The MAIA and Girl Pioneers’ story
“We [a group of four MAIA Girl Pioneers] are developing REMARKABLE+, a website where we will be publishing impactful stories, reporting on environmental issues, and creative content generated by young people,” shared Azucely, a 10th-grader from the MAIA Impact School, when she took the stage at the first annual national CIMAT (STEAM in Spanish) conference.
Aura, Azucely, Estefany, and Wendy have mastered the competencies of vocal empowerment and critical action in the digital era with the goal of giving a voice to those who do not have one. They are taking a bold step to change the lack of access to information about social and environmental issues while challenging the misrepresentation and under-participation in media of Indigenous youth and changemakers. How? By publishing texts and stories about them and by them, thus giving space to those who seek advocacy through writing.
“We seek to promote the habit of reading and writing so that young Guatemalans have an outlet for their voices or writings. At REMARKABLE+ we focus on publishing texts and impact stories, and reporting on commonly forgotten issues such as politics, gender inequality, education, racism, exclusion, Indigenous rights, and more,” shares the group of Girl Pioneers behind the project. “There will also be a special free writing space for poetry and stories to meet more young people from their own history and from their own words.”
At MAIA, Girl Pioneers are encouraged to analyze their surroundings. Our team of educators and mentors give them the academic and socioemotional tools to courageously embark on a journey toward achieving any goal they decide to set for themselves and bring positive change along with it.
With this initiative, Girl Pioneers are showing a profound understanding of the key needs of the country and are turning challenges that have been exacerbated during the pandemic into opportunities.
The team is promoting and facilitating inclusive information free from manipulation, which is critical to ignite systemic change in Guatemala, where the lack of Indigenous participation and gender discrimination is entrenched. Additionally, this digital platform gives visibility to numerous initiatives and projects that have not been visible through other mediums. The costs of these missed opportunities are invaluable, and Girl Pioneers want to eliminate them altogether.
REMARKABLE+ will be run entirely by Girl Pioneers who will use their skills and passion for inclusive representation and writing to research, select, edit, publish, and promote all website content. To guarantee the inclusion of multiple voices and perspectives within the editorial process, the four founders invited more Girl Pioneers to be part of a focus group providing insight and constructive feedback to guarantee relevance and excellence.
Once again, Girl Pioneers are showing that young Indigenous women are a tremendous source of potential, too often overseen. When matched with the right opportunities, young women will shift paradigms and set a bold new standard for the youngest generations in their communities, in Guatemala, and beyond.
Amelia was shy and reserved, but everything changed when she joined the MAIA Impact School. She broke the cycle and became the first daughter in her family to continue her
Lucero and Wendy, Girl Pioneers of the MAIA Impact School, participated as guest speakers at the 2023 Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI) Regional event.
They are demonstrating that increasing women’s leadership
María Florinda represents MAIA in an event with former First Lady of the United States and Founder of the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance, in New York on October 25.
MAIA USA
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