MAIA

Improving Economic Opportunities for Maya Girls Through Education and Mentoring Support

Fast Facts

Location:

Guatemala

Sponsored by:

Rusty Gaillard and Elisabeth Loeb Jacobson

Grant Years:

2025, 2026

Category:

Job Training

Website:

maiaimpact.org

How MAIA Is Making a Difference

MAIA is an organization led by indigenous Guatemalan women working to create transformative opportunities for local Maya girls. 

MAIA’s mission is to empower these young women, all living in rural areas and below the poverty line, to become economically independent, improve their own and their families’ living standards, and take leadership roles in their communities.  Its core programs include a 7-year secondary education program and a post-secondary program that encourages university education and helps graduates secure formal employment.

Work of MAIA

  • Operates the MAIA Impact school to educate Maya girls and prepare them for a better future.
  • Provides scholarships to students, called ‘Pioneer Girls’, to attend the MAIA Impact school.
  • Offers a Post-secondary Success Program designed to extend the education and employment opportunities of girls in the Impact program.
  • Monitors the results of the program to validate the success of the Post-secondary Success Program in the number of attendees who continue their education and/or take a job.

Initiatives Supported by Project Redwood

2025:  $30,000 to support the second year of the Post Secondary Success Program to serve more students with additional training and mentoring as they transition into the work world.  The grant money will also help fund the development of a peer-led alumnae support network that will build an essential community of collaboration.

2026:  $30,000 to strengthen the Post Secondary Success Program using participant feedback into a model that increases support of job readiness and sustainability and includes an annual alumni summit, a peer-led Alumni Board, refined coaching and advising systems, and a virtual alumni platform.