Nuestros Programas

Young scholars live in one of our family-like, values-centered homes managed by Residential Counselors.

• We create caring environments with an emphasis on character and responsibility. Children are active participants in all of the daily activities in their homes. They wake each day to do their chores, help the Residential Counselor prepare food, and wash their clothes.

• We address the needs of the whole child, providing a continuum of care which includes attention to the psychological, emotional, and medical needs of each child.

• We focus on education. The children in our residential program participate in our educational program, where university graduation is the goal.

All Esperanza Juvenil scholars who come from longer distances in the country’s interior participate in our residential program. We also serve children from Guatemala City who are able to still live with their families. These children participate in our educational programming and receive long-term, holistic support from Esperanza Juvenil. Scholars generally enter Esperanza Juvenil between the ages of 8 and 13, and either live in our homes or participate in our educational programming through college graduation. Esperanza Juvenil collegians and program graduates remain active members of the Boys Hope Girls Hope community by attending Esperanza Juvenil events and supporting the next generation of young scholars as role models and mentors.

Students participate in classes from 7am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, during 11 months of the year. They receive 2.5 times as many class hours as their Guatemalan counterparts who attend school from 8am to 12pm daily.  Each grade level has a maximum of 20 students to enhance learning. 

In addition to a rigorous academic schedule, students have many opportunities for personal development.  They receive English, cooking, dance and guitar classes, perform in the school traveling choir, and play soccer.  They participate in educational trips and receive visits from local and international leaders. After graduating from Esperanza Juvenil Middle School, participating youth attend top private high schools in Guatemala for two years before entering university.

Esperanza Juvenil provides its youth with the support they need to succeed at the university level.  Twenty young adults who grew up at Esperanza Juvenil are now attending university.  With the help of partial scholarships provided by the universities, Esperanza Juvenil finances the students’ education.  University students work part-time and volunteer 5 hours per month at Esperanza Juvenil as a way of giving back and maintaining a relationship with the younger children as role models and mentors.