentor is an Indigenous woman from a community she knows, she believes in herself. She knows that she, too, can achieve this. For this reason, our educators and mentors come from the same communities as Girl Pioneers. Our team is over 90% Indigenous.
It is often challenging to find educators and mentors with the professional skills and experience we seek. As a result, we invest significantly in the development and capacity-building of our team. All educators and mentors receive weekly coaching in innovative teaching practices, classroom management, leadership, and more. This ongoing support strengthens staff retention and ensures that Girl Pioneers and their families receive high-quality services. When MAIA team members move on, they carry their skills and leadership into other spaces, demonstrating the talent of rural Indigenous women and creating broader systems change beyond MAIA.
Yes.Yes. As an organization, we focus on maximizing the potential of our team and generating transformational change. Our team receives ongoing training and coaching to strengthen their professional development.
Former staff members have utilized the training provided by our organization to lead or found organizations that work toward goals aligned with our mission and vision, demonstrating that our potential as an accelerator of female leadership extends beyond the Girl Pioneers and encompasses our entire staff.
Due to our focus on local talent, we rarely accept volunteers. However, we have collaborated with volunteers in the past in coaching and other specialized activities.
Impact data:
An award-winning model:
Our graduates are leaders in their communities and changemakers on a broader scale:
When you invest in the education and leadership of Indigenous women, you open a world of possibilities for them, their families, their communities, and future generations. Discover the different ways you can be part of this transformation on our Get Involved page.
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Every year at the MAIA Impact School, we welcome a new generation of Girl Pioneers. It is a transformative journey that changes the trajectory of the future of their lives, families, and the broader community.
With your investment, these remarkable young women will break cycles of poverty and build a brighter future.
