Our Approach

At Pencils of Promise we focus on building strong structures and sustainable education programs. By forming long-lasting, collaborative relationships with communities, we increase access to quality education and positively impact students and parents in high-need communities throughout Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Read below to better understand how we do it and why it works.

sites to build educational structures

Before we commit to building a school in a village, we create a village profile that assesses the community based on five key categories: Need, Sustainability, Cost Efficiency, Impact, and Commitment.

with local labor and materials, in conjunction with the community

We use high-quality materials at local prices to create long-lasting structures. As part of their display of commitment to education, the village agrees to provide 10-20% of the build costs, usually in the form of materials and labor.

projects through ongoing education programs

We design PoP involvement to be 100% sustainable. Beyond building a school, we also offer education programs to our villages: SHINE curriculum, Sister School program, and Scholarship program.

and invest in local talent

PoP provides its local staff with professional development training beyond any other job opportunities in their region. We use our professional development tools to empower staff members (many of whom are females and minorities) to grow as individuals and professionals and take on leadership and mentorship roles.

and evaluate program impact

We know that the only way to design and modify effective programs is through data analysis and conversations with our communities. Local teams on the ground are dedicated to baselining, monitoring, and evaluating our impact.

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