Niños del Lago: Transforming futures of at-risk children and youth in Guatemala
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Transforming futures of at-risk children and youth.
Providing at-risk Guatemalan children with the inspiration, mentoring, empathy, confidence and real skills they need to stay in and succeed beyond school.
About You
About You
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Niños del Lago
Organization Website
Organization Country
United States, OR, Silverton
Country where this project is creating social impact
Guatemala, SO, Based in Panajachel we network with Partners to reach 17 Department in Guatemala
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
After-School Provider.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
A 36-year civil war devastated an entire generation of Guatemala’s children, leaving many orphaned, abandoned and without a sense of purpose or hope, or vision of a future. Now living in dangerous urban environments or poor and remote rural villages they have little opportunity for play, creativity or activities that foster empathy, social development, or hopes and dreams with little motivation to remain in school, or to stay away from gangs, drugs, or street crime. Without the ability to imagine and act for a better future, it is nearly impossible for them to escape the cycle of poverty and violence.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
We are focused on helping to break the vicious cycle of poverty and build real opportunity for thousands of Guatemala children who can then inspire others in their families and villages to strive for positive futures in the face lives of real disadvantages. We provide a recurring opportunity for the many thousands of at-risk Guatemalan children to find and build the inspiration, empathy, mentoring, skills and tools they need to stay in school and succeed beyond school in a unique nature and leadership skills camp setting. We work with a diverse network of Referring Agencies to select at-risk youth from across Guatemala and are supported by both qualified university trained Guatemalan mentor/counselors in this innovative program. Returning youth are eligible to serve a junior camp counselors and also to apply for scholarships for advanced education once they reach 16 years if age.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Set in a beautiful nature-camp environment in the Highlands above Lake Atitlan, Niños del Lago works with a network of referring partners to find and reach-out the at-risk children of Guatemala in 17 of Guatemala's Departments. The program offers a comprehensive recurring camp based experience program with follow-up support during the school year that helps Guatemala’s forgotten children build the self-esteem, empathy, resilience and social skills they need to find and chart pathways beyond poverty. Children are referred from non-profit, registered, social-service agencies in Guatemala. In full operation, we will receive up to 108 children each week over a core 7 month camp season) between ages of seven and eleven – where we believe mentorship can be most effective. Children are invited to return to Niños del Lago camp every year from ages of 7 through 15, as long as they stay in school. After “graduation” they may apply for positions as Junior and then later as Senior Counselors. Every child who passes through Niños del Lago will have the opportunity to become an official members Club Niños del Lago, not only to become counselors in the future, but also the potential ability to earn a scholarship to a university or trade school. We encourage at-risk children to imagine a better future, build skills and empathy to help them to escape the cycle of poverty, violence and limited opportunities.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Sadly, gangs and criminal elements that tempt youth into risky behaviours are our closest peers and competitors. After-school programs are helpful but a resident week-long camp experience has a richer and lasting impact. We work in collaboration with a network of accredited professional agencies to extend the reach of programming with our unique camp-based program. We want to continue to grow the reach with our partners in Guatemala and in the future share our model, experiences and best practices with others in the LAC region.
Now that you have thought out your entry, help us pitch it.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
Research on at-risk youth confirms that organized camping experiences develop self-concept, improve attitudes, empathy and self-esteem.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
Unique, powerful week-at-camp program for up to 108 children per week – referred from La Cadena Partners from 17 Guatemalan Departments
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
La Cadena network of 35 plus partners has been identified, the site secured with construction now 65 % completed. Program concept has been scoped for children (ages 7-11) who will come from many challenging situations including well-established orphanages, rural schools for indigenous youth and other institutions that shelter and help to educate some of Guatemala’s poorest children. The ongoing link- NDL Staff will maintain a working connection with each Cadena Partner in support of the progress of students in school and their return visit to camp in succeeding years. Sustainable development plan is in preparation First intake of campers in motion for 2013.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Designed and refined by a clinical psychologist ,educators and social workers to encourage children to:
Stay in school
Dream about and develop empathy, self-esteem and self-determination towards their full potentials
Gain the strength, skills, empathy and resilience to move beyond and overcome challenging circumstances
Skilled Mentors/role models with heart and Guatemalan roots. The program model provides one trained camp counsellor for every six children. The majority (90%) of the camp counsellors and role models are selected Latin American university students in the fields of education, social service, medicine, as well as native artists and artisans.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Revise, extend and action our Strategic Plan
Task 2
Continued Mobilization of a Movement in support of our program
Task 3
Expanded funding sources, additional resources and continued connections with outstanding team members.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
Complete construction of our core facilities [Phase I]
Task 2
Establish final referral agreements and intake plan with our La Cadena Partners
Task 3
Establish final mechanism for selection and training of University Students for Critical Camp Counsellor/Mentor roles
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
An early morning walk led to a chance meeting with young mother and her dead newborn on an Antigua street. Suddenly our founders life changed and her ‘vacation’ was over. The magical place she was enjoying would never be the same. She could no longer turn away – and knew whe had to DO something; yet it took three long years before she knew what to do. “The vision: in land of such incredible beauty mired in such tragic poverty and pain; I would build a children’s camp in a beautiful forest in the Guatemalan Highlands overlooking the world renowned Lake Atitlan. A place and program where poor children would come and find love, hope, joy, peace, and promise.”
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
To reach the most in need NLD Children are referred to us from a growing network of non-profit, registered, social-service and educational agencies working in Guatemala to help the most severely disadvantaged youth. In full operation we will receive up to 108 children between the ages of seven and eleven years each week, at an age where mentorship can be most effective, over our 7 month Core and enterprise camp seasons.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
National and International interns and program volunteers are welcome in support of our programming. Those experienced in youth-at-risk programs or with camp-based experience program design are encouraged to join us!Research on at-risk youth has shown that organized camping experiences help develop a child’s positive self-concept, improves attitudes and results in an immediate gain in self-esteem.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We welcome the opportunity to share experiences with other groups with an interest or experience in reaching at-risk youth or in offering after-school or camp based experiences. We also are open in the future to exploring addition La Cadena partners or in replicating our program model in other regions or countries.
